Today, I bumped into this wonderful couple who have recently moved here to Canada from the US. Both are young and are looking for a job. So, given the current economic conditions, they are trying to obtain additional skills and competencies. Which is great- both of them seem very bright and promising and I am sure, sooner or later, they will find something that they enjoy…
But, as I was reflecting on our conversation, what stuck with me is how people tend to think about their career in ‘set’ and ‘conditioned’ ways. For e.g. most folks complete their University education and start looking for a job. If they feel that their skills are not adequate, then they look at ways in which they can attain more skills. Now, I do realize that jobs are an important part of an economic cycle.
But, before we proceed ahead- how many of you really understand an economic cycle. In case, you are wondering, then check out this video by Ray Dalio. He manages one of the largest Hedge Funds in the world. He is not only smart and rich; but he is also someone who appreciates the benefits of transcendental meditation (very rare to find in the Financial world) and explains how incorporating such practice has helped him to get better at his work and more effective within his life in general. To learn more, you can check out his other videos (on his YouTube channel).
But, as I was reflecting on our conversation, what stuck with me is how people tend to think about their career in ‘set’ and ‘conditioned’ ways. For e.g. most folks complete their University education and start looking for a job. If they feel that their skills are not adequate, then they look at ways in which they can attain more skills. Now, I do realize that jobs are an important part of an economic cycle.
But, before we proceed ahead- how many of you really understand an economic cycle. In case, you are wondering, then check out this video by Ray Dalio. He manages one of the largest Hedge Funds in the world. He is not only smart and rich; but he is also someone who appreciates the benefits of transcendental meditation (very rare to find in the Financial world) and explains how incorporating such practice has helped him to get better at his work and more effective within his life in general. To learn more, you can check out his other videos (on his YouTube channel).
| Why I brought up Economic Cycle is because- we have all heard of this longest bull run that we have been having for these past several years and most analysts are expecting a recession to strike by 2020. So, folks like my newfound friends or others just stepping out of the University or even other couple with young families, need to think “out of the box” solutions to address the crucial life question, the event of major economic downturn- “how can I continue to earn a livelihood”. Now, I am not saying “earn a living” on purpose. Since, one does not need to earn a living. Words are powerful, so let’s use the correct phrase to express our self and particularly our internal dialogue!! | |
Living is something we do. It is the quality of our life. To a large extent, it may seem like what we do, our career, how much money we make, how much people respect us in our field all contribute to the quality of lifestyle we live. And yes, there is much truth to it. BUT, all of it is still just a part of our overall living-experience.
I will strongly suggest you re-read that statement above…
You my friend are more than any of these individual things!! You are more than even the sum total of all these things!! What work you do; how much you earn and so on are important- but even more important is to know “what you would like to do”!! Forget your education, past work experience, financial responsibilities and so on… forget all that… What if, somehow magically, it would all get taken care of, if you were to do something you love… truly enjoy… then, in that case, what would you like to do?? What work choices would you make?? Would you still do what you have been doing all along, then great- but if not, then what would be different?
I will strongly suggest you re-read that statement above…
You my friend are more than any of these individual things!! You are more than even the sum total of all these things!! What work you do; how much you earn and so on are important- but even more important is to know “what you would like to do”!! Forget your education, past work experience, financial responsibilities and so on… forget all that… What if, somehow magically, it would all get taken care of, if you were to do something you love… truly enjoy… then, in that case, what would you like to do?? What work choices would you make?? Would you still do what you have been doing all along, then great- but if not, then what would be different?
Let’s take an extreme example to drive home this point. Let’s say- you think thru and say, I do not have any hobbies per se. I am good at a few sports, but that is more for fun, I cannot really get into premium league or anything like that. I love to watch TV and it seems like I am very good with guessing story-endings. I am quite good at predicting how most of the mystery-stories end (or who the culprit is and so on). Sooo… how can I earn money watching TV. Who will pay me for it??
Well- one “out of the box thinking” idea would be to start a YouTube channel where you bring together an audience who are watching the same shows as you. You put forward your ideas on how you feel a particular story would take turns and get your audience involved to figure it out with you- like a collective engagement. This is ofcourse just an idea… a possible solution… if you decide to go that route, then you will need to develop this idea further.
See what I mean?? I am not saying that every one who loves to watch TV or watch mystery shows should do this. What I hope this example shows you is that even with something very typical like watching TV shows, one can think of innovative ways to monetize and earn a livelihood.
Does this mean you can quit your job tomorrow or say good-bye to your nasty boss just yet?? Not at all… even to transform your idea into a fruitful situation which can earn you decent amount of money (atleast enough to pay all your bills); you will need to develop new skills (in the example above, it will be video scrip-writing, editing and so on), time to build an engaged audience and so on.
Well- one “out of the box thinking” idea would be to start a YouTube channel where you bring together an audience who are watching the same shows as you. You put forward your ideas on how you feel a particular story would take turns and get your audience involved to figure it out with you- like a collective engagement. This is ofcourse just an idea… a possible solution… if you decide to go that route, then you will need to develop this idea further.
See what I mean?? I am not saying that every one who loves to watch TV or watch mystery shows should do this. What I hope this example shows you is that even with something very typical like watching TV shows, one can think of innovative ways to monetize and earn a livelihood.
Does this mean you can quit your job tomorrow or say good-bye to your nasty boss just yet?? Not at all… even to transform your idea into a fruitful situation which can earn you decent amount of money (atleast enough to pay all your bills); you will need to develop new skills (in the example above, it will be video scrip-writing, editing and so on), time to build an engaged audience and so on.
The key here is not to rush and quit your job. In fact, this is not about your job at all. This is about you reducing your financial dependency on other people’s decisions (like your boss firing you in the name of downsizing). This is also about you doing what you truly love and ultimately doing something that brings you deep joy and satisfaction.
Something to think about as we approach the holidays, which also means we are nearing the end of another year… moving towards 2020… will there be a recession/not?? Who knows… but one thing is for certain, this long bull run cannot go on for ever and whenever it turns low and the markets dip and companies start to fire people; are you going to be someone who is not as worried, because you took precautions beforehand and have a good side-gig going? Or are you going to freak out when it happens to you (or worrying that it may happen any time)- feeling blindsided and living in fear??
As always- it is our choice. Our life is our choice. Our life is not some obscure outcome, pre-determined by ‘fate’. It is the result of our actions- the ones we take and also the ones we don’t, as doing nothing can also be an action with its own consequences.
Something to think about as we approach the holidays, which also means we are nearing the end of another year… moving towards 2020… will there be a recession/not?? Who knows… but one thing is for certain, this long bull run cannot go on for ever and whenever it turns low and the markets dip and companies start to fire people; are you going to be someone who is not as worried, because you took precautions beforehand and have a good side-gig going? Or are you going to freak out when it happens to you (or worrying that it may happen any time)- feeling blindsided and living in fear??
As always- it is our choice. Our life is our choice. Our life is not some obscure outcome, pre-determined by ‘fate’. It is the result of our actions- the ones we take and also the ones we don’t, as doing nothing can also be an action with its own consequences.
Special Note: Please keep in mind that I am providing the above idea merely as an example. Business rules and laws, including fair copyright usage laws keep changing. Whatever idea you come up with for yourself, do make sure that you get proper legal counselling for your needs.
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