So within the past month or so I had a realization that has completely reshaped the way I see all of my work. And that is this idea that the true reward of all of our passion and creativity and hard work is friendship. If I work for years aiming only at money, there’s enough evidence to assume I’d probably be disappointed if I got it. And if I worked for years to attain accolades or fame of some kind again again I suspect I’d be tremendously dissatisfied. Because, I just spend too much of my time on the journey toward my goals for it to just be about what I receive when it’s all over. The true reward doesn’t happen at the end when you arrive it’s happening all along the way, and that is the friendships we forge as we strive toward those goals together. And until I realized this and focused on enjoying the process I was incredibly frustrated.
The weird thing about friendship is it doesn’t exist on its own. It needs those other interests and passions to ignite and fuel it. But at the same time, ask just about anyone and they’ll tell you that their friendships are far more important than the things that brought them together.
And this goes for everyone I work with, those I work along side of and those I work for. I mean, let me ask you: are you a good friend to your clients? Because the reward there isn’t money either, it’s the friendships you’re building. The money is just a great way of appreciating you for how well you serve them. Aim for the money and you’ll have a few pay days but, aim for the people and you’ll have long-term friends who love appreciating you with their dollars. Because just like anybody your clients also want to enjoy their jobs and the people they work with. And from a business standpoint they want to work with people they trust.
Don’t get me wrong, your business is important. Just don’t be tricked into thinking it’s what you really want, because money and fame aren’t good enough for your hard work and creativity, but your friends are.