Do you live for a paycheck? Are you stuck wondering what you ought to be doing in life? If so, why do you do it? You have every minute of every hour of every day to decide – why do you decide to live your life like that? Are you following a pattern of life that everyone else seems to be using?
If you had 1 year left to live, how would you live it? If you had 6 months left, how would you live? How about 6 days?
It’s hard to imagine, because it forces us to stop focusing on the little things in life that keep us going. Things like waking up, taking a shower, going to work, having lunch, going home, watching TV, and then going to bed.
It forces us to stop thinking about getting that house, or that new car, or getting married, or getting a new job.
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. – Henry David Thoreau
Maybe part of you longs for something else. Maybe you want to write that book, or sail the seven seas, or speak every language spoken by man. Maybe you want more control over your life. Maybe you want to give back to the world.
Let me offer you an alternative. There’s no cost involved, and can choose at anytime when to start and when to quit. Here’s what you need to do… ready?
Measure your success by how much value you create into the world
There’s no doubt that everyone creates value. But the value I’m talking about is value to the world – in the way the world perceives value (and often spends time, effort and money based on).
For example, people want world peace. They want to get rid of AIDS. They want free beer. And so on.
What are you doing to make these people happy?
If the answer is nothing, you have not created any value. You are part of the system that does not create any new value, but seeks to maintain itself so that the wheel of life can continue turning.
If you want to get off the wheel of life, you have to create real value. More than what you think you’re doing now. Only by creating real value does it break the vicious cycle of mediocrity and self-promotion with little results. This is because every bit of good you add to this world makes it better anywhere, for everyone.
If it sounds so good, why doesn’t everyone do it? What’s the catch? I’ll make it easy – here it is:
Don’t expect anything specific in return for creating more value
This is not to say that you will never taste the reward of your hard work. No, this is quite different. Let me explain.
95% of the world is caught up in a never-ending cycle of chasing life, otherwise known as the system. These people, as hard working as they are, do not have time to stop and smell the roses, look at the big picture, or even thank you for the value that you have created for them. So, it is OK to assume that most people are “selfish, lazy, uninformed, and impatient” (with credits to Seth Godin for the statement).
There is no way to guarantee whether or not people will give you anything in return for the value you have created. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee how much they will offer, or when. Business people will have market reports, SWOT analysis charts, and purchasing trends, but you won’t. This is a different kind of game.
The only thing that should motivate you is what you already have inside. In other words, you should create value in ways where you can keep going on without expecting anything in return.
Ask yourself what is that ONE thing in the world which you can do over and over again and not get tired of? Then ask yourself how you can generate value out of that. You’ll save a lot more time doing this than trying to figure out how to get to the top of the corporate ladder in order to achieve your goals.
We put conditions to our attempts so easily:
- I want to get a promotion, but I don’t want to look like I’m sucking up to the boss.
- I want a lot of money, but I don’t want to work like a dog.
- I want peace in the world, but I’m not willing to give too much to charity.
Forget about those things!
Focus on what you’re good at, what drives you. Find ways to create real value from your strengths and passions. Don’t try to be the best employee just because everyone’s doing it. Do it because you want to and you love to do it. Or quit and do what you should be doing.
Find people who understand the value you are creating, and work with them
It is almost impossible to keep going without some kind of authentic feedback. This is why you need to find people who can rate your work, cheer you on, and be a friend.
Not many undertake the task to create real value, and by deciding to embark on this path, you will no doubt face long streaks of loneliness, doubt, frustration, and an sense of incapacity.
At this bottoming point, you should do everything you can to stay on track and not quit. And this is where genuine relationships can help a lot.
These are not the people you see at the office, who smile at you after grabbing their hot cup of coffee… or your mother who tells you that only professionals like lawyers or doctors can ever earn a decent living… or your friends who keep asking you when you’re going to get married or have children.
No, the people you need to connect to are people like yourself – who have also decided on a unique journey to create real value that has long lasting effects for the good of mankind. Speak to anyone else, and you’re in for a beating. Why? Because people in the system don’t want people to stop the wheel of life, going round and round, after spending years trying to navigate it.
And don’t try to please everyone either. Make a stand. Choose sides. But don’t stay in the middle. Stay on the wheel, or get off completely.
What you get from creating real value
By creating real value, you break the self-perpetuating cycle of assumptions, rules, and habits that are designed to do nothing but perpetuate itself. By creating real value, you offer hope to those who seek to find answers not found within the system. By creating real value, you learn new and better ways of doing things, and become a sole recipient of bearing that wisdom – giving you a unique right to provide others the ability to do the same.
Try it, and life will never be the same again.
If you liked what you read, consider subscribing.
Similar Posts
- What’s wrong with being mediocre?
- Finding Satisfaction from Within You
- Meetings are a sign of bad things
- Nobody’s a nobody, 3 tips on Getting Noticed
- Being Real will Get You the Job, Seriously