I have to smile. I am sitting here at my laptop seeing out at the water and the sail boats, doing what I love and it all started when I was laid off my last real job in 1983. I received the greatest gift one can get from that experience. I was set free to find my own "Dharma" -- my life's purpose.
And as Deepak says, when you find your Dharma you will caress all the plentifulness the universe has to offer. My memory book now includes vast travel throughout the U.S. And the Caribbean, scuba diving and sailing, first class air travel and five star hotels. It also includes many letters of gratitude, thanking me for my advice and inspiration. You can't put a price on that.
I found my Dharma and it is really very simple. My Dharma is to help others find and live their Dharma! Now how cool is that? A one sentence resume!
Now that I have enjoyed 25 years of self-employment, both in the mortgage enterprise and in the motivational training and internet business, I would like to share, from my experience, why not having a job can be a very good thing and why, for some of us, self employment is the key to the only real relaxation there is.
Ten Reasons You May Not Want a "Real Job"
(Warning: This is extremely Controversial & Only One Woman's Opinion)
1.) In most jobs, you are selling yourself short. You are letting person else define who you are, what you do and what you're worth. Think about it. In many cases you aren't much higher on the food chain than the family pet. Probably not even that high. Remember, in most corporations (except progressive ones like Tony Robbin's companies), the purpose of the enterprise is to make a profit. You, as an employee, are there for that purpose. Sadly, you are not there in their eyes, to be all that you can be.
2.) They say we will all become the sum total of the five citizen we spend the most time with. If you have a job, some of those five citizen are probably in your office. Look around. Is that the sum total of Your worth? Is that who you want to ultimately become?
3.) You can't operate the environment. How much fun is what Dave Barry calls "cubicle horror?" You're there to build a pyramid for person else, but your chances of getting into the golden room are slim. Every day you go there you might ask yourself, "I'm trading one day of my life for this. Is it worth it?" Remember this is Your life.
Oh, and let's not forget the Big Corporate Surprise! Right after the memo that states "nothing is going to change," the pink slips start showing up. Then one day, there is No company, and you, too, are discarded like a disposable cup. Which leads me to my next point.
4.) There is No protection in having a job. That is the biggest myth out there. Look colse to at the statistics. Corporations are falling like flies, and while the ones who are at the top of the pyramid leave with millions, you're left with no job and maybe two weeks' severance. If you happen to be in an industry like the one I was in - mortgage banking - seeing a job may not even be inherent in your industry. And you will be hard pressed to match your old income in any other "job" surface your industry. How regain is that?
5.) Did you know that the word "boss" comes from the Dutch word baas, which historically means master? So who works for a master? Um hmmm, the slave. You must do what "the boss" says, report to the "boss," and mold yourself into the definition of what is "good for the organization." Along the way, your identity becomes your job title.
The danger here, the real danger, is that after a time you begin to believe that your job title is who you are. So when you do finally lose your job, you start seeing for a new place for your corporate defined identity, your mind now finally convinced that you truly have no place surface of that identity. You've lost much more than a job here. You've probably lost view of your true life's purpose.
I am so blessed that my life included a divorce from corporate America. I am so blessed that I found my "Dharma" - my life purpose and have the unbridled joy of living it. My identity is who I have become. I still "do" things - like internet marketing, motivational speaking, writing, intuitive consultations. But my identity is a spiritual being who every day seeks to be more fully alive and help others do the same.
"We're so engaged in doing things to accomplish purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is linked with being alive, is what it is all about. The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." Joseph Campbell
Important Questions: In your "9-5" job, can you really be the totality of "who you are?" And question two, do you even know who that is?
6.) Even the government conspires against you. As an employee, you are taxed higher than roughly any other group. Especially self employed individuals. So, not only are you not able to generate your income based on your value, you only get to keep a tiny percentage of it. Does the word "slavery" come to mind again?
7.) You lose large parts of your ability to "think surface the box" in your own life. Your creativity. The well of your imagination which is your creation center. We know from measure Physics that we generate with our thoughts, our imagination and our emotion. But when that is stifled by your current environment, it continues to diminish. The most perilous day is the day you come to believe that you can't change anything. Now you are a slave to your own thoughts!
