Appreciation Marketing – Satisfaction

What is satisfaction for you? What makes you satisfied when you decide to close your eyes at night? What makes you believe that you have done a satisfying job in your life? Is it the wealth that you have achieved, or is it the number of cars or houses that you possess? We have all heard that “he who dies with the most toys wins”.

There are extrinsic aspirations and intrinsic aspirations. Extrinsic aspirations are the houses, cars, and other “things” that we accumulate that mean wealth, the wealth that we have and the wealth to buy more and more “stuff”. The more “stuff” that we accumulate, the more places we must have to store our stuff. These are the trappings which we believe show others how successful we have become.

Intrinsic aspirations are the intangible feelings or thoughts that we have. The more good feelings that we have through what we do for others, the service that we perform, or the helping hands that we have extended, the more satisfied that we are. It is the sights that we have seen, the places that we have visited, and the people that we have met and “touched” in some manner, and the impact that we have left.

We all must decide what is more important to us, not to other people, but to us. We must decide what we need that provides a feeling of satisfaction to us. This may mean different things to us over time, changing from one moment in life to another. Is our satisfaction measured by the intrinsic things or by extrinsic ones? What is the “thing” that drives us? What is our “why”?

You must be able to answer what is the reason that you have arrived at any point in your life. Are you working for someone else, or are you operating a business that you started? Did you start your business from scratch, or did you buy a franchise? Did you just “fall into” your current business situation, or did you plan your place and work towards it? It doesn’t matter what your current state is, why do you do what you do?

Your “why” impacts how you operate in business. Do you look to acquire intrinsic aspiration or do you want more extrinsic ones, the stuff that makes you appear more successful to your public? What makes you happier, how you feel, or how you look? Are you a networking partner or are you a “player”?

I realize that a certain amount of wealth makes life easier and allows us to function and accomplish other things, even intrinsic aspirations. However, wealth cannot buy happiness, real friends, or even that good feeling at night that you have done so much good during the day. Sometimes it must be about what you do for others, how you extend service to your networking partners, not considering what will return to you.

So, we all must ask ourselves what type of aspirations that we have. Are our dreams of the extrinsic type or are the intrinsic? Do we rate ourselves, and others, by the number of cars, boats, homes, or bank accounts that have been accumulated? Or do we look at how “good” we feel about building relationships with others, extending service to other business and personal acquaintances, or just helping strangers.

Decide what makes up your why” and start accumulating those things which will satisfy you. I’ll bet you decide on the intrinsic side and learn to enjoy that side of life. Please leave me your comments, or email me at Jim@JimTeasley.com, or call me at 360-314-8691. Take a good look at your “why” and what that means to your life.