Whenever I give media interviews or speeches in front of audiences, I'm invariable asked: "What's the single most important key to making the most out of your dash?" This is always a difficult question for me to answer because I've found that there is no one single key. It requires a combination of factors - persistence, desire, attitude, belief and courage.

However, I've found that there is one single key to not making the most of your dash - satisfaction. Satisfaction is the single greatest obstacle to overcome on the road to true success. You can overcome financial troubles, illnesses, relationship challenges or any of the other obstacles you are bound to encounter at some point in your dash, but heaven help you if you become satisfied.

I first began to witness this phenomenon when I ran my brokerage firm. All of our new brokers entered into the same training program. After completing their training, we would turn them lose on the world and the results were quite predictable. In most cases, the broker would begin bringing in new clients and building a business for himself. Within a year, the broker would double or triple his income. Once again, with very rare exceptions, this was the case for everyone, regardless of their background or past experience.

However, after this point, we would begin to notice radical disparities in the performance of our brokers. Some would continue to double and triple their incomes. Meanwhile, others would start to plateau as they worked just hard enough to maintain their current levels of income. Soon, it became obvious that the difference between these two groups was that first group had their first taste of success and it made them hungry for more while the second group allowed their success to make them "fat and happy." In short, they became satisfied with their current levels of income and once satisfaction set in, there was nothing anyone could do to push them to greater heights.

Of course, I realize that we all have different priorities in life. We all don't have to want to be millionaires but we all should want to achieve our maximum potential in whatever our chosen field of endeavor. For instance, if you're a stay at home mom, you should want to be the best mom you can be. It isn't acceptable to be just "good enough." You deserve better than that and more importantly, so do your children. The same is true whether you are a doctor, an architect or a street sweeper. You should want to give the best you have to offer; if not for yourself, then at least for the people whom you allow to be in your DASH.

However, once you become satisfied in any area of your life, you lose all impetus to change and grow. This is a shame because there is so much more to live than you're currently experiencing. And I say this regardless of your current stage of life. For example, to many people, I have it all. I have a few dollars, a career I love, a beautiful and loving wife, happy and healthy children and great friends. Who could ask for anything more? Well, I'll tell you who - me!

Yes, I'm blessed to work with some amazing people at DASH Systems, Inc. I thoroughly enjoy working with my clients and speaking to groups across the country but I'm in no way satisfied. I want to become a better manager, a better coach and a better speaker. In my personal life, I want to become a better father and husband. I want to be a better friend, a better member of the community, a better philanthropist, you name it. I hope that I never get to the point where I'm "satisfied" that I'm doing all that I can. There's always more for me to know, to give and to share.

And the same is true for you. You can have more degrees than a thermometer but there's still more for you to learn. You can have the best marriage of anyone you know but there's still more love, intimacy and caring possible in your relationship. You can give more to charity than any ten people, yet there's still more you can to do to serve your fellow man.

So take a moment to reflect on the major areas of life and ask yourself, "Have I stopped growing in any area of my life?" Have you stopped growing in your career? Have you stopped growing as a spouse, parent, sibling or friend? Have you stopped growing as a contributor in your community? Have you stopped growing in your relationship with your creator? If so, now is the time to get dissatisfied.

Get dissatisfied with having enough, regardless of how much "enough" is for you. A tree that gets just enough nourishment will survive but it will not grow. However, if a tree gets more than enough nourishment, it will not only grow but it will also bear fruit. The same is true for you. If you become satisfied with just enough, you will survive. However, if your appetite for life becomes insatiable, you will grow and bear fruit. Now, go forth and be fruitful!