The Irony of Feeding Ourself

At the risk of being Captain Obvious here, I think feeding our family is important. You know, food on the table, a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and transportation to get to and from. See, that was very Captian Obvious-y of me.

But it's true. Through the course of life, it's imperative that we find ways to create enough income to care for our family's basic needs. For this reason, and to no surprise, most people's primary objective for work is to financially provide. There are a lot of other good parts that fall into it (like meaning, fulfillment, relationships, etc.), but at a very core level, providing for one's family is key.

While I totally get why and how this happens, this instinctual need to provide can also be self-sabotaging. If we're not careful (and we often aren't), it causes us to focus on ourselves first, and others second. This behavioral dynamic is counter-productive when endeavoring to make an income, as we're being paid to add value to others. Therefore, the act of focusing on ourselves first makes us less valuable in the marketplace.

Therefore, I've adopted a saying that I use often with my clients....especially business owners. "The best way to feed ourselves is to feed others." Said another way, when we help people thrive, we subsequently get to thrive. When others win, we win. When we add value to an organization, value is added to our bank account. Cause and effect.

When we make it about us, we lose (albeit slowly in many cases). Instead, we should endeavor to add value, add more value, and maybe add a bit more value. Then, we will undoubtedly get fed. It’s hard to view work through this lens, but when we do, it changes everything.

The best way to win is to help others win. I hope you help a lot of people win today!