Sometimes the Opportunity Isn't the Money
... it's the ability to turn it down if it's not in alignment with your values...
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It’s often not spoken about why the opportunity isn’t always the money when it comes to business.
Whether it’s a job, earning money from your art, talent or skills, or simply negotiating a deal for your brand… personal or business…
sometimes, the opportunity isn’t the money but the ability to turn it down if it’s not in alignment with your values…
thus creating two opportunities.
Doing the right thing for you and not compromising your long game.
Creating the space for an even bigger “earning” opportunity based on alignment and your merit.
Yes, just like in life, business follows similar philosophies… you can give up the “good” - opportunities that are “almost” what you’re looking for, provide short term rewards and make you feel appreciated from the outside world…
and go for the “great” - opportunities that are exactly what you need, provide generous long term outcomes and make you feel whole from within.
Believe me, I understand the importance of earning money in this world, but I also believe in the importance of not sacrificing your intuition, gut instincts, morals, values or integrity to get it.
In fact, I strongly make the case that you can actually do the right thing and earn twice (or even 10x) the amount for aligning with yourself and the people you serve.
I’ve always prided myself on the intersection of business and spirituality. The two are actually quite synonymous.
Serve.
Serve well and honest.
Employ critical thinking.
Take care of people. Understand them and provide care and value.
Use discernment everywhere.
Create from your soul.
Be humble, but also direct and honest.
Don’t do business when it’s out of alignment but use grace with everyone no matter what.
“No” is a full sentence.
When you say “no,” have faith that something better for you is on its way.
Life and business are about being and doing with purpose. Employ your soul as the head of the company and you can’t lose.
I bring all this up because I believe…
…we’re swiftly moving further into a creator economy in which individuals
will have the ability to earn as much as they’d like to
will need to earn differently than they’re used to, and
will take on more responsibility than they want to…
all in the name of individual sovereignty and personal accountability… that, and they’ll find themselves more prosperous.
The old ways are not only old, they have become irrelevant because they’ve long left out their soul in the process.
Somewhere along the line, many businesses started solely focusing on earning profit in the short term & by any means necessary, that they began to leave out long term morals and values…
The irony?
When you play for everyone to win (long game),
you earn MORE than the short game
you have longer retention of value from repeat business and repeat talent (employees, team members, colleagues, etc)
you have sustainability of health, wealth and prosperity…
and you do so while keeping integrity and morals in tact.
For many years it seemed like my position for the long game was met with resistance online because immediate satisfaction and gratification is marketed everywhere.
And look at where that has gotten us.
You cannot escape the reality of eventually honoring the long game because honesty, integrity and character win every time.
Recently, on my Instagram, I posted a scene from The Big Short (2015), whereby Mark Baum (played by Steve Carrell) bet against the fraudulent ways of a greedy Wall Street.
Watch scene here 👇🏼
Is making money bad. ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact, I think money is a beautiful abundance to be earned, shared and invested.
However, to Baum’s point in the movie, when greed and fraud kick in, which is typically from a scarcity, short-term mindset, you have people leave their morals at the door.
The fact is, when these types of “opportunities” arise, you can say “no” to them and simply trust your value and worth to win.
Actually, the ones who usually win big, do so because they avoided the chaos the short term usually brings.
Here are 3 concepts to consider:
Avoid the arrogance of titles, labels, position and status. Good business is easier to spot when you’re not blinded by “appearance.”
Going against the majority is not about winning as it is thinking outside the box and fleeting trends.
Humans will be humans will be humans. Chase soul not society.
Let’s expand here👇🏼
Avoid Arrogance of Titles, Labels, Position & Status. Good Business is Easier to Spot When You’re Not Blinded by Appearance
Be not concerned about how things look.
Be concerned by serving others, how things function, earning accordingly from good activities and a great product or service, the efficiency of the process, taking care of clients, customers and colleagues/associates.
Too often, people delegate a lot of their decision making to how things “look” automatically assuming that a title, label, position or status is a reason to trust.
The fact is, there’s an arrogance that comes with paying too much attention to “shiny objects.”
Don’t be fooled by how things look because it might take you away from how your gut actually feels.
Learn to delegate your decisions to your intuition, not society or a short term gain.
👇🏼
Going Against the Majority is Not About Winning As It Is Thinking Outside the Box & Fleeting Trends
You’ll be viewed as crazy, unrealistic or even “risky” when you go against the majority who are following the crowd.
Here’s the thing about crowds… they’re crowded… meaning, they’re quick to follow without viewing all of the angles and they shortcut the details. Crowds move you off your path.
In short, crowds crash together.
When “group think” moves you off your path and is governing your decisions, you’re less likely to see the vision… you’re less likely to connect to yourself.
When everyone goes one direction, be looking at the opportunities in another… that’s how you stay out of the chaos and 5 steps ahead.
The long game may be longer, but it’s filled with peace, patience and sustainability.
When it’s all said and done, the crowd will ask you how you knew what was going to happen… to which you’ll respond, I didn’t follow everyone else so I saw what everyone else couldn’t see.
👇🏼
Humans Will Be Humans Will Be Humans. Chase Soul, Not Society.
If it’s one thing I know about humans is that they are predictably unpredictable.
Put yourself in a position to rely on your own merit, instincts and talent and you can’t lose.
Put too much emphasis on what others think, do, be or have and you’ll forever be affected by their decisions, emotions and output.
Often, when dealing with other people and their ideas or businesses, the opportunity isn’t the money but the ability to turn it down if it’s not in alignment with your values…
As I said up above… this creates two opportunities.
Doing the right thing for you and not compromising your long game.
Creating the space for an even bigger “earning” opportunity based on alignment and your merit.
The more time you take to connect to yourself and your soul, the easier it is to say “no” to all the things that simply don’t align with your lane… and it is a beautiful lane should you decide to cultivate it.
And I encourage you to cultivate it.
Simplify, Multiply, Diversify below…👇🏼
SIMPLIFY…
The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been. (Albert Einstein)
Translation:
If you follow the crowd, their outcomes are your outcomes.
If you follow your soul, your highest self is the outcome… and there are no limits.
MULTIPLY…
Saying “no” to something now doesn’t minimize your gains… it amplifies them. When you follow your gut’s long game over your ego’s short game, everyone wins and that’s the ultimate abundance.
DIVERSIFY…
Follow the calling, not the crowd. You’ll learn to trust the path you were gifted and you’ll find you knew more than you thought.
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New Podcast Episode ➠ Happiness is Less About Pleasure & More About Pursuit (Apple, Spotify)
Instagram: @mattgottesman
In the meantime, tell your friends!
You probably don't know this, but anytime I talk to people about what I'm working towards and how it's a long game, I think of you because you're the first person I heard talking about this.
All good things take time to build, and we build them matters!
Lastly, I love that you call our our paths a beautiful lane and encourage us to cultivate it. ;) Cultivating is all about nurturing something that matters, so this visual is perfect.
Thank you, Matt! Great letter as always!