Quests are used in literature, mythology and folklore as a symbol for the journey of evolution taken in life. It is the road we take to meet our goal, desires and often we quest for something very specific.
In literature or movies it is often about retrieving an item, on the surface at least. When we dig deeper we see that the key is not the item but rather what the item is capable of bringing into your life.
What we quest for:
- Treasure (in business: Money)
Those who seek treasure, seek it for wealth and fame or to use it for a specific goal that they need money for.
Being in business is no different. Like all treasure hunters there are two types. The ones seek money usually not for the sake of having money but because of some greater goal they wish to achieve with that money and the ones who seek money for the sake of having money (which general still is driven by an underlying desire to be respected, or feel worthy).
- Magic Item (in business: Success, Abundance, Creativity, Clarity etc.)
There are those who seek a magic item to fulfill something that they feel has been lacking either in health, relationships or for success. It’s the type of thing you can’t buy. Because even though you have money, long life may still escape you. Even though you have money, ventures are not guaranteed to be successful because of it.
While in ‘reality’ we focus more on what’s right in front of us (magical items being a faraway, sometimes considered non-existing concept), in business we still look for the key to give us the things we desire such as Success, Abundance, Creativity and Clarity. Those are things within us that money can’t buy, though we can use money to buy expert products or programs which can draw it out from us.
- Holy Relic (in business: Serving Others, Absolution for the Past)
Often sought for the same reason as the magic items but (by most) also sought because of religious reasons. This can be for absolution, forgiveness or on behalf of another (in service). The powers that the Holy Relic brings will be used for others.
Business is all about serving others, on the surface anyway. There are those who use it as a glossy shine when in reality they only care about the money and will sacrifice any principles and values to get it. Nowadays business is shifting, the ones who truly care about others have the ability to rise to the top and those who only care about the bottom line are struggling to stay on top. That’s not to say those who care don’t have their own struggles, their struggle is more about caring as much for themselves as they do for others – the polar opposite of caring for others as much as you care for yourself.
A quest is thought to be a grand adventure to some distant land and sometimes we forget that a quest can take place even in our hometown. Questing is seeking. It is a personal journey of evolution, overcoming obstacles and conquering your fears. It’s about being willing start the process of growth by taking a chance and choosing the journey.
4 Things that stops us:
- Money
Money is a funny thing. While it likes to pretend to be the headliner of the show, it’s really just an extra pretending to be the headliner. What I mean by that is that it can seem like money is the main culprit that stops us from getting what we want. Yet those who desire it bad enough can be poor as a church mouse (There’s an old expression for you) and still find the money or find a way. By finding a way I mean they might still not have the money, but money is only used as currency to get what you need for the journey. If you get creative, you can attain the things for your journey either by donation or trade or whatever you can come up with.
Like I mentioned before, you could even quest in your home town which would cost you very little.
But if that’s the case, then money isn’t really the obstacle. So what is the real underlying cause?
If money wasn’t an issue, what would still be stopping you?
Or if you would go ahead if you had money to spare, what is it about your beliefs about money that is stopping you?
- Time
I’m too busy to find what I want. And soon your life will have passed you by, without having ever had it. Time is one of the easiest excuses. So many of us claim not to have it, but that’s only because we keep filling it up since we wouldn’t really know what to do with ourselves if we had it. How much time do you spend surfing the net? How much do you watch TV? In your business how much time does reading your emails suck up? One of the number one tips from various time management experts, email is one of the biggest culprits for taking away not only time but productivity.
When you look closely at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, you’ll find more efficient ways to use your time. If that’s not the case, then perhaps you are taking on more than you should because of guilt or desperation. Those two can cause us to take on things that are not a good fit on which we spend tons of time.
And again, this adventure could even be had in your home town. So how much time do you really need to finally go after what matters to you?
Where can you be more efficient to create more time?
What projects that are ‘good enough’ or ‘have potential’ are you saying yes to that you should say no to?
- Fear
Here is yet another that pretends to be the main character, but is actually a supporting role. Fear can paralyze us or confuse us so we waste a lot of time going back and forth in doubt. Some people realize they’re afraid but are too scared to face it (ironic, no?). Others aren’t even aware that all the objections they have or obstacles they perceive all stem from fear.
Fear is a trickster. It has a way of capturing your attention so that you feel it is more powerful than anything else. Like tunnel vision, we can only see what we fear and the rest becomes a blur. Yet if we close our eyes we’re still afraid. That’s because fear is the sound but not what caused the sound.
If you hear a sound, whether it’s a drum beating; a horn; or a scream… That is not an isolated thing. The sound didn’t just appear out of thin air, it had an origin. Something caused the sound.
In the case of fear, it too was caused by something. Our beliefs, thoughts and conditionings cause our fears. The emotion is merely the expression of what was already there. And usually there is something specific that triggers it.
What are you afraid of?
What’s the worst that can happen?
What is something that preludes your fear and triggers it? (A person, situation, event, etc.)
- Emotional or Mental Restraints
And finally we have come to the star of our show. Our thoughts, beliefs and conditioning stem from a long time ago. Few are recent, most have been around for a while but they keep reinventing their image to appear new (plastic surgery anyone?). These divas don’t leave room for anything else because they choose what you will have in your life. The longer they’ve been around, the more pull they have because they know the ins and outs of everything that’s been going on. The problem is that we’ve been using their stage name so long that we’ve forgotten what they were originally called and where they came from.
We may be the director of our life, but our divas run the show. Their incessant (and downright outrageous) demands desire that we alter how we live and do business according to what they want. Why we don’t fire them? Sometimes we forget we have the power or we’re worried that we while it may be bad, we might not be able to find better or even just a replacement.
As a result we restrain who we are, how we act and what we do. Is it really worth it? Of course not, because you’re not only living a life that’s not really your own but you’re downright miserable doing so.
Which divas (thoughts, beliefs, conditioning) are currently running your business?
Where did they come from? How far can you trace them back?
Is their way of doing things serving you?
How to get it
- Fire your divas.
- Be bold (think big).
- Take action.
If you answered the questions for each thing that normally stops you, you have gained a lot of knowledge. Knowledge itself isn’t power, but it’s what you do with it that gives you power.
What will you do with it?
What is a personal quest you would like to go on? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing your answers.
If you’re interested real life Quest for Success – specifically designed for you- to find a Magical Item in Rome (channel your inner Indiana Jones/ Lara Croft), contact me through Project Eve, Facebook or via email at [email protected]
Share small business news, blogs and social media tips with Project Eve’s community of small business owners and entrepreneurs today. Our contributors come from a wide range of backgrounds; so whether you are a small business owner, social media strategist, financial adviser, serial entrepreneur, or write an amateur blog we urge you to contribute a blog to our 500,000+ community today. For more information, please refer to our Content Submissions Guidelines.
