Comparing Success and Value

“Try not to be a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” -Albert Einstein

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time and it always makes me feel inspired. That might seem a little bizarre at first. Isn’t my brand “Possess Your Success” all about succeeding? My mission has always been success planning. I’ve been driven to help others achieve success in everything I do—from speaking and coaching to writing my book. It doesn’t seem like this quote aligns with my business’s values at all. But, take a closer look and ask—what does being successful actual mean?

There’s no standard measurement of success that we can use to evaluate how successful anyone is. Success is much more personal than that. For a lot of people, success is defined by money—having lots of it and knowing you aren’t going to go without it. There are many people who relentlessly pursue this and only this. They may acquire material wealth and the trappings of success.

But, what’s the meaning of this pursuit? The endless focus on the ends allows people to justify the means, even when they go against morals, ethics, or even laws. Searching for success in this way creates self-interest to the point of selfishness. Achieving any success may fill you with pride but without values guiding you, that pride will become ignorance. You can miss opportunities that would otherwise have been evident. You may not realize the significance of obstacles until it’s too late.

Success without value can quickly lead you into disaster.

The path to success that I advocate is motivated by something entirely different. When I come to the stage or sit down with a client one-on-one, my goal isn’t to show them how to make money fast. Success planning isn’t based on short-term solutions. I’m not here for “get rich quick” schemes. I’m here to bring value to their lives. I have had the opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge in my life that has proven useful for others in avoiding pitfalls. It takes the pressure off of me to succeed and puts my focus back on service. What will motivate these kids? What’s the best path for this client to take? What is the most useful piece of information I could pass along right now? These are the questions I’m constantly asking myself. I want to keep my success planning on point with continuous evaluation. I try to make sure that I’m continuously adding value and bringing more value to my own life. Without even trying, this builds my confidence. I help people and it allows me to be unafraid of failure.

See how I’m providing $15,000 of value to 1,000 high school youth across the country.

There are certainly a lot of wealthy people but most of them don’t seem particularly admirable. In the news, you’ll hear about corporate scandals or politicians working in their own interests instead of their constituents. There are a million stories of success followed by hard, heavy failure and hopefully, they work as cautionary tales for those who would only pursue material success. But there are a few successful people who have also managed to change the game and make themselves synonymous not just with wealth but also with influence, value, and charity.

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur best known for bringing Tesla Motors to life as well as co-founding PayPal. He has an estimated net worth of $14.2 billion, making him one of the richest people on earth. He certainly had ample opportunities to drain the value from his success, to be driven in different directions by opportunities available. But, he has remained committed to a vision of changing the world. He wants Tesla Motors to create affordable electric cars to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. He also founded SolarCity almost 10 years ago in order to bring more solar power to California and hopefully across the United States. Perhaps most interesting is SpaceX, Musk’s project to bring space travel into reality. He has huge dreams and wants to take humans to Mars. Although not everyone agrees with him or his dreams, no one can deny that he has been genuinely motivated by a desire to improve the world around him and success has come with it.

Oprah Winfrey’s story is distinctly different but carries the same themes of success throughout. Winfrey was born in poverty in Mississippi and scraped her way to the top, overcoming unthinkable hardship and despair. Where others who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps become selfish, Winfrey is best known for the overwhelming generosity that comes out of her production company. The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was syndicated internationally for decades, always had an audience giveaway that was designed to motivate or inspire the people who watched her show. She was pioneering acceptance of the LGBT community in the 1980s and has championed open expression of emotional issues and problems. Her presence has been invaluable in terms of giving young African American women a role model. She has stayed successful even after ending her show and focuses mostly on her philanthropic efforts, including a girl’s school in South Africa. Everything she touches seems to turn to gold but she has continued to remain humble and grounded even when her prolific success could have led her astray.

Tyler Perry is also a hugely successful man guided by his faith. He’s been directing plays and movies since the early 1990s and has created opportunities for success and jobs in his own community, which was previously ignored by the entertainment industry. He’s created dozens of films which showcase life in a distinct way. Even with material success, he has donated tons of his money to scholarships and other charitable endeavors. Unsurprisingly, he and Oprah Winfrey are reportedly close friends.

I myself am providing value to the world in quite a few ways these days (including this post). Most recently, I’m launching a crowdfunding campaign to deliver 1,000 copies of my upcoming book to disadvantaged high school youth, as well as creating two scholarships to help them get on the right path to success in college and in life. I’m truly ecstatic because I believe it will enrich lives and impact generations to come.

How I’m doing this? Click here to find out.

There are so many ways to be successful that no one path will be right for everyone. Sometimes, the pursuit of wealth will be at the forefront. Sometimes, success is about personal fulfillment and love. When I work with people, I try to motivate them to find the thing inside of themselves that give them the greatest feeling. Value comes from the heart and helping people find what’s in their hearts pushes me to learn and share more. This is the truest form of success.