What is missing for you?

I attended an online class last week about how to make some money in one of the various side hustles going around currently. The cynic in me was screaming out that its the next get rich quick scam, but the ever present hopeful voice reminding me there are lessons to be learnt everyday, and this, if nothing else, is learning. I listened to the hour long presentation, informative and full of action steps including maxing out credit cards (red flags for me), followed by the 45 minute Q&A where the host answered questions from the chat as the places on the course sold out one by one. This created an urgency for the product on offer (a support system and a blueprint for success, if you were lucky and worked hard, all for a fee of around a thousand pounds each) whilst the questions seemed to be repeated and not really of any valuable substance. After the course I felt a little hopeful that even I could profit from following this line of action, however after an hour of research, the promoted 25k a year, year on year, was actually more realistically 5k, not enough to quit the day job by a long shot. If I had bought in I would likely be in a position where I would also owe money. This would have been a long view to a slow profit and something that required a lot of hard work and I didn’t feel would have a positive effect on me, not enough for 5K. Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that 5k is a lot of money and if I didn’t have any job it would be an ok idea (apart from the maxing out of credit cards). But, as I have a regular paid job, and as I get older, I recognise what will and wont work for me.

So why did I even attend the class? Well I was interested, I was ready for a change and as I said above, everyday is an opportunity to learn. I know my life right now is ok. I have a nice job which is an ok wage and is comfortable. I am resisting the urge to follow my own passions as I know they wont pay the bills and my current situation does, but I am feeling that something is missing.

Maybe its not the money I feel is lacking, its the connection with others. In my day job, I don’t usually come across the same energy of the people who I worked with in the entertainment world. Don’t get me wrong they’re passionate about what they do, but personally I have little interest and its beginning to feel a bit disingenuous, except for that fact that I am good at what I do. (It’s summertime and very quiet at work at the moment, hopefully I’ll be able to connect with the clients more once the holidays are over!)

I know sales people do it everyday, but I have trouble backing things I don’t care about. I am in no way a sales person however I do enjoy sharing what I do care about. I care about others and the pursuit of happiness. I take pride in being the front of house boss and in making my job of connecting people with their visitors or deliveries my joy, yes I’m part of a bigger picture of an industry I have no clue about, and no real desire to learn about, but I’m great at my sliver of that bigger picture, my job as the first point of contact. I’ve had compliments that I put people at ease and help reassure the unsure, but I really just want to help others have a great experience. Boil it down to this: I like to help others.

So lets begin.

What is missing for you? What are you good at and enjoy? Perhaps the answer to these questions can show you the key to greater happiness. Taking where you are, right now, and being content with it. Of course things will change, that’s the one constant thing about life. But the wonderful thing is that we all have some control over the changes we can make in our lives. How can you find yourself happy with your current situation? How can you find what you enjoy and do more of it? There is a way, several actually, we just need to figure it out which path to take and not stay still for too long.

Having the proper mindset, moving outside your comfort zone, developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and staying focused have been key drivers of success for thousands of years.

Success is earned, one step at a time. One of the most invaluable skills a person can have is being able to clearly express what they want. Sometimes the hardest part of finding success is gathering the courage to get started. As long as you’re learning, you’ll never really fail.