A husband who was asked about the success of his 30-year marriage replied simply, “I keep showing up.”

Successful business owners like successful marriage partners keep “showing up.” However, the discipline of consistency and constancy in business would be way too tiring except for another vital ingredient—the WHY of being in business.

WHY did you start your business?

Work/Life Balance? Did you want to provide your family with a certain lifestyle? Have you achieved this goal? Do you get to enjoy what you provide for your family?

Money? Does your business provide you with financial security? Do you want more from your business than financial security? Do you want more money to be able to achieve other goals?

Recognition? Does your business give you the recognition you want?

Purpose and Passion? When you began your business, were you excited about what you were doing? Are you still excited?

Chances are you started your business with passion as a driving force in your decision. You pursued your professional passion with clear and compelling purpose. Such a direction requires acknowledging fear, doubt, anxiety, discomfort, and hesitation to move through it.

However, pursuing passion and purpose can sound so frivolous to others. Such a pursuit sounds unreasonable. You are perceived as borderline irresponsible and receive a fair amount of scrutiny and criticism. After all, why do you need to own a business? Why can’t you just have a job like everyone else?

On this side of the decision to own your business, you know that meaning matters. Finding the intersection between meaning and money, between passion and the paycheck is seemingly worth the risk and sacrifice that come from dreaming big and following your WHY.

Owning a business is not easy. If it were, everyone would do it. But, everyone doesn’t. You do. You keep showing up . . . making a difference . . . and living your WHY.