It's Not All About The Money

He threw his arms up in the air and said, “No! That’s not why I did it! I didn’t do it for the money!”

We were getting ready to disembark very early from our cruise ship on the last day – when we discovered there was a problem with the bridge. There was a small group of people waiting and the crew told us it might take a few minutes to fix.

So, my husband went off in search of coffee for us while we waited. Of course, two minutes after my husband left, they fixed the problem.

But now, we had a new problem to deal with: three suitcases, two laptop bags and two large cups of very hot coffee. It was going to be nearly impossible to carry our luggage and , our coffee without spilling hot coffee all over the place.

Kind and Unexpected Help

We were about to throw out our coffee when one of the crew members came over and offered to help us. He grabbed two suitcases and off he went ahead of us. He led us across the bridge, through a very large parking garage and to the elevator that would take us to the building we needed to exit to find a car to take us to the airport.

It was a ridiculously long walk, likely 10-15 minutes.

When we got to the elevator, my husband handed him some money to thank him for what he had done. It was in that moment that the man raised his hands up in the air and said:

“No! That’s not why I did it!”

What he said next, I will always remember: “I did it from the goodness in my heart.” 

We had to convince him to take a tip and let him know how much we appreciated his help. Unknown to him, I had been up most of the night with an upset stomach and still wasn’t feeling well.

His act of generosity meant so much to us and his reaction was so honest and real, there isn’t a fibre in my body that thinks he did what he did for money.

It made me think.

When an act of generosity is so honest and so real - you can tell. You can tell it was done from the goodness in their heart, not for money. (Click to tweet!)

It’s Not All About The Money

Here’s the business (and life) lesson we can take from this story:

Do you do what you do for your clients from the goodness of your heart first? Do you really care about the product or service you provide them with? Or are you only doing it for the money?

Money is the outcome of doing good work and taking great care of your clients. But, if every action and every activity is motivated purely for financial gain, you’ll be chasing money forever.

If every action and activity you do in business to take care of your clients is motivated purely for financial gain, you'll be chasing money forever. (Click to tweet!)

One of my former coaching clients, Kike-Lola, once told me that her grandmother said:

“Whatever you chase will run from you.”

I wholeheartedly believe that to be true, especially when it comes to money.

Don’t get me wrong, I like money. But I care more about doing great work than making a fast buck and you should too. Look for opportunities to help people when they need you, and try and make a difference in what you do.

Then, the money will chase YOU.

How are you listening to your inner guidance on how to make a big impact over simply following the money trail? Tell me below.