Success vs. Significance
by Kevin MillerProfile on: John Kang, President and CEO, Liquidmetal Technologies
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When someone who has achieved as much as John Kang says success is not the end-all and be-all of life, you have to stop and wonder why. After all, over the past two decades, John has guided the growth of two cutting-edge, multi-billion dollar companies - Medical Manager, which pioneered a fully integrated medical practice and clinical management software system; and Liquidmetal Technologies, which develops and sells new types of metal alloys used in everything from jewellery to spacecraft. With credentials like these, you’d think success would be the only thing that mattered to someone like John.
Always Another Plateau
As enjoyable as these experiences have been, John has learned not to base his life or his identity upon such achievements, because they’re always fleeting. “Success looks great from the outside. But once you reach a plateau, you realize there’s always another plateau. And once you’re gone, the people on the previous plateau forget about you pretty quickly,” John says. As an example of this truth, John cites Medical Manager, a company he founded in 1995 and then took public two years later. When John started the business, it had only one small office and four employees. By the time he stepped down as CEO in 2000, they had close to 6,000 employees in 100 countries. Even so, John says he’d be surprised if there are five or six people in Medical Manager who even know who he is. “Everyone says how wonderful success is when it happens, but it’s only for that moment.”
What About Significance?
John didn’t always think this way. When he started out in business, John was pretty much like everyone else, always striving to reach that next milestone and live up to the expectations of those around him. But as John’s career progressed, he came to realize that God didn’t measure his worth according to the values of the world. God didn’t care about achievements. All he really wanted was a relationship. Even though John has had the privilege of rising to the top of his field, it is this realization - that God loves and accepts him just as he is - that has given him his greatest sense of significance in life. “Until we find that kind of significance, we’re always going to be searching for it,” John says. “God has already accepted us for who we are - his sons and daughters. That fact alone gives us significance, and we don’t have to do anything to earn it.”
Are you searching for a sense of significance beyond your achievements? Jesus can help you find it. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.
Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours?
If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.
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