Quoted from the book Business Model You by Alexander Osterwalder, Tim Clark, and Yves Pigneur:
The company I started did research and market entry consulting for companies wanting to enter Asian markets, particularly Japan. After more than six years of ferociously hard work, we received a multi-million-dollar buyout offer. This was all new to me; when I started, I didn’t even know people sold companies.
Anyway, I paid off three mortgages, maxed out the kids’ college funds, took the family on a great vacation, and invested the remainder to provide passive income. But like everyone else, I still faced the big question: What am I going to do with the rest of my life?
In a way, that question grew tougher precisely because I’d been relieved of the pressing need to earn a living. Seeking answers sharpened my awareness that work is about more than achieving financial independence.
I think most successful entrepreneurs feel the same way. I’ve talked with a lot of people who collectively have sold dozens of companies for amounts ranging from one to $40 million U.S. Not a single one ever mentioned “achieving financial independence” as their primary motivation for working.
Fortune-seekers can rarely sustain their passion through the hard times. Successful enterprises are laser-focused on Value Provided to Customers. Entrepreneurship is not about you; it’s about effectively serving others.
— Carl James, Entrepreneur
This testimony hit me like a rock!
It’s not about you, it’s all about serving others. Providing great service to other people. Giving value.
If you are seeking money or financial freedom, you’ll never gonna get it! It’s a endless road to dissatisfaction.
Find the one thing that you do with pleasure, even when times are harsh, and do it for the people, with passion and love.
All the rest comes with time.