8.) Equally egregious, you fall into the corporate mind set because you are surrounded by it for so much of your day. So, while you are not creating a better, more free reality for yourself, your mind is absorbed with office gossip and office languaging.
One of the current phrases in corporate America is "I'm slammed." Hmmm. Now that's a comforting conception to be holding. And of course, there's all the time the behind the scenes or in the hallway whispered conversations about what an "A......." so and so is. Great use of your mind and your creation center, wouldn't you say?
9.) Did you know that in the U.S. The greatest amount of heart attacks happen just before 9 a.m. On Monday morning? A motivational speaker I heard recently said this: "America is the only place in the world where you'll give up your condition for money, and then when you retire, use your money to try to get it back."
That's if you're lucky adequate To retire. Remember all those heart attacks right before 9 a.m. On Monday morning? The environment in many offices is toxic to the mind And the body.
10.) As far as I know, we only get one life at a time. Is the time you are trading what you want in your memory book? Is this your legacy? Is this all you're meant to experience? To feel? Are you someplace that allows you to study and publish All your gifts? You will never become wealthy trading your time for money. And I mean wealthy in all areas of your life - freedom, operate of your time, rich experiences, loving friends and family and the time to really nurture those relationships. And of course, money.
Now tell me, as you divulge these ten "perks" for "having a job" are you still interested? And, if you're a victim of corporate identity theft, what do you do? How do you get it back? Do you even know what your "true identity" is?
As I told you earlier, in my case, I was a mortgage banker for more than 20 years. I would have never guessed that I would ultimately be doing all that I am, that I would be sitting here with my laptop in on the slight table in front of me, as I look out at my water view and see that sailboat named "Real Pleasure" go by.
The Herons have been here a lot lately, and they love to fly right by my deck that overlooks the water and show off their beautiful majesty. On the floating dock outside, there is a table with an umbrella and a group of folks are barbequing hamburgers. The smells waft up through my windows and I'm a bit hungry.
It's 1:18 p.m. And I am in my "at home" office clothes. Sweats, a T-shirt, and flip flops. Today I will write two more articles, post them so I can get more internet traffic, have one phone consultation with a new client, and generate the flyer for my next seminar. Tomorrow I'll visit the two hotels that are on the ocean to see which one I will select for my seminars.
My "identity" is multi-dimensional. I'm trying to get all things good out of life that I can, and be an encouragement to others so they can do the same. So, how do you get your identity back and become fully alive?
Getting Your Identity Back from the Corporate Thieves
Here are just a few suggestions that have helped me. If you find even one good one, that's where to begin.
1. Stop and take list of your life right now. Every piece of the pie: your health, your finances, your love life, your family relationships, your free time, your joy levels. Write each type down on a piece of paper. Then, without thinking, just free flow and give every type a rating from 1-10. Now look at where you are. If it's a low number, not to worry. Now that you've identified what isn't working, you can begin to fix it!
2. Ask yourself these questions and then write down the answers speedily without censoring: "What do I want to be remembered for? What do I want to remember Me for?" And what might be the best way for me to do whatever that is? Here is where you're trying to recognize Your Dharma. As you're doing this, be sure you are aligning what you want to be remembered for with your true values.
3. Now ask yourself, "What can I do, beginning right now, today, to start going in the direction of my dreams?" What One performance can I take, right now, to prove to my inner self that I am serious? (Hint: It's one word: Decide.)
4. Allow yourself to start dreaming big. Jack Canfield of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" fame still uses a "vision board" to energize his newest dreams. Go online and learn about foresight boards, then generate one of your own. Mine is a three-way cardboard fold that I got at Office Max. On it, I have images of my desires, positive phrases, affirmations, and whatever that my subconscious mind is attracted to - which means it is a dream I am meant to experience.
5. Pretend you could have whatever you want and you'd have all the keep and resources you needed to make that happen. Write it down in detail. Think large! Go into your child self that can believe in all things, and write from there. Be bold!
