A new paradigm for “business rate of return”

Today I was repairing our fence (several pickets were shattered when lightning struck a nearby cable box) when I dropped a box of nails. Instead of my typical thought (“Well, THAT was dumb–what a waste of time! Why didn’t I just put it where it would have been safe??”) it started a series of thoughts, specifically about success. I realized how much I’ve used the energies of money and time as the indicators of whether a venture is successful. Is it a good use of time? of money? Was my time or my money wasted, or did it pay off?

I started thinking about other energies that support manifestation. Maria Nemeth lists six: Money, time, creativity, physical vitality, enjoyment, and creativity. As I looked around and noticed the trees, smelled the late summer flowers, tuned into how much I was enjoying the process, I wondered not just about energy that goes into manifesting, but about the return on investment. Usually I would gauge success according to my money and time investment (it took me 3 hours to fix the fence–should I have hired someone?). I started thinking of the other energies and wondered how I could see the pay-offs. Enjoyment? There was a high return, for sure. Creativity? Yes. Physical vitality? Indeed–I felt strong, free out in the breeze. Support? Hmm–I translate that into connection/community. I felt part of my family, my passing neighbors, and was happy about being able to contribute.

I wonder how a business plan would look if it took into account all 6 energies in terms of rate of return?