Motives

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? - Mark 8:36 (King James Version)
So you want to be successful, huh? You want  fame and fortune? You want lots of cash in the bank and even more in your wallet? You want to "Live in hilltop houses driving 15 cars"? (Courtesy, Nickelback)
Or perhaps you've taken the noble approach by saying you only want to provide a good living for your family.
If you want my opinion (and if you're reading this, I can only assume you DO), I say, good for you!
Yep, that's right, I'm one of those silly individuals that think if a person can earn a ton of dough, that's a good thing. You won't hear me saying anything derogatory about those "Evil Rich People". If they earned it, then it's all good with me.
I rather like rich people to honest. I think they're pretty cool. All that "Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous" stuff makes me want to BE rich. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to walk into a Car Dealership and pay cash for a brand new Corvette? Who wouldn't want to be able to write a check for a brand new house knowing full well, your bank account has it covered?
Sign me up!
But before I go any further, may I remind you that I work in the Self Improvement industry. I am committed to Personal Development and Personal Responsibility (I didn't say I was perfect, just committed). If ever there was a topic that should be discussed in this area it is the matter of Motives.
What is your motive? And don't say "To get rich!"
That's not a motive, that's a goal.
Your motive is not the end result, your motive is the WHY behind obtaining the end result.
So again, what is your motive?
You see, motives are mysterious. No one can really say they know the heart of another person. Motives are steeped in the heart of all of us and until we can read eachother's minds, we will never truly know what makes someone else tick.
I can say this though; your motives will make or break you. A person who obtains wealth and success with dishonest and deceitful methods is more than likely motivated by greed and selfish ambition. A person who obtains wealth and success with honest, hard work and good ethics is more than likely motivated with self-less ambition and a concern for others.
Where do you fall in these two options?
Not that these are the only two options, but for the sake of this article, those are the two opposing perspectives I chose to run with. I want to limit the middle-ground and get you thinking in a Black or White mentality.
Not many of us would turn down a truckload of cash and world wide fame, but my main question is what would you do with it? I'll spare the whole "Root of all evil" lecture but I want to get you thinking about the big picture.
I'll assume that you have your goals in place and your methods of obtaining them also in place. Let's just say that it's five years from now and all that hard work paid off. You're swimming in money and you have everything you could have ever imagined. But what did it cost you? Did you let your relationships fall apart? Did you help others who are in need? Did you maintain your integrity? Did you give willingly or out of reluctance? Did you plan for your future? Your children's future?
Let me be so bold to say that whatever your motives are, they will show through. Like it or not, you don't get to live unto yourself. Your true character is on display for all to see and you alone get to decide what will be revealed.
But that's not a bad thing.
Having everything you ever wanted is not a bad thing.
Throwing yourself away in selfish ambition and greed? That's a bad thing.
What ever you may believe about life and death, the fact is you'll be dead a whole lot longer than you will ever be alive so why not aim for a legacy that will continue well after your gone?
Work hard and enjoy the rewards of your labor. But consider your heart. If you struggle with personal accountability then ask others to hold you accountable. At all costs be willing to leave behind a legacy of Honesty, Integrity and Charity.
Obtaining greatness will always have it's price but the virtuous will never be required to exchange their soul. If anything, the ones with the pure motive will find their soul.