“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on the success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” Oprah Winfrey What is significance and what is its relationship with financial success and importance? More than often they are intertwined, however significance is about adding value and wealth to other people’s lives rather than simply the accumulation of wealth for yourself. It is the meaningful legacy that you create; one that is built to outlast you and will outlive any financial success you manifest. Significance is about the positive ripple effect you create, how you change and impact the lives of others and how, in turn, the cycle continues as they go on to help others. It is not therefore about wealth itself, it is more about the wealth that sits within significance. Importance is about the quality of being important and having an effect on people or things. Significance focuses on the importance of something, especially when this has an effect on events in the future. When you focus on significance, success tends to follow however success doesn't bring you the same levels of fulfilment. Significance touches parts of us that neither financial success nor importance is ever quite able to reach. What does significance mean to you? More specifically what does becoming more significant mean to you? Or perhaps, rephrasing that again, what could becoming more significant do for you and for others around you in the world? These were all powerful and meaningful questions that I recently contemplated after interviewing Sylvia Baldock for episode 132 of my podcast Focus on WHY especially knowing that I was to be invited as a guest on Sylvia’s fabulous new podcast Becoming More Significant. I reflected further on what significance truly meant to me in relation to my purpose, vision and mission. Understanding and recognising what exactly it is that you bring to the table and how you use your strengths, skills, talents or superpowers are critical elements to creating significance. Many of the guests on Focus on WHY have a shared message in connection to significance that you may have overlooked. What is that message? It is that you already have all the tools you need right now to make an impact. Simply by sharing your purpose, vision and mission aligned to your values and by becoming more visible, you will reveal your hidden potential. You will then find that it is at this point that you are able to truly effect change and create significance in the world. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela What magic do you have within you? What is your hidden potential? How will you focus on significance? Be purposeful with your actions. Create a life of purpose and impact. Choose and seek significance. ACTION POINT Step up, become visible, draw on inspiration from those around you, recognise the gifts you have to offer and Focus on Significance!
Start by reaching out to help one person who needs you today.
Amy