6. Start occasion your mind to living a life that is joyful, abundant, makes a difference, and excites you every singular day. Get online and listen to the ones who are the gurus. You can get Huge amounts of information for Free. Go to You Tube and type in Tony Robbins, or Dennis Waitley, or Brian Tracey, and start listening to these kinds of folks Daily. You must feed your subconscious mind with a new way of "seeing", so you can begin creating a new way of "being."
7. Very Important! There are some gifts and talents that you have, that no one else on this earth has. And it is your Duty to find them, create them, and share them. Think of all the souls who will advantage when you do. And all the souls who are waiting for what Only You have to give. Recently, in a meditation, I heard the phrase "You are stealing from God." I mentally asked why I was given that phrase and was told it was time for me to "get on with it" and start releasing My gifts in a much larger way. Wow. Talk about a "heads up."
This is all about your Dharma. To really recognize and live your Dharma, Deepak Chopra says you must make three commitments. Write these down and post them where you can see them throughout the day.
The First Commitment: I am going to seek my higher self, which is beyond the ego, through spiritual practice.
The Second Commitment is: I am going to study my unique talents, and I am going to enjoy myself because the process of enjoyment occurs when I go into timeless awareness - a state of bliss.
The Third Commitment is: I am going to ask how I am best excellent to serve humanity. I will match my unique talents to serve the needs of my fellow human beings.
Personal story. Many years ago, while I was still in the mortgage business, I wrote a short report entitled "The Yuppie Betrayal." The theme was pretty consistent with what I wrote about the slavery and injustice in most corporations above. A scuba diving friend and I were on a slight island in the Caribbean and I gave her the story. She faxed it immediately to her roommate, Jerry, who was an engineer at a very large corporation.
Jerry called her right away. She said she could hear him crying, the story so moved him. The very next day he resigned! He created a beautiful Very Large life for himself after that, ever grateful that he'd cut the chord from his old employer. I dream he's been scuba diving alot more, since that's how we all met, and it is one of his passions. Now he has the time And the money to engage in it.
When Carol told me that Jerry cried, I cried. I had no idea my words would have such an impact. That was my first peek into my real Dharma. Now dream that You, because of your gifts, can empower others in your own extra way. Good feeling isn't it?
8. Start educating yourself on "multiple streams of income." The internet is a extraordinary place for many to build multiple income streams. And the numbers in some cases are very impressive. The Steve Pavlina blog brings in ,000 a Month! And that is only one of his income streams. Regardless of your Dharma, you will enjoy life a lot more when you have the financial relaxation to fund it.
I recently had a phone consultation with someone else internet whiz kid. He's probably early 30's and in some months, he makes 0,000. Yes, he's the real deal. I've followed adequate of these guys to know who's really making it happen and who is just fluff.
Now dream that You could generate these kinds of numbers in your world. How does that feel? Have a hobby or something you really love to do? Get on the internet and see who's marketing it. Email them and ask about their successes or challenges.
I've been on the internet for seven years now and it is Not for everyone. But, if you will just find person who is doing what you'd like to do, and model them exactly, step by step, in a very short duration of time, sometimes as slight as 3-6 months, you can be adding to your income streams.
9. Tot. The One Thing. Find One idea that appeals and start building it. One of my biggest mistakes when I first got on the net was trying too much all at once, and Not following a step by step principles to implement an idea. It was only when I learned to focus on Tot that the revenues started to come in. As did more creativity, because it was funneled into only one idea at a time.
So let me save you some time. Find One Thing that appeals to you. Immerse yourself in studying all about it, the market, whose buying it, and then one step at a time begin building it.
10. Get into a good networking or mastermind group. Even 4-5 folks can make a Huge discrepancy in your perceptions of what's possible. Every guru I have studied has a mastermind partner or group. Every one. It will get you out of yourself and help you start mental Large. Surround yourself with high vibrational beings, and your world will change immediately.
Remember this quote: "Isolation is the dream killer." Barbara Sher. Then remember this one: "Life is not the answer. You are the answer. Life is the question." Barbara Sher
Amazing slight Known Strategy for the Recently or Soon-to-be Laid Off How to Make Lemonade from Lemons - Courtesy of Your old Employer
Now that you've stretched the borders of your mind, go back to the drawing table, and list all of your gifts and abilities, your expert achievements, your greatest successes. Then, instead of mental of someone else job, consider using consulting as a bridge to a new reality.
