Money Makes People Understand
Results over Process
My sister arrived in Ubud this morning, and it’s the first time since we moved here last year that one of my family members visited me.
The first stop to the itinerary I made for her was the lotus temple. It’s a small temple near Starbucks Ubud. I was a frequent visitor to Starbucks, but I never noticed the temple until recently.
The visit took only ten minutes, and I told my sister about the story of a lotus flower. If you have friends who are into Buddhism and are fond of tattoos, it’s common to see them sporting a lotus tattoo. I read about its story and how it symbolizes the path of an enlightened man.
The lotus flower thrives on muddled waters. You don’t notice its beauty until its final bloom. It symbolizes that life is filled with struggles, trials, and tribulations — but this is the thing that’ll make us stronger and enlightened. I wanted to take a photo of the flower this morning and found one hidden in plain sight. It was beautiful, but I caught myself in this paradigm shift. I loved the result more than the process. In reality, I was surrounded with lotus flowers that are trying their best to bloom beneath the surface, but I can’t appreciate their struggle.
And this is what happens to our stories. We are budding entrepreneurs or creatives who don’t have anything spectacular to show for — we don’t have a multi-million business or an award-winning project. We expect others to understand our struggle — the small progress we’re making day-to-day. But sadly, that doesn’t happen in real life.
No one was listening to Gary Vaynerchuk when he was filming Wine Library TV. No one was reading Tim Ferriss when he was blogging about his world travel. And nobody was watching Manny Pacquaio when he was this scrawny kid from General Santos, Philippines.
Results over the process. Don’t expect other people to take notice when you don’t have any grand event. We are all excited to watch the lotus in full bloom, but no one wants to see it grow day to day.
If you’re looking for outside validation, then go for results.
This is why Tai Lopez flashes his cars, girls, and mansion. Or young e-commerce gurus flashing their streetwear, Lamborghini, and living in a villa in Bali.
We only listen when we see results.
The exact reason why people won’t hear me talk cause I don’t have a million dollars in my bank account, I’m not driving a Lamborghini, and I don’t have a big mansion. And how that’s fine with me, and I don’t hold grudges for others for not paying attention.
I urge you to take the long-term view. Think about the growth process and forego the short-term results. Don’t think about other’s opinion of your journey.
Going after a dream has a price. It may mean abandoning our habits, it may make us go through hardships, or it may lead us to disappointment. But however costly, it is never as high as the price paid by people who live in their comfort zones.
Paulo Coelho
Talk to you soon my friend.
