Take the Job that Fills Your Heart--Not Your Wallet

I don't have all the answers, but I do have some, along with many questions that should pique your brain, rouse your curiosity.

I'm an entrepreneur at heart. As an author, I'm All-Indie. I'm one-hundred-percent Indie. But each of us needs to choose our own way. We cannot follow another as our individual paths will differ. However, each success inspires us, spurs us on, encourages us.

One of my wisest precautions to high school and college graduates would be to seriously consider your first job. It is that initial step into your future--highly important on its own--but could also entrap you. I was making good money as a legal assistant. The term is "golden handcuffs" because it is hard to leave a high salary. More difficult for some than others.

But that job was not feeding my soul.

My second career fulfills my heart. That is where my happiness lies. Being an author. Self-employed. Entrepreneur. Creative. Another arm of that is my freelance copyediting work. What could be better? I get paid to read and improve another author's work using my somewhat photographic memory, my knowledge of English grammar and spelling, plus my love of the written word.

Remember Newton's First Law of Motion? A body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion ("inertia") at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.

Based on Newton's findings, one person can remain at rest or that one person can be in constant motion. One.

In order to change that state, "one" needs to be "acted upon by an outside force." A second. Whether person or thing.

What if there is no "second" to knock you into your purpose or to knock you out of the wrong purpose for you?

Watch out for your first job. It could set you up for life in the wrong place. Do some research. If you hate being on the phone and that is what the job is about, then you will be one miserable soul. If it is a rare position, there would be not only the intense competition to get hired, but then no place to go, right? No advancement opps.

You spend so much time at work and, no, it is not forty hours a week. That is some huge misnomer. There is the commute. For me, it was three hours daily at the worst. One-and-a-half hours at the best. Then the "lost" hour for lunch--you don't get paid for it and you can't exactly earn other money at this time.  So we are up to forty-eight hours (or more) a week.

Calculate your salary based on forty-eight hours a week to get a truer picture of what you are earning an hour. And we aren't even going to look at after-tax earnings.

I haven't begun to count overtime hours, or the time getting ready for work, including dry cleaned suit and tie for you guys and heels and hose for us gals, after the showering and shaving and blow-drying hair. Another hour a day. Fifty-three hours a week is the tally now.

Then the associated time involved in having such jobs: dropping off and picking up dry cleaning, buying new hose because the others have runs, putting gas in the car, self-study in connection with your job and what about dropping the kiddos off at school or day care?

There are added costs: the aforementioned childcare services or a maid or a cook or service that provides premade dinners, etc.  Not to mention the added exposure to buy your lunch instead of brown-bag-it, or for those coffee drinks every time you pass a kiosk.

My life has so simplified the moment I quit working for others and began working for myself.

No more buying a tank of gas every four days.  Now is it more like every three to four months.  Even during those times when I need a day job to make ends meets, I still only fill up my tank once every thirty-four days because I find local work, no more than five miles from my home.

No more oil changes every quarter.  Now it is every three years.

No more pantyhose. Hallelujah! I wear comfy clothing.

No more 9-to-5. I work everyday--weekends and holidays--because I am having so much fun. But I get to do it at my choosing, whether 6:00 a.m. to noon, or 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

No more three-hour commutes in the dark. I walk eighteen steps to my home office.

No more evil alarm clocks. I wake to the sunlight pouring into my bedroom, or a paw of a hungry cat on my cheek.

This works for me. Seek out what works for you. Happiness trumps more money.

Every time.

Don't have regrets while you are retired, reviewing your life, judging how you spent your time.

Don't die wondering.

Good Ole Boys, a Love Story, to Be Free Five Days Around Valentine's Day

My debut novel, Good Ole Boys (a love story), will be free the four days leading up to, and including that fifth day, Valentine's Day 2012.  I debated over this mid-month placement.  But in the end, I felt a love story should be hyped close to Valentine's Day, so that's what I did.

The publicity this affords me as a newly published novelist (my five other e-books are all nonfiction) is a boon.  And at no cost to me.  You can't beat that price.  IMO, a free fiction book that snares a happy fan should have more fiction titles to entice them.  Which means my prequel novel needs to be uploaded by February 10 or thereabouts. BTW:  the prequel is a standalone piece.  I've taken the wonderful grandfather from my debut novel and given him his own story.

