You are so right on with your observations about environment. When I had to move temporarily to this middle-of-nowhere place where I am currently living, I initially thought it would be a fun adventure and I was excited. But moving into a remote coal town in February ended up being dreary and depressing. For 40 days I was depressed! And then the depression lifted, and I suddenly began seeing things around me that I had never seen before or or had been annoyed by rather than appreciating them. Like the tugboats on the river and the trains that pass by this house. Like the pig and rooster that live two houses away. Like the people who have lived here all their lives and have funny little stories to tell (like the time last year when 3 drunk college students abandoned their car on the train tracks just before the train hit it and blasted it into a woman’s house at 1 am!). I’ve even made up a slide show about all my wacky memories from living here!

The impact this environment has had on me has been tremendous, and I realized that the moment I adjusted to it, my business picked up in an instant. To say nothing of my mood, ha ha.

And in about 2 months, I’ll be moving into our house back in our old neighborhood, and that will be another adjustment! The house is being totally renovated and added on to, and will only be 1/4 done when we move in, so I’ll try to remember this discussion so that I don’t allow my environment to drive my mindset or my business!

Thanks for the inspiring and insightful comments, I just had to jump in on the dialogue!

I love my work deeply; it excites me and I am passionate about what I do, consulting, coaching, writing and teaching, and even the everyday tasks to keep everything on track.

For me, however, the delightful work concept extends to not just what I do, but WHERE I do it. If it is with my laptop on a nature trail, with my phone on the beach, or with notepad in a bubblebath; or even with my voice recorder on my bicycle, now that is real delight.

Today’s world makes this possible like never before. If I have found a patch of sunlight from which to do my work, everyday becomes bliss instead of the mundane or repetitive, and every moment has a positive setting that anchors the task.

Maria

This was such an easy but fun exercise. I cheated!! I didn’t set a timer or have the paper ready, but still, I knew my answer immediately:

I would write and create products about all the career-related stuff I have learned over all these years – which is substantial and significant and deserves a wider audience – and then I’d use that money to pay somebody a bundle to market the heck out of my products.

This would continue my steam of income ad infinitum (even after I die, what a great inheritance for my daughter!) so I could take a couple hours each day to read my Bible and pray, as well as take care of kids for emergency foster care.

I would totally remove myself from all internet technology except for email and internet research. I’d stop doing my pain-in-the-butt Constant Contact e-newsletter. Oh that feels good to say! (sorry Bill W – you do a great job but I still have to write the darn thing!) I’d paint, I’d write, I’d create beautiful mosaics, I’d garden, I’d fly to visit people and places I don’t have the time or money to see now.

Thank you for this freeing exercise, Tom. What it made me realize is that although I am doing love I absolutely love, (a) maybe I could actually pay my way through all the e-commerce stuff I dread and (b) there are many other things I am good at and would love to spend (more) time doing. Thanks for helping me with these thoughts.

Peter those are a very inspiring questions and quite the title. I’d like to see your answers. I find the life mission or calling develops over time as long as we are engaging in work that brings us alive.

Todd yep lots of joy and excitement in our work leads to us being eager for work. When we have eagerness we lose ourselves in our work and of course then it no longer feels like and obligation.

Shilpan thank you for the Stumble! I can tell that you are a very fulfilled and enthusiastic blogger. Your question is central to my post. Remove the money and or the need for it and see what remains that we would want to do.

Erek this is good stuff. “For me, it has to do with awakening a fundamental belief in myself and others that it is actually possible to make a difference in the world, and that we are all capable of doing so.” It’s the capability that so many get stuck on. For some reason they more believe their self-doubt. I’m glad I have a fellow warrior coach leading the charge to strong inspired self-confidence!

Clem that is a very admirable answer. In fact it’s the same as most responses people give for the deathbed question. The question goes like this. If you had 6 weeks to live what would you do with your time? People always choose reconnection and relationship building.

Kay since I know you well and love you I’ll respond to this. You said, “What stops me from doing that right now, without money, and from a very precarious financial point in my life? Fear is the name of this game, and something still unnamed, call it the “why-bother-saboteur.” Why bother? Bother because the world needs your special brand of deep gladness. Why bother? Bother because you need to create a win for yourself so you can feel whole again. Bother because you’ll inspire others to care as well. Bother because you’ve been gifted with great talents to connect and cherish others and they need your example. Bother because you know you will at some point anyway so why not now? Of course this too will pass. It’s already in the midst of passing.

Thanks for this amazing post. Today’s been a day of resistance, and just “not feeling like it.” I remain inspired by what has been with me for as long as I can remember – which is discovery and inspiration, then passing it on via healing sessions, transformational retreats, writing, and sharing my music & songs.

If I had 3.7 million, then after a 2 month break where I could just “be,” instead of so much doing, I would be very likely to keep doing those things I love – mingling in groups, helping others heal and see the good in themselves. I care so much about giving others a leg up, because I need one so badly myself.

In the past, I have despaired deeply at times, but have been afraid to admit it and ask for the help I need. I’ve set impossibly high standards and goals, and then crushed myself with my own disappointment.

I recently admitted on a stage in front of 75 people, that I have trust issues with everyone, most notably, myself. How will I stand and take action to help others? Is it believable that I can help others move out of pain and into their own greatness?

My heart says it must be, because I have done it so many times, and that my experience on both sides of this is bound to be useful. I do live in my greatness at times, and it is so beautiful when that happens.

What stops me from doing that right now, without money, and from a very precarious financial point in my life? Fear is the name of this game, and something still unnamed, call it the “why-bother-saboteur.”

I know this too, will pass. I have not forgotten how it feels on the other side of this. In the moment I tried the exercise, all that came out was that I am sick and tired of action, of living in warrior mode for the last 3 years. I’d like to reconnect to the Divine Feminine in me, and so this will become my starting point.

What would Goddess do? She will answer that in her own good time – until then, I live in Mystery.

Kays last blog post..Go From No, to Now

Is it merely my knee-jerk reaction to not HAVING to work for financial reasons that leads me to automatically want to abandon work completely? Maybe…but I’m not so sure. I found that I want to do more things to cultivate personal relationship…with family and friends…the areas I ignored in the years when work pretty much consumed my existence. I found that the things I would definitely do, relative to work, are those aspects of my current work that are social in nature and allow me to spend time with people I enjoy being around.

And everything else relative to the work I do? I’m at choice in all of it. I do it when I want and when I feel inspired to do so. And if the inspiration doesn’t find me, I enjoy spending time with me.

Clem Gigliotti Jr.s last blog post..What Websites and Email Addresses Say about your Credibility

I really feel like this concept is what had me start my coaching/consulting practice in the first place. I had to ask myself whether I was just avoiding the question, but I thought about it and I’m not. When I started Verve Coaching, I asked myself what I’d want to do in the world if money weren’t a concern, and I’m doing exactly that.

For me, it has to do with awakening a fundamental belief in myself and others that it is actually possible to make a difference in the world, and that we are all capable of doing so.

Taking money completely out of the equation, I want to be a voice for my generation, and for a sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous direction for society.

If I didn’t have to keep some of my attention on making money, I’d probably find more opportunities to work with other people, through live workshops and trainings that I design and facilitate. I’ve done some of this already, but not enough.

I’d probably get to work on writing my first book, too!

Thanks,
Erek