Before I share why it is impossible to raise your standard
of living working a job, let me lay some groundwork. Think
about this. Everything in nature has been endowed with what
it needs to survive. There is no living thing that isn't inherently
equipped with the skills and abilities it needs to secure
its continued existence. Whether through instinct, size, camouflage
or speed, no gazelle, lion or giraffe has to go to trade school
to learn how to survive. That’s the beauty of the divine
plan. We, as humans, are part of this plan and each one of
us is given something that sets us apart from everyone else;
something that we can use to ensure our own survival. In fact,
before industrialization sent hoards of us to the cities to
work on assembly lines in factories, we all used something
we did or owned to exchange for the things we couldn't do
or didn't own. Experts say that before the Industrial Revolution,
80% of us where entrepreneurs.
Unfortunately, because we now live in a capitalistic society, we
rarely have a chance to be rewarded for the extraordinary potential
we bring to the universe. Instead, we are rewarded for the lowest
common denominator--something we share with just about everybody
else--that is, our time and our presence. Think about it. On a job,
you're paid simply for showing up for a certain number of hours
to do a job which somebody else could probably do just as easily;
It's this replaceability that ensures that big business—which
competes on price—can stay in business. If people were compensated
based on the real value of their "talents" big business
couldn't survive.
So even if he or she wanted to, no employer can or will ever pay
you what you're worth. It would violate the basic laws of business
and everything would crash.
So how do you raise your standard of living while working a job?
First, it's necessary to understand that the only way to make more
money in a capitalistic society is to sell more, or charge more.
So, since what you're selling are your hours, you can work more
hours (obviously there's a limit to this), or you can beg for a
raise every year, or go on a constant quest for the next higher
paying position that will pay you more for those same hours. Many
people make this constant effort to improve their lives, but find
that conditions invariably stay the same. That's because the only
way to effectively raise your standard of
living is to leverage your talents, your gifts, your interests and
your hobbies to create a product or service that you can sell to
increasing numbers of people and free yourself from the cycle of
trading time for money. In other words, you need to turn your passion
into profit!
By taking this bold step, you’ll join the ranks of a unique
group of people I call “Passionpreneurs.”
Passionpreneurs are men and women of every age, ethnic group, educational
background, profession and religion. They include housewives, inventors
and artists. They are a diverse group of people from every corner
of the globe. However, Passionpreneurs do share one common trait:
they’ve all found something they enjoy doing and have decided
to keep doing it.
More significantly, not only do Passionpreneurs enjoy what they
do, they get paid to do it! They’ve found the hidden value
in their talents, interests or pastimes, offer that value to the
world in the form of unique products and services, and do so for
profit. In other words, they’ve created businesses that allow
them to make money doing what they love. As a result, many have
walked away from frustrating jobs to live what I call a Passion
-Centered lifestyle. They set their own schedules and control their
time. They live according to their own personal value system rather
than someone else’s. Furthermore, Passionpreneurs experience
the joy, empowerment and unique satisfaction of being compensated
for being who they choose to be, honoring what they believe in,
and doing something they feel divinely called to do.
So why should you become a passionpreneur? I can think of no greater
case one can make than simply happiness.
But I can hear you asking, "How can I discover my passion?"
But before you answer that question, there is an even more important
first step you must take; and that is you need to find your purpose.
It is one of four major steps/questions that you need to have clear
before you can successfully turn your passion into profit. The four
steps, in order, are PURPOSE, PASSION, PRODUCT & PROFIT. (On
my website, I offer additional insights into the other steps.)
The key question associated with step one is: "Why am I here?"
Unless you first align yourself and your life with your purpose,
any pursuit of passion will be fruitless because it will not be
providing the fulfillment you need to feel completely valuable.
There's a test you can take to discover your purpose. But even
without taking the test, ask yourself which of the following four
words resonates with you: CREATOR, SAVIOR, GURU or GUIDE. Are you
here as an artist/creative type? Are you here to heal/fix/save people?
Are you here to teach/instruct? Or are you here to guide/lead others
en masse to a new way of life?
So even before you ask yourself "what's my passion?"
knowing your purpose will help you move in the right direction as
you seek to create a business around it. For more on the process,
visit: http://www.passionprofit.com
Walt F.J. Goodridge is a career coach known as the "Passion
Prophet." He is author of 10 books including "Turn Your
Passion Into Profit" and the "Tao of Wow". Walt helps
people become "passionpreneurs" making money in business
doing what they love! Take his revealing personality test at: http://www.passionprofit.com
to discover your Passion Profile, or
email Walt at: mailto:[email protected]
