My wife is currently on the women’s ACTS retreat team sponsored by Holy Spirit Catholic Church, which means I am fully responsible for taking our 13-year-old daughter to school, picking her up in the afternoon, and taking her to dance.

Now I have a clear idea how much driving my wife does when I’m on business travel. Nuts!

One afternoon when heading over to the school to pick up our daughter, I was listening to ESPN on my SiriusXM satellite radio, and the discussion pertained to Super Bowl LVI.

One of the analysts started his commentary by making the following statement:

“You can’t go broke when you’re making a profit.”

He went on to explain that success on the football field requires consistently following assignments, such as making the necessary blocks, throwing the ball accurately, and tackling the opponent before a first down is gained.

My Interpretation

There’s a strong message in this quote. For me, success means I must focus on what is good and valuable. By doing so, I stay away from actions or behaviors counterproductive to happiness.

Here are ways I can generate “profit” in my life:

  • Let’s start with my wife attending the women’s ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service) retreat. There was a time when I would discourage my wife from being away from the family for the entire weekend. Yes … this was an egotistical approach that led to emotional debt. If my wife attended a retreat or other event for several days, I had to step-up and take care of the kids on my own. Today, I encourage my wife to attend these types of events because it is important for her spirituality growth, and it makes our family even stronger.
  • A mentor recently asked me the following question: “How many appointments do you have this week where you are serving others?” There was a time when 100% of my appointments were self-serving. This means only I could profit, and I did not want to share this wealth. Today, I’m happy to report I have several appointments each week where I volunteer my treasure, talents, and time. Since I began taking this approach, my life has more balance, and I am a happier person.

At our parish, we recently lost a lady (Emily) who volunteered for many church services, including masses, weddings, and funerals. I want to stress that she gave her time and never asked for anything in return.

What I appreciated about Emily is she was low-key about her approach. She never boasted about her high-level of commitment, and she never criticized others for failing to meet their part. I remember the many times when she was the only hospitality minister at a service.

I share the Emily story with you because the profit she generated for our parish is incalculable. She taught us that great wealth can be generated when we put God first.

From heaven, she is watching over us as a shining example of the true meaning of success.

In this case, success is based solely on how we can serve others.