As any of you know who have read my earlier posts, this is my Grand Experiment--the whole Indie-publishing route is not one single path, clearly marked and easily navigated.  There are myriad choices that each of us must make and follow to suit our unique individuality.  So what I feel good about may not be for you.  But I'll share my steps just to show you the possibilities.

Let's make one thing crystal clear:  I am ALL Indie.  I am one-hundred-percent Indie.  I will not be following in Amanda Hocking's footsteps.  Just not for me.  I applaud her and those that find what they want in publishing their books, whether traditionally or Indie.  However, I will not find what I want in the traditional publishing world because I'm spoiled in this wonderful world of Indie-publishing.

I have total control.

I have total freedom.

I have total reign over my personal publication schedule.

That's my choice.  My decision.  It works for me.

I respect what your dreams tell you to do.  For how could I possibly know what is in your heart and not yet in words?  And vice versa.

Do what works for you.

Remember to extend your emotional and verbal support with a sincere smile to your friends and family by really listening while they share their utmost yearnings.  Don't be a dream-killer, not for your own or anybody else's.  After all, every success cannot be rationally explained.  Plus I believe in dreams.  And that miracles do happen.

The Three Bullies: Worry, Self-Doubt and Fear

Worry

 

I used to worry a lot.  Thankfully, none of those imaginings morphed into my life.  Unlike poor Job in the Bible to which all his fretting was visited upon his house and lands and holdings.  What I don’t understand about that story, though, is why his verbally abusive wife was allowed to torment him with her words during this horrible time in his life.  But that is for someone wiser to explain.

 

It seems I have taken my active imagination and siphoned it off for more creative purposes:  writing.  As in this blog, my nonfiction works as well as my novels.

 

I remember from among my readings that we are taught to address the “worst case scenario” with solutions, in order to ease our worries.  You might not like the answers, but it should erase some of the angst.  Like if you were to (God forbid) lose your job, you may have to live with your parents, or in-laws.  Maybe not the best arrangement for both sides, but doable, for a short while.  You could get a minimum wage job and ride your bike to work if need be (hopefully work is close to home!).  Granted, both are not your dream life in action, but each could get you there.

 

Insulate your life by following the sage words found in The Good Book at Phil. 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (RSV).”

 

Although I am basically an optimist, I have perfected my outlook.  As we grow and age and gain perspective, I believe we let go of a lot of youth-oriented worry.  Worry, to me, is based on inexperience.  Worry is usually about what we do not yet know.  Like, Can I do that job they just offered me?  We may have been all bravado in the interview process but, now that we have won the fought-for position, our confidence can take a sharp dip.  Once you confront the monster (gain some hands-on knowledge), it usually leaves.  Like finally facing off that bully from the playground or school--or worse yet, the office or home.

Self-Doubt

 

Self-doubt is more insidious as we do it to ourselves, or allow others' beliefs to veto our own.  Self-doubt may remain hidden from us, too, and we all know it is impossible to fight an unknown assailant until we have more information.  This blog addresses self-respect, self-worth, self-awareness.  We must first know who we are, then I think our purpose becomes clear—or we are more confident to follow that innate yearning--and, with it, success follows.

 

I ran across this great quote that highlights my point in the foregoing paragraph.  Here it is from John Mason:  “You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy.”  Don’t follow the mainstream when making decisions about your life.  Instead, construct your life around your dreams.  That includes where you live, what you do to earn a living, who you marry, how you spend your time and your money.  You were meant to be different, unique, to offer the world what no one else can perform, produce or procreate. 

Fear

 

Fear is the worst in my opinion.  If we were to grade, somewhere between one and ten, the level of emotions attached to worry, self-doubt and fear, fear would top out the others.  It carries more dread with it, more weight.  Still, I am a firm believer that our dreams are wrapped in this formless (yet weak) fright element.  Tear through that wrapping, and you not only gain access to, but you also release, the desires of your heart.  WHAT they are, HOW to get them and eventually LIVING THEM.

 

To again quote from the RSV Bible, Ps. 23:6, I’ll close with this wonderful verse and blessing for us all:  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . . .”  

 

All rights reserved.  Copyright 2011 Denise Barker dba Living the Dream Publishing