Even more bold, consider consulting with the enterprise that just laid you off! Impossible? Not so. Read on.
Personal Story #1. Many years ago a enterprise connect who was working for a very large government entity that bought mortgage loans decided to quit. She was miserable in her job and asked my advice. I told her to go ahead, resign, take a week off, and then approach her prior manager to see if she could be a advisor for them.
She conception I was nuts! But she was a bold woman, so she did it. When she called me to tell me their response, she was so excited, she sounded like a slight kid at Christmas.
End of story? They hired her as a advisor immediately, and the next year, as a advisor to her old employer, she made ,000 More than her old wage and bonuses paid her. Oh, and she made that extra ,000 working less than 50% of the time she had worked in "real job."
She went on to consult in the mortgage enterprise (working with me), studied multiple streams ideas, and ultimately purchased two dry cleaners. She still does consulting in the mortgage industry, but only when she wants to. And what she charges per hour now is more than ten times what her old "salaried" job paid her.
Big Secret: What others will pay you - salaried or advisor - has all things to do with what you believe you are worth. When you really get "your real value" to others, you will automatically draw into your life, through the Law of Attraction, the ones who will also see your worth and pay you for it.
Personal Story #2. This one has the most extraordinary twist! When I was laid off from my last employer, they were merging with Lehman Brothers. I was working for Shearson American Express. The first thing I did was become an independent ageement underwriter, traveling the country underwriting loans.
Two years later I opened my first due diligence enterprise and worked primarily for a important Wall street firm. Then two years after that I opened my second company. (The story of how that happened is nothing short of magical, but you'll have to come to one of my seminars to hear it.)
However, here's the extraordinary part. In a very short time, my #1 client became Lehman Capital, a division of Lehman Brothers, the enterprise who has insisted I be laid off in 1983. ultimately my enterprise underwrote billions of dollars worth of asset and mortgage backed securities for them! Those assignments took me all over the U.S. And to Puerto Rico where I learned to scuba dive. I advanced client relationships with two Puerto Rico banks so I could come to the islands often, and to date, I have 200 dives from twelve Caribbean islands! Funded by the enterprise who said I was not good adequate to be an employee!
They were right! I was Way Too Good! Oh, and what I discovered was that I was living my Dharma even in that reality. Because I helped many of the 100 contractors working for me strengthen their lives and their dreams. Many of them, inspired by how I ran my company, became self employed themselves or moved into arenas that were more aligned with their life purpose.
So, what's the message of hope for you?
Forget your old "identity" as a job description. Start seeing colse to to see what value you can bring to other organizations, be bold, approach them, and "think surface the box - Way surface the box."
Funny thing is, in the middle of the biggest job losses we've seen in years, there are Huge opportunities for those who know how to re-package themselves, and create the "can do" mindset. Mandantory Reading for those ready to leap: "Unstoppable" by Cynthia Kersey. You cannot read this and doubt that your ideas won't work! Trust me.
Bonus: Probably Your Most important Assignment.
Commit to developing the mindset that will allow you to grow, change and Live Large. The speculate only 3% of the folks who are on the planet make it big is their mindsets are programmed for that kind of success in life! This is a lifetime commitment and you do it occasion to moment, conception by thought. It is also a spiritual choice, because your best mindset will follow from realizing that you are a part of All That Is, and when you align with that Truth, you have unlimited creativity, keep and opportunity.
When you catch yourself mental a negative thought, ask yourself this question, "Is this what I want to create?" If the retort is "no, of procedure not," change the channel! You're the one in control. create your mind's muscle, and start mental of the Divine You and the Divine gifts you have to give this planet and its inhabitants.
My goal is that when the day comes that I stand in front of the God I believe in, I can say, "I used your gifts well."
The real protection for each of us is our association with Source, God, The Universe. Deepak says, "When you come to know the part of you that is surface of change, you will never fear again."
Blend that with your adaptability, your willingness to keep learning, and especially a mindset programmed to see occasion in every situation and you, too, will be "Unstoppable."
Revealed - Identity Theft! Does Corporate America Steal Your Identity? 10 Reasons Not to Get a Job
