What Is My Reason For Living

Home-based entrepreneurs face many obstacles from their business start up on into continuously running their businesses to make them successful. Most of us, at one time or another, have asked ourselves, “Why am I doing this?” Many business advisers have always said that to be successful in your own business, you must be passionate about it. This means you need to be willing to do without sleep, postpone vacations, and sometimes put all of your worldly possessions at risk in order to finance your new business.

 After doing all this, you are happy to keep doing the same things for many years as you grow your business. This is what most business people would call passion, and that’s true. However, for you to continue with all these obstacles, there must be something much deeper going on in your mind.

Perhaps a personal example will help to explain what I am talking about. A few years ago I experienced several body blows to my personal financial situation—for a time I was without any income at all, and I was close to being homeless. Five people turned up to help me through this difficult time. What these people did was to make it possible for me to survive long enough to get back on my feet.

They also provided psychological support for me in that troubling period in my life. I appreciate what they did, and I realize there are millions of people out there just like me, especially now in these harsh economic times, who could use a little help. Because of what these few people did for me, my goal in life is to help as many people who need some kind of help as I can. Money is not the only thing people need. Often they require some kind of counseling, or just a little encouragement.

However, even though the help is not just money, there is often some money requirement to provide what is needed. Therefore, I operate my home based businesses in order to provide the financial base for helping those around me who need some kind of help. You should now get the picture of what I’m talking about. What I want to do with the rest of my life is to help others who are less fortunate.

All of us home based entrepreneurs need to find the answer about why we do what we do. If our business is incorporated into our deep passion for life, we will surely be successful. This article attempts to point us all in the proper direction to find our own answer to life’s big question.

THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT LIFE

Back in 2002, Po Bronson, who has written six books, and has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek, wrote an article for Fast Company with the same title as his book, What Should I Do With My Life? In this article, Bronson discusses the fact that people have lost faith in their leaders and the well-known institutions that surround us. What we are now searching for is an answer to the BIG QUESTION:

“What should I do with my life?"

Where past groups of people generally searched for opportunity, the author feels that future people will, instead, search for what they should do with their lives. One reason why this may be so is the question of sustainability. This idea has been applied to many things in our 21st Century world. Consider the current plight of governments all over the world—in past years they promised so many things they can no longer deliver. In other words, their actions are unsustainable and carry the seeds of massive discontent with them. The same goes for people who seek content with their lives by following the hottest industry around. Failure of the stock market and the real estate market are all evidences of unsustainable industries. The Dot.com bust in the early ‘90s was also a strong example of unsustainability. Those who pursue these prospects that will not last are doomed to a life of low productivity, not able to create at the highest level of their abilities because deep down they are not in love with what they do.

Companies succeed when they are able to capture the hearts and minds of employees so that creativity and productivity are funneled into making their employer the best that it can be. This kind of employee is bent on seeking the correct answer to that big overriding question, “What should I do with my life?” The answer to this question is always found deep inside where you decide if you love what you do, or you don’t love what you do.

It is an unfortunate fact that most of us are defined by what we do; the bad thing about this is it causes many of us to try and be something we are not. I had a job I hated for over twenty years. It was not sustainable—the result was serious health problems, financial difficulties, and divorce. A very high price to pay for doing something I never wanted to do, don’t you think? This same scenario may apply to many of us. This is why we need to go to whatever depth it takes to find our own answer to the big question.

WHAT MATTERS IN DETERMING OUR LIVES

In the past may people considered jobs that required speed and risk, and were so-called “cool” jobs. Everyone wanted these jobs because they signified important work and were worthy of devoting one’s entire life to doing them. Turmoil worldwide and failing economies have mostly changed this thinking. The search now turns to what really matters when determining what our lives are really about. Evidence that “cool” jobs no longer define a worker’s life can be found among mundane, unexciting jobs. These are often found in highly bureaucratic organizations, or in industries that are considered uninteresting. People who work in the kinds of jobs, and who are completely satisfied with what they are doing, are very creative, and perform their tasks in an excellent manner. Those in these jobs who have not found what it is they want to do with life generally are unproductive and often fail at whatever they do. They watch the clock, are happy when Friday arrives, and hate Mondays.

