What can we do today, to be more tomorrow?

I was just listening to an interview with Tyler Perry. He is a very accomplished actor, director, and producer who built his own giant movie studio that now employs thousands of people every year.

He started from nothing. But even from when he was little, he knew there was something inside of him, a voice that told him that if you can just endure and put in the work, you can be so much more and do so much more.

He is an amazing example of someone who has accomplished so much in his life.

But the most striking thing that came from the interview for me was when he explained going from being goal driven to legacy driven.

There was a moment in his life when he realized he had “made it” because he had reached so many of his goals. He could have then relaxed, coasted, maintained.

Not long after the birth of his child, something shifted in his mind. It wasn’t just about leaving his kids a great fortune.

It was a moment of clarity, of seeing the world differently. He realized how many people were intertwined into his journey.

How many people looked up to him as a leader, as an inspiration. How many lives he was impacting. That his journey wasn’t completely his own.

He realized he wasn’t dreaming big enough. That his life and the tough lessons he endured along the way had led him to this point where he could make a tremendous amount of impact on others.

It wasn’t about his personal goals. It was about being something MORE than just an actor, director, and producer. Something much bigger.

Perry’s story resonated with me deeply. So much of life we have our heads down focused on our job, trying to succeed with our endeavors, trying not to fail.

But then one day, you have that moment of clarity. We have gifts and strengths we have accumulated from a life full of lessons and experiences.

What if we used those gifts and strengths for something beyond our day jobs?
What if our day jobs included a fulfilling sense of purpose beyond earning paychecks?
What if we are not thinking big enough?

Do you ever have that feeling that you were designed for something more, something bigger?

I haven’t always been able to say what that something more is. But I’ve felt it. 
And the more I push myself to be better than I was yesterday, the more I know I’m on the right path.

Businesses like to talk about how they have purpose, that they have purpose before profit, but the reality is often different.

As individuals, our choices define us. 
Same goes in businesses, our choices define us.

They define if we stand for something. If we lead by example. 
How we impact the world around us.

I used to think that if I made more money, I would be able to provide more lasting impact to my family and to my community.

But I’ve learned that all I really needed was to simply decide to be more.
1% improvement from the previous day.

Small, yet consistent improvements on my relationships, my health, my work, on being the person I aspire to be. This is what it means to me to be more.

What if we all decided to be more?
What can we do today, to be more, tomorrow?

Mike Turner

Co-Founder: Impact Club Boise
Host: Idaho Speakeasy
Collaborator: Value Drive Approach
Founder: Front Street Brokers
Author: Agent Entrepreneurs
Voice: 208-340-8399