Faithr Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I agree that our careers should be something that we at least enjoy on some level. I don't know if every career has to be following your bliss though. Few people are as one dimensional as that. Some people do have a drive and a passion that they must fulfill to be happy but some people are happier being practical because that's their personality. Also there are plenty of people who became 'masters' of something even though it wasn't their career. For example Anthony Trollope, great British Victorian novelist, worked for the Post Office most of his life, getting up at the same time every morning and forcing himself to write a certain number of words. He spun out 47(!) novels this way. And there are really well written, thoughtful works. So I don't know if career and passion always have to coincide. Also, I think people are more flexible than the narrator (was it Alan Watts the poet?) in the clip thinks. For instance over Christmas I was talking to a favorite nephew of mine. He has always been a huge history buff and he graduated in that major. He also loved soccer and was a very good player. Unfortunately he got Lyme's Disease and got arthritis in his knees as a result so no more soccer for him. When he graduated he couldn't find a job in the history field (he didn't want to go into teaching) but he did want to marry his beautiful girlfriend and be able to support a family. He got a job in the insurance industry. He admitted he doesn't care for his job but he is blissful in his marriage to the love of life and they just announced they are expecting baby number 4. He loves being a dad! He can fulfill his passion for history by reading a lot. His idea of bliss is sitting down to read a nice thick biography. And he's transferred his love of soccer to golf. His father loves golf so he gets a two fer one. He is close to his dad and he gets to play a game he loves a lot. If you ask him if he is doing what he loves for his career, he'll tell you no. If you ask him if he is happy with his life? He'll give a resounding YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 So, other people should pay for what you want to do because you really care about it? Responsible people should bear the weight of those who reject responsibility for "passion"? I should have worse medical coverage because John Smith over there should be free to pursue his dreams without having to worry about any of that messy insurance stuff? Sorry. Not buying into that here. How a person decides to run their finances within their own family is fine, but when you're asking others to pay for you because you just don't LOVE a job that makes enough money to be self-sufficient....NO. I emphatically disagree, and think you are comparing apples to oranges. It is my own moral stance that Universal Healthcare is a basic human right -- we are the US. Full stop. It is my own moral stance that an education is a basic human right. This is why the Monks of the Catholic church were the first to start schools/universities and hospitals. Neither of those have anything to do with following your bliss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 So, other people should pay for what you want to do because you really care about it? Responsible people should bear the weight of those who reject responsibility for "passion"? I should have worse medical coverage because John Smith over there should be free to pursue his dreams without having to worry about any of that messy insurance stuff? Sorry. Not buying into that here. How a person decides to run their finances within their own family is fine, but when you're asking others to pay for you because you just don't LOVE a job that makes enough money to be self-sufficient....NO. I have no idea how you got what you posted here out of my post, unless you are very anti-universal health care. My point was simply that in the US, health coverage is tied to jobs. Many people are stuck in jobs because of their need for health coverage. I personally believe that some form of universal health coverage is a moral imperative. I further believe that having insurance tied to jobs is a drain on the economy and productivity. How many would-be entrepreneurs didn't start that great business that could have provided jobs for many people because they couldn't afford to give up their health coverage??? We'll never know. This part could be solved just by uncoupling jobs from health insurance, without providing universal health care. If no one in the US had to worry about health insurance or bankruptcy due to medical bills, everyone would be freer to pursue jobs that made them happy and less stressed. Perhaps we would be healthier because of that. But four people, related or not, married or not, could choose to share housing and other bills, while doing the things that make them very happy but only earn them a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 . What are your ideas? Future financial stability is a big worry for me, and I would love to hear ideas from others who are dealing with similar economies This was discussed on our local group recently and one of the things said was that 'Entrepreneurship can not be taught, it must be caught'- meaning that it is something you have to DO and learning is through trial and error. The person who said this is a successful business man (who happens also to be a medical doctor who practices for free). His entrepreneurial tips are (copied from his mail) * The first sale is the hardest. It