MARCH 5, 2020
For you in the business world and those of you watching businesses or working for businesses, there are lots of measurements that are used to see if that particular business is “paying off.” It is called ROI. (Return on Investment) Today, I want each one of you to think about ROR or Return on Relationships. Relationships are the most important factor we all should be measuring in our world today. It is not only corporate but personal. We all want and need to establish deep and abiding relationships with others. Unfortunately, most business people just look at the numbers rather than the people. At Elevator Guy Enterprises, we are more about the people because people are the most important asset of any equation.
Each one of us has our own “Circle of Influence.” That can be our faith family, our immediate family and friends, along with our corporate associates. How do you influence others? Is it in a kind and loving manner or is it all meant to drive dollars to the bottom line for your own benefit? You see, in the end, the bottom line is personal for each of us. A hundred years from now, who cares if a company (or you personally) had HUGE profits or that certain business leaders rose to the top of their field by seeking money, fame, power, and status. That will all be forgotten and will not last. Yes, we need those fearless leaders to help grow the economy and create innovative products that make us all more efficient in our daily lives. But at what cost? Is it more important to gain everything only to lose your soul? Think about that one.
Investing in yourself and others seems to me, to be the most valuable use of our time. Notice I didn’t say investing ONLY in yourself by those things that bring us pleasure. That means you need to understand WHO you are and who you are becoming along with working with others to understand THEM. Once you master this, you might just find some inner peace which will allow you to follow a path of meaning and true happiness which is in all of us. (Nirvana) Many of us think that if you want happiness, you must pursue pleasure and seek to avoid pain. There will always be pain and suffering in any life. When it hits, try working through the pain by struggling and striving for a worthwhile goal. If there is no pain then there will be no gain. Try noticing a world of anxiety and stress which will kill the body and the spirit if we carry things to the extreme by trying to keep up with others. Be yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. They have their own problems.
In your close relationships, do you talk about things of importance or do you just have fun together? Our world is bombarded by all kinds of stimuli and often, we catch ourselves “playing along” with an echo of, “I know that or I do that too.” Then if you are really insecure, you might have to share all of the things you have done in life to show you are SO important. Don’t go there, as it will lead you to lose lots of friends. No one likes being around a “know-it-all’ or “done-it-all.” If you want to make close friends, try talking about important things like life, death, love, meaning, God, happiness, the future, good and evil. If you are willing to go deep in a relationship and open yourself up, you may just discover the goodness and inner peace sitting idle inside each one of us.
Want a good relationship? I like the saying, “Friends are for Sympathy. Mentors are for Solutions.” Life is challenging and a huge challenge is to receive rebuke correctly and from the right person. Friends may not have all of the answers we are looking for so go find someone you trust and that will hold you accountable. This means a good mentor. Enlisting a friend to hold you accountable will soon cause a rift in your relationship. We need to find people that can teach us restraint and help us protect our boundaries we have set for ourselves in life. That means you need to be open about what you really want and need in life.
What is your ROR? Remember, friends are merely family we choose. Choose wisely in hanging around people that can be a positive influence in your life and not an evil influence. Most are just not strong enough to handle things by themselves. Seek others that accept you as and where you are in life. Choose someone who can elevate your thinking in being better at something in life. It just may be the BEST investment you will ever make.
Elevator Guy