When they say youth is wasted on the young, here's what
that means: too often we don't figure out what's important
in life until it's too late.
This is the stuff of Greek tragedy, song lyrics and more
than a few Woody Allen movies. We pursue the fruits of
life but we forget to savor the sweetness, we forget to
swallow and be nourished, we're too busy frantically racing
to fill our coffers until one day we realize our taste buds
have wasted and the fruit has gone sour.
Such cheesy metaphors abound, but the simple truth is
eternal: it's not all about the bucks. Work from home
business success and happiness is more about the process.
It's about who you become during the journey, and what you
experience along the way.
Here's a slightly dark acid-test question: if you died
tomorrow, who would attend your funeral? What would they
feel, and what would be written on your tombstone? "Here
lies another work from home business success story, too bad
he didn't get to take that cruise he'd always dreamed
about."
He who dies with the most toys does not win, nor does she
who leaves the best looking corpse. No, the winner is the
person who banks the most cherished memories and dampens
the most hankies at their wake.
Instead of counting dollars, try counting minutes. Unlike
money, they cannot be earned back once lost. But like
dollars, there is a return on minutes invested wisely -
time spent helping others, time spent enjoying the company
of those you love, time spent inhaling the sweet aroma of
the roses, or if it suits you, the fumes of your boat on
the lake, whatever it is that turns your crank. And yes,
time spent working productively.
When you bank enough of these returns, you have hedged your
life's bet, nothing can defeat you. Use your work to forge
your character and build the foundation for future life
experiences, rather than position it as your life's purpose.
Your goal is to achieve work from home business success and
wealth, but what does that really mean? If you are sick,
wealth is feeling good again. If you are lonely, wealth is
someone with whom you can spend quality time. If you are
unfulfilled - as many rich folks are - wealth is sharing
and spreading the fruits of your efforts.
Sometimes this type of net worth - the emotional,
experiential kind - is as much about taking out the trash
as it is adding to the emotional bank account. Kindness,
forgiveness and proactive love are the vehicles for this
journey, not your next sale or your after-tax net.
Consider the last day of your life -- what would you do
with it? If you said, "I'd work," go back to the beginning
and read this again. Once you know, and once the answer
has nothing at all to do with work, then consider the next
day of your life and apply the same answer.
Work hard, certainly. Work smart, absolutely. But put
your work into its proper, balanced perspective - work is a
means to an end, and if one thing in life is certain, it is
that the end is coming.
Make a list of emotional and relational issues unresolved
in your life. Call an old friend. Commit a random act of
kindness. Forgive someone. Pay an unexpected visit.
Close your eyes and listen to the lyrics. Take a walk in
the morning rain. Savor the taste of each moment. Step
into fear, and then take away its power over you going
forward. Be present. And be thankful, because today
probably isn't the day you'll have to close your account,
there's still time to add to the balance.
It isn't about jumping up and down on a couch and
professing your love, nor is it running wildly through the
aisles at the grocery store passing out dollar bills. No,
this journey unfolds within you. Embrace it; create the
proper balance between what you value about your work and
what you value about your life.
Attaining work from home business success is important, but
it is only part of the journey. Care for the other parts
with equal diligence, because if you do, and when your day
finally arrives, you'll go out a winner.
----------------------------------------------------
Chris Curwen has recently teamed with the direct marketing
giant, Jay Kubassek, who together are seeking ambitious and
willing entrepreneurs of any age or past experience, to
join them on their mission to create real prosperity and
true financial freedom - AT LEAST 100 millionaires over the
next 3-5 years. What if YOU could be one of them?
Go to: http://www.FreedomThroughAction.com for more details
on this unique online business opportunity.
No comments:
Post a Comment