ALL our lives we have been taught that in order to live “The Good Life”, we need to make tons of money and have tons of people serving us. However, the good life is a matter of perspective: quality vs quantity. You don’t have to live to 80 to have a good life. It’s not in the length of days, but the quality of the days.
AFTER accumulating wealth and material things, my aim now is not for me to be wealthy, but to make wealth a consequence of the goodness of my life. If pursuing the good life, I accumulate wealth, then good. However, if I don’t, I don’t and will not experience despair. There is a difference between success and greatness. Make that distinction in your relationships, family along within other areas of your life.
GREATNESS: is defined by IMPACT; the nature or the quality of one’s impact on your life. And if all of your impact is superficial and self-serving although you may have reached the world’s definition of success – this does not qualify you as great. It’s the will of God that you exceed your own expectations and don’t settle for success, but rather greatness. Why aim to be successful by the world’s standards anymore, allowing your spirit to be enticed by, “the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy,” (John 10:10) in exchange for the society’s fame and riches? For the GREAT spiritual prophet, Jesus, says, “those of you who plan on living, I came that you might have life, and life more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
THERE is a difference between just living and abundant living. Where are you on the dichotomy? Go through different areas of your life (finances, fears, past, relationships)
and ask yourself which side of the spectrum are you living on? Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not that bad just to “live”. In fact, it can feel pretty awesome. However, the distinction is between being comfortable with world success vs. stretching yourself to experience the full manifestation of the promises and power God has over your life, which equals true abundance and greatness. Why settle for just existing at worse and living at best when the Creator says you can have so much more?
ABUNDANT living is attractive. To meet someone who lives abundantly (full of joy despite issues and challenges life circumstances present and who maintain a commitment to living everyday like it’s their last), is truly an incredible experience.
WE think that death is uncertain, but that’s a lie. Life is what is uncertain. And often times, we get caught up in this delayed understanding of our time here on planet earth. We seemed to feel like we have eternity to get things right! Like we can afford 20 or 20 more years to get on with our purpose. However, what if we don’t? Let’s not die incomplete, feeling like we could have done better, but we didn’t. In this dimension, we live our lives within the framework of time, so let’s squeeze as much life as we possibly can while we are here RIGHT NOW.
So ask yourself as only you and God know the real answer: Are simply living or are you living abundantly?
Rashaun WILLIAMS is a General Partner of the Manhattan Venture Partners’ (MVP) All-Star Fund. He also was a former founding partner of the Queensbridge Venture Partners (QBVP).
Manhattan Venture Partners Taps Rashaun Williams as General Partner of the MVP All-Star Fun former founding partner of Queensbridge Venture Partners (QBVP)
