What Would You Do?

If money was no object and you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you do for a living? Understand, sitting under palm trees sipping fruity drinks with umbrellas in them is not an option. Staying home and taking care of families – young kids, no kids or parents – is.

The ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, said “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

For a 20-year time period, from 1960 to 1980, researcher Srully Blotnick conducted a study of 1,500 middle-class Americans. They were divided into two groups – the first group consisted of people whose primary goal was the acquisition of money and then use that money to do what they wanted. The second, significantly smaller, group consisted of people whose primary goal was to do what they enjoyed and wait for the money to materialize – thus a smaller group indeed.

During the study about 30% of the participants dropped out and of the nearly 1,100 members remaining in the study, 83 had become millionaires. Only one of the 83 came from the larger group – the group with a money-driven focus.

In speaking about our small group, Blotnick says “The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profoundly absorbing. The long term study of people who eventually become wealthy clearly reveals that their ‘Luck’ arose from the accidental dedication they had to an area they enjoyed.” He continues, “In the long run, it was their work which made them rich.”

It has been reported that people who enjoy their jobs earn up to 25% more than those who don’t. Their enjoyment of work makes them positive, upbeat, hard workers who are generally seen as more promotable.

On the other hand, blogger and career counselor Marty Nemko writes in his posting “Do What You Love and Starve?” that very few people actually make money following their bliss. His suggestions to career contentment are to choose a job that:

•     isn’t too hard or too easy

•     has a boss who’s kind and helpful

•     involves an ethical product or service

•     requires a reasonable commute

•     pays reasonably well and offers benefits

•     doesn’t require 70 hour work weeks

•     and offers opportunities to learn and grow.

All of us would quit our jobs tomorrow to follow our dream if it would make us rich. But the reality is it won’t. My purpose for this talk today is to MAKE YOU THINK! What are my talents and how can I use them to have, if not a wealthy life, a more fulfilling life?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an actress. I wanted my life to be dramatic and I really enjoyed being on stage in front of an audience. Even though I was encouraged by family and friends to pursue my desire in college, by the time I finished high school, though, I’d had enough.

I basically fell into the legal secretarial field and quickly became adjusted to working.

I still wanted to make a big splash and moved to Los Angeles where I hoped being in the midst of the entertainment capital of the world I would take advantage of opportunities. I was in a couple of movies as an extra and did some community theater. Participating in church plays and programs and all of that was fun and exciting, but I couldn’t figure out how to make any money at it.

And then, an epiphany! I realized that as a stagehand it was my job to be supportive – to make the actors look good and the production seem magical and effortless. Nobody in the audience saw me, yet I was still filled with the same joy and happiness as if I’d been the star of the show. As an extra it was again my job to support the actors and make the movie or tv show look good.

I saw that I used that same skill to make my attorneys’ jobs easier and help the company profit. I could then take the money I earned and use it to do something I loved. Maybe this kind of wisdom comes with maturity, but just maybe sometimes we achieve our dreams in unexpected ways.

When I started working at my present job, I became a member of Toastmasters and found I could put all of this together – I could be in front of an audience and, hopefully, entertain them and as a bonus, help others realize their dreams.

How do you find out what you love? One place to start is to ask the following questions:

•     What would I do if my doctor told me I only had two more years to live?

•     What would I do for free – anytime?

•     What do I enjoy doing when I have nothing I need to do?

Albert Schweitzer, noted philosopher and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 said: “Success isn’t the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

In other words, if you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you do? Now, do it!