I recently went down to LA to help my grandparents move.  Long story short, the trip culminated in a 20 hour drive with my father in a moving truck.  Suffice it to say, we got some time to chat.

 He mentioned something that’s been whirling around in my head since, and as it applies to today’s post, I thought I’d mention it.  He had a good friend a few years ago, Dave, that died of Hodgkins Disease.  Before he died and realizing that a terminal condition gives it’s ‘victim’ a unique perspective on things, my dad asked Dave what he believed to be the most important thing in life.  “What’s the key to happiness?”

His answer was simple.  Relationships. 

It’s not money, success, knowledge or possessions, he said. It’s simply your relationships with those around you. Your friends, your family, your colleagues.

I happen to agree.  Ironically, I also happen to believe that money, success, knowledge and possessions can all spring forth from strong, positive relationships.  So, yes, you CAN have your cake and eat it too.

Business, by its defenition, is all about the almighty dollar.  But, here’s a little secret.  The question should not be:

“How can I make more money?”

Instead, it should be:

“How can I create deeper, more positive, more meaningful relationships?”

Here’s why.

In the end, these two ‘philosophies’ can achieve the same goal.  The differences, however, are colossal.  Going at business with a “how-can-I-make-more-money” philosophy is immensely short-sighted.  No one likes a money-hungry fool (yes, they can smell you coming) and even if your strategy happens to be successful, you’ll ONLY have money to show for it.  Nothing else. 

Working from a “how-can-I-create-a-meaningful-relationship” perspective, you not only create an environment in which people will want to work with you, but people will think of you for future projects, refer you to their friends and in many cases, bend over backwards to help you when you need it.  You will, in fact, increase the chances of your overall success, reaping the benefit of making money AND having fantastic relationships (which, to be honest, are a lot more rewarding anyway).

So, try changing your focus from figuring out how you’re going to make that buck, to figuring out how you’re going to make that friend.  It may sound campy, but the more you put into your relationships, the more they’ll put into you. 

Tomorrow, I’ll post a really simple tip you can start using NOW, that’s helped us create some fantastic relationships.

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