Knowing yourself, finding your
true purpose in life, is the essence of true and real. “You have to be,
before you do, to have lasting inner peace.” In other words, making a
living is not the same as making a life. Find what makes your heart sing
and create your own music.
Many people work all their lives and dislike what they do for a living. In
fact, I was astounded to see a recent USA Today survey that said
53 percent of people in the American workplace are unhappy with their
jobs. Loving what you do is one of the most important keys to living a
“true and real” Dash.
You can’t fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you
happy to be alive. However, the first step to loving what you do is to
self-analyze, to simply know what you love. We all have unique talents and
interests, and one of life’s greatest challenges is to match these talents
with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It’s not easy –
and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error – but it’s worth
the effort.
Ray Kroc, for example, found his passion when he founded McDonald’s at the
age of 52. He never “worked” another day of his life.
John James Audubon was unsuccessful for most of his life. He was a
terrible businessman. No matter how many times he changed locations,
changed partners, or changed businesses, he still failed miserably. Not
until he understood that he must change himself did he have any shot at
success.
And what changes did Audubon make? He followed his passion. He had always
loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter. In addition, he was a good
artist and, as a hobby, would draw local birds.
Once he stopped trying to be a businessman and started doing what he loved
to do, his life turned around. He traveled the country observing and
drawing birds, and his art ultimately was collected in a book titled
Audubon’s Birds of America. The book earned him a place in history as
the greatest wildlife artist ever. But more importantly, the work made him
happy and provided the peace of mind he’d been seeking all his life.
P.S. To find out more
about The Dash, you can click on the image below, or if you have not seen
the three minute inspirational movie that over 30 million people have
watched, you can
click here to watch it. Here’s a
warning…once you watch it, you’ll never forget it!