One aspect affecting what you must do with your life involves the concept of “your calling.” In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber says the calling is a religious concept originating in The Reformation. In this context the greatest thing an individual can do is fulfill his moral obligation and duty in the daily affairs of the world. This may sound easy, but, perhaps because it implies moral and religious ideas, your calling is often difficult to find. The problems involved are indicated by the experiences of some people interviewed about their calling.

The difficulties these people had in finding their life’s calling are illustrative of what we all may have to go through. Here are a few of their stories: an Investment banker who eventually became a catfish farmer; an entertainment lawyer who now drives a truck; a college professor who is a chef; and, finally, there was a Harvard MBA who is now a police officer. None of these people had some vision showing the banker he needed to raise catfish, or the lawyer that he should drive a truck. No. All these people possibly tried several different jobs before ending up doing exactly what they were designed to do. They are all happy and productive citizens doing not what others thought they should do, but they, themselves, want to do with their lives. Through trial and error these people eventually felt little nudges that eventually pointed them in the right direction. Like many other great decisions in life, never overlook any small detail or what some may consider a demeaning kid of work; anything could turn out to be your calling.

FOUR OBSTACLES TO FINDING WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE
MONEY

Money will not provide the total answer to anyone’s big question. However, if money should be part of your answer, you will no doubt have an easier time. However, a lack of money does not deter people from carrying out the life’s work, even when money is very short. Making money requires tremendous effort and takes a toll on one’s health; all of this changes the way we look at things. It’s difficult to imagine getting along on a fraction of what you are making in order to achieve the true answer to the big question. I can assure it can be done and you will be much better off if what you decide to do brings in considerably less money than you may be accustomed to. I now get by on about 25% of what I made in my other life, but I’m much happier. Don’t let the less money prospect stop you from being happy and productive.

SMARTS

Being smart will not answer your big question. For years it was thought that a smart individual, armed with a great idea, could do anything. People also thought work should always be fun with constant challenge and change. These ideas have not worked to provide answers to what you should do with your life. If you try to use your brain to find what turns you on, you begin to head in the wrong direction. Instead of discovering what truly makes you happy and fulfilled deep inside, you will begin to do things that satisfy your brain, but do not fulfill your innermost longings. The point is, you can’t force an answer; the correct solution will only appear as gentle nudges in the right direction eventually leading you to a satisfactory answer to what you should do with your life.

PLACE

Place is you defined by the culture around you. If you are a Hollywood actor where praise has been heaped upon you, praise no longer describes you—it’s your box office receipts that become you. In DC, many powerful politicians are paid nominal salaries, but they are judged by the size of their staffs and how many people they can influence. People think they can break away from these cultural influences whenever they wish; not so. Cultural values become so in-grained that it is increasingly difficult to break away. You can become locked in to your culture forever. This means you should always try to become involved in a system that reinforces your basic set of beliefs. You can then surround yourself with supportive people who think like you do, and so accomplish the goals you have set for yourself.

ATTITUDE

The greatest obstacle of all is your attitude, meaning it all could be in your head: how you feel about things and how you decide to investigate them. Many people feel guilty about even thinking about the big question of what you should do with your life. There s a myth that says working class people are happy without finding what they should do with their lives. Not so. Everyone considers this to some degree, though most do not pursue it until they find an answer. Often there must be some traumatic experience in one’s life to get people started trying to find the big question answer. Perhaps a catastrophic event causing lengthy bed rest, a divorce, or losing one’s job could trigger interest in the answer to your big question. Without such a dramatic jolt, it is very difficult to break out of the surrounding environment.
Answering the big question insures the freedom to protect yourself from being molded into someone you are not.

FIND WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST

Here is a discussion of the perennial answer to the question, “What should I do with my life?” Most people will come back with a question similar to, “What would you do if you had a million dollars?” The question is supposed to lead into what you would do if you had no money worries, but often it goes in the wrong direction when people answer it by saying they would pay off debt, invest, buy real estate, and similar actions. These answers do not go to the heart of what you should really do with your life.
This is because life is much more complex than a simple answer to the millionaire question. Each of us is a unique being; there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what we should do. People can give you helpful advice, but the final answer only you can provide. When searching for the answer to your big question, you will know what it is when you find it. You will have found what makes you happiest.

WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

This is a discussion of a common cocktail and networking question, “What do you do?” This question is related to the big question, as well. A lot of people who frequent these groups hate the “What do you do” question.
At one meeting, the author was introduced to a strange lady he had never met. Those who made the introduction quickly faded into the crowd. Expecting the standard question, it was quite a surprise when the lady asked, “What do you like to do when you’re not doing what you have to do?” It was a delightful change from the normal conversation routine, and enabled an entertaining exchange on many subjects. This unusual question cuts through all the normal useless discourse, and goes straight to the point of who you really are.
Talking about what you like to do brings out the passion you have for these things. The answers you give to a question about what you like to do, which you are enthusiastic about, tells us there are two categories of life:

• What you like to do is what you would do all the time if money were no problem.
  
  
• What you have to do is what you do because you need money.

This is a rather sad commentary on our lives. It’s all the more reason why we should try to find something we are passionate about, and then do it, regardless of the time and effort required to accomplish this.

ANOTHER QUESTION

We all have a very short time in which to find out what to do with our lives. Some people are able to find their passion in their 20s, while others only get there much later in life, even into their 70s and 80s. That’s a lot of wasted time for many people, but it shows just how difficult it is to answer the big question. This discussion asks a blockbuster question: “How would you spend eternity?”

This may seem to some a religious question. It is not–it is very real and applies to everyone because quantum mechanics now recognizes consciousness. It is now believed that our consciousness may become part of the vast Universe when we die. This indicates the real possibility of life after death, no matter what your religious beliefs are. It follows that eternal life will be much more enjoyable if we are able to determine what we should do with our lives before our certain death.

We have talked about the difficulties in finding the answer to our big question; it is likely we will try and fail to find the answer several times. Perhaps we will never stumble upon it, because we have seen it is not something we can pursue and conquer. However, the search will cause us to continuously think, possibly resulting in an answer. It would be wonderful if we can all determine what it is we should do with our lives so we can enjoy living our passion, at least for a little while.

NON-CONFORMITY

The author of this article quotes Steve Jobs as saying, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people who are no smarter than you.”

The idea is you don’t need permission from anyone to pursue a different kind of dream or idea. Though some people, perhaps most people, will not understand when you strike out on a different course, just by deviating from a life whose terms are dictated by others, you will find the possibilities are endless. It’s your life; do what you want with it.

AN EXERCISE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

This article presents a unique plan for initiating a significant life change. It’s the 20-minute way to change your life in 100 ways. If you feel there is more to life than you are getting, consider using this short test to get you back on track. Here’s how it works:

1. Find a quiet place, get a pen and blank piece of paper.
   
   
2. Set your alarm clock for 20 minutes.
   
   
3. Write 100 things you would really like to do. Don’t be realistic–the stars are your limits. Be imaginative and think as big as you can. Include even the simplest things you might like. Don’t stop to consider what you are writing, you have only 20 minutes. You may come up with some really wild ideas, which is part of the purpose for this exercise.
   
   
4. Even if you aren’t quite to 100, when the clock alarm goes off, STOP.
   
   
5. Put the list aside for one day. Do not look at it, and definitely don’t make any corrections.
   
   
6. The next day you can review your list. Pick the few things that seem possible and concentrate on them. It’s possible you have uncovered some creative ideas you never thought of before.

The reason for this exercise is not to produce an impossible list of things, but to show you that anything is possible to do.

The author went through this procedure and decided to pursue his adventurous self. He sold all his belongings and took off for a lengthy trip to wherever he wanted to go.

CONCLUSION

After reading this article, you may decide what you are doing is not the right thing for you to do with your life. As a home based entrepreneur, if you are not passionate about what you are doing, you should begin looking around, as described above, to see what you are supposed to do. If you aren’t passionate about your business, sooner or later you will run into insurmountable problems. I hope you are all satisfied, as I am, but I went a lot of years before finding what I’m supposed to do. It took serious health problems, financial difficulties, a divorce, and trouble with the IRS to get me started on the right track. We have already said that a serious lifetime jolt is sometimes necessary to start us on the right track. I sincerely hope you are already doing what you are supposed to do, or that you find the answer to your big question without needing such a jolt. If that is what is required, so be it; I assure you it is worth the trouble to find what you are supposed to do with your life.