Profitability: How to get from 'Just Enough' to 'Extra.'
by Mark Silver
Published on this site: July 22th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
During the last Heart of Money class someone was asking why
scraping by is the norm, and it's so hard to come by having
extra money.
It came up in the context of paying yourself first. I had
told them that you have to pay yourself first, into a savings
account or other account, before you paid your bills.
"How in the heck I can pay myself first, when it feels
like I don't have anything left over after my expenses are
paid?"
Listen to that question: it just revealed a very important
Divine law. The reason there isn't ever any extra, is because
the concept of "extra" is a human idea, and doesn't
exist anywhere except in our minds.
Look around you. Is there "extra" in nature? An
apple falls from the tree, never picked by anyone. Is it "extra?"
Nope. Whether it's by you or by Adam, by a worm or by microorganisms,
the entirety of it will go to nourish something else. And,
each of those eaters will, in turn, nourish something either
through their actions, or eventually through their decomposition.
I'm not trying to be gross, it's just true. If you want to
have "extra" in your business, I suggest you forget
about it. Instead, focus on how you want to serve- not just
your customers, but your family, yourself, your neighbors.
By coming into service, even into serving yourself, suddenly
there is a reason for "extra."
Okay, so the first step is to move your need for resources
from the "someday when I have extra" column, into
the "necessary resources to serve," column. But,
you aren't done yet.
Simply using your head, or your own wishful thinking, to
move a desire for a shiny black Lexus from one column to the
other doesn't make it so.
Critical ingredients in service are humility, surrender,
and generosity. Most of the time when we are needing "extra"
we are on the edge of, or deep into, fear and panic. Not very
conducive to being generous or humble.
I've seen a lot of people make a lot of effort to produce
material goods from sheer will power, whether that's working
24 hours a day, or whether it's saying 1000 affirmations a
day. Either way, if your heart isn't already in generosity
and service, there is a quality of trying to bludgeon reality
into changing.
Exhausting and usually ineffective. And, when it IS effective,
not very satisfying.
Take a breath. Relax a little. And, bring your heart into
gratitude and humility before looking at what "extras"
you need. Take some time to be in relationship with your goals,
and see if they truly feed your heart, or if they are things
you are chasing after because you think they will "fix"
something about you or about the world.
I have found, on more than one occasion, that when my wife
and I have one of our weekly money meetings, the income and
expenses match up, bizarrely, often within $10 of each other.
And, this was true before we set aside savings and other goals,
and afterwards. And, many of my clients have reported the
same phenomenon.
When you find the truly nourishing desires, plan them into
your necessities. You'll find that the resources will show
up to support them, either because you'll suddenly see what
needs to be done to achieve them. Or, sometimes, miracles
occur. You do believe in miracles, don't you?
Keys to Creating "Extra" Profit
- Surrender is key. Surrender in this situation means
accepting what is, as much as it means letting go of your
attachment to what might be in the future. If your hand
is balled up inside the cookie jar, you can't pull it out.
Take a moment right now with your business. Drop your desires
to make it different than it is. Breathe into your heart,
and notice what is going on with your business. What does
your heart really show you about what's happening right
now? See if you can allow your heart to show the gifts that
are already here in your business, and to feel genuine gratitude
for what is.
- Desire is never wrong, just sometimes unfulfilling.
What are you wanting that has been in your "extra"
column? A new computer and software? A new desk? A big vacation?
Take some time and face this thing that you are wanting.
Be honest and gentle with yourself as you ask your heart
to show you how fulfilling this thing really is. Be truthful.
Note: Just because something feels or doesn't feel
fulfilling right now, doesn't mean it will stay that way.
You might be longing for a new computer, and then realize
that you heart shows you that it's not a true necessity
in the moment, but that if you check in again in a couple
of months, the timing might be right.
- Be an adult with your desires. Being an adult
means that you can have an extra cookie after dinner, or
before breakfast, if you want. But being an adult also means
that you can be aware of the consequences of your choices.
Sometimes goals come in miraculously. Sometimes they take
meticulous planning and discipline.
What is your business teaching you about your desires? Is
your heart asking you to learn to trust in the miraculous
a little more? Or is it asking you to come into the next
level of responsibility by bringing in some compassionate,
graceful discipline in working towards your goals.
There is no cookie-cutter here, you have to take the time
to listen to your heart to get true answers. But if you do,
you still get the delicious cookies, even if they are free-form.
My very best to you and your business, Mark
Mark Silver is the founder of Heart of Business, and
the author of the forthcoming book, "Unveiling the Heart
of Your Business: How money, marketing and sales can deepen
your heart, heal the world, and still add to your bottom line."
He has helped hundreds of people in small business succeed
without losing their heart. Mark integrates more than 1500
years of spiritual tradition with down-to-earth, no-nonsense
business practices. Get his free workbook excerpt of his book,
among other free resources, online:http://www.heartofbusiness.com
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