It's not what we get . . . It's who we become!

I was pondering a quote by the great Jim Rohn who once said “It’s not what we get, its who we become in the process” and couldn’t help but wonder if that person we become also loses something in the process?

And no, I don’t mean loss of something that could be easily justified by endless mantras of “no pain no gain” I’m talking about the things we value most. For some its their faith, others it’s family and friends, “me time”, “paying it forward, etc. Guess I’ve just given you a long winded explanation of something commonly known as “values”

Let’s put that thought to the side for a moment because I thought it would be cool if we took a class trip today to a really exclusive resort located just outside the rain forest. When you get finished packing, I’d like for you to pack 5 more things:

The Top 5 Things You Value Most In Your Life Written On 5 Separate Pieces of Paper

Please take a moment to think about them, I’m sure you’ll agree its important we know what we value most in life and besides, I’m not letting you go without these items identified and packed.

So hopefully you didn’t “wuss out” and you’ve packed your top 5 values.
So off we go!

I’ve taken the liberty of chartering a private helicopter for us so we can see the rain forest on the way. We’re off to a great start, some people are enjoying some Champagne, my side of the helicopter is getting loud from the tequila shots Uncle Paul is serving up. Life is good. Until . . .
The helicopter starts swaying left to right, making a crazy noise and we begin losing altitude pretty fast. Suddenly it becomes obvious that we are going down as we brace ourselves for the worst. Then it happens, we crash into the tops of some giant trees and miraculously we are all OK and only have some minor injuries. Note: You didn’t think I was going to kill us off, did you? Any who, there we are, most probably without the tequila at this point, but alive when along comes a local tribe that yells up to us asking if we would like help getting down. After a sarcastic response (from me) of “Ya think?” they inform us they would be happy to but . . . it will cost us each one of those values we packed. Not having much of a choice in the matter we reluctantly agree.

Please decide which value you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

Alright, so they get us down from the tree and now that the shock has worn off a bit, we realize, that our injuries, although minor, need some attention. Luckily, their medicine man is present and is happy to patch us up but . . . the dude wants one of those handy dandy values we packed. After pretending to cough and blurting out “Rip off!” we agree.

Please decide which value you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

Okey dokey, we’ve gotten down from the tree, we are patched up but just as the high fives begin to settle, a nasty storm is quickly approaching (it’s a rain forest remember) They offer to take us to their pimped out village (I took some literary license on the pimped out. Honestly, I can’t back that up) We agree and they give us the old Uno Momento stop sign and inform us that it will cost us one of those quickly dwindling values. Truth be told, we’re OK with getting drenched, but it’s the whole poisonous snake and evil critter thing that has us crapping da khakis so we fork over the value.

Please decide which value you will sacrifice and place it to the side.
Note: Kind of sucks. Doesn’t it? Hang in there!


So we make it back to their village. Several days go by, we are rested, our wounds have fully healed and now we want to make like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, click the heals and vamoose! One problem , we are in the middle of the rain forest and have no idea how to get back to civilization! Guess who does? That tribal leader and the S.O.B. already has his hand out asking us for one more value. And there’s no negotiating either. I mean, how could we get away with giving him half a value?

Please decide which value you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

And so our little class trip ends. Wait, not yet. They all lived happily ever after and became sales rock stars.

But your story, is just beginning because you are staring face to face with the one value that means the world to you. In fact, I bet you struggled at times deciding which value to give up. The more you gave up, the harder it was to give up another.

Now the really hard part (or not) You must remain true to that value.

No success, no money, no “President’s Club”, “Rock Star Of The Year” award is worth the one thing that is most dear to you or worse yet, you becoming something in the process that makes you hate that person in the mirror!

So there you have it, actually not yet . . . do something that strengthens and speaks to that value today.

I just did in writing this!

So what say you? What do you value most?

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Sales Playbook Linkedin Group Update: We're having a discussion on "throwing down" with clients/prospects. Stop by and share your thoughts here http://tinyurl.com/y9da8ya