is infinitely harder to go from zero to one, than from one to two. Just sell ANYTHING - let your child get the experience of closing a sale. Don't worry about "something your child likes". Just sell, sell, sell. Products or services, to family, friends or strangers. * Don't just do one thing. Sell many different things. You need to fail more than you succeed. Failure is the real schoolmaster of entrepreneurship. When we "succeed", we often lapse into a false comfort zone, which (ahem) is The Enemy of Innovation. At a young age,repeated failure is far easier to deal with (within the knowledge of a parent's unconditional love) than later in life. The only failure is not to try again. * Go with your children when they market / sell, but let them do the talking. * In entrepreneurship, "NO" is not "no". It simply means, "Later." Put on a rhino skin suit and try selling again and again, with different products / services. This teaches persistence. * Get together with other entrepreneurial parents / children in the neighborhood and begin a little "market" on a regular basis (whether in a garage or a front lawn). This teaches consistency in output. And helps with market testing. You could also have a weekly door to door. He does not give his children an allowance nor does he pay for chores. They have to earn their own money(and he supports their endevours). His daughter helped her brothers harvest and sell their spinach at age 3. They sell home grown vegetables, baked goods, resell items, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Here's an inspirational story www.brandinitoffee.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 This was discussed on our local group recently and one of the things said was that 'Entrepreneurship can not be taught, it must be caught'- meaning that it is something you have to DO and learning is through trial and error. The person who said this is a successful business man (who happens also to be a medical doctor who practices for free). His entrepreneurial tips are (copied from his mail) * The first sale is the hardest. It is infinitely harder to go from zero to one, than from one to two. Just sell ANYTHING - let your child get the experience of closing a sale. Don't worry about "something your child likes". Just sell, sell, sell. Products or services, to family, friends or strangers. * Don't just do one thing. Sell many different things. You need to fail more than you succeed. Failure is the real schoolmaster of entrepreneurship. When we "succeed", we often lapse into a false comfort zone, which (ahem) is The Enemy of Innovation. At a young age,repeated failure is far easier to deal with (within the knowledge of a parent's unconditional love) than later in life. The only failure is not to try again. * Go with your children when they market / sell, but let them do the talking. * In entrepreneurship, "NO" is not "no". It simply means, "Later." Put on a rhino skin suit and try selling again and again, with different products / services. This teaches persistence. * Get together with other entrepreneurial parents / children in the neighborhood and begin a little "market" on a regular basis (whether in a garage or a front lawn). This teaches consistency in output. And helps with market testing. You could also have a weekly door to door. He does not give his children an allowance nor does he pay for chores. They have to earn their own money(and he supports their endevours). His daughter helped her brothers harvest and sell their spinach at age 3. They sell home grown vegetables, baked goods, resell items, etc. But that type of business goes against the very nature of an introvert. Dh and I are both introverts. And we're both entrepreneurs. We are in manufacturing, and for the most part, people come to us. :D DH started by opening a store, then as that grew, moved into manufacturing the products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 But that type of business goes against the very nature of an introvert. Dh and I are both introverts. And we're both entrepreneurs. We are in manufacturing, and for the most part, people come to us. :D DH started by opening a store, then as that grew, moved into manufacturing the products. There are more than one ways to be an entrepreneur ;-) The type of business mentioned were posted as ideas on how to 'teach' entrepreneurship - the primary point being that experience teachers - and what is taught is that one needs to sell (be it by going to the market or the market coming to you - which is the ideal), that you need to be consistent in your output, obviously have quality products, and that failure is par for the course. Trying and trying again teaches entrepreneurial skills and where better to fail than in the safety of the home? People (like me) get stuck on the 'what', rather than the 'how' and the point made is that you just have to get started - and then keep going... Even my artist friends (I have two who successfully live from their passion) have to have a consistent output, change their themes or come up with new twists, keep their galleries supplied, be there for opening night, engage with customers even if they would prefer not to, teach when sales are slow (one does it through fantastic weekend retreats), etc. They also need the skills of consistent output, perserverance, innovation, engaging a market, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Double post - again :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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