I think we’re arguing semantics at this point, because you can always look at one thing from several different angles, so I do agree completely with your points, but I also agree with my own. It just depends on your perspective.

When you work for someone else, you are not in control because you have handed it over to them. That creates a bad kind of stress that wears you down in the end. You have to absolutely love what you do to put up with it.

But changes that are not in your control can undermine that or take it away from you completely. A job is only a solution if you are not capable of anything better and most of us are.

Rich

Just gave you the Sunshine Award for positivity and inspiring creativiity in other bloggers. “->

http://bit.ly/aTsDvq

Linda

Linda

We don’t change until we are ready to change. It doesn’t matter if it the best time or not. When we feel the nudge from our souls to begin moving in the direction of our heart’s desire, then the rest has a way of falling into place.

Alex

Nothing is set in stone. Perfection in the sense you put it would be very boring. A life without challenges is, well, boring

And that’s a good thing. I think if everyone followed their passion and purpose, the world would be a much better place.

Getting where you want to be is great but then what would be the point of setting up another goal to go after if all you really wanted was to make it in the first place?

I mean, it is wonderful to achieve something and know you’ve done it and made it possible and made it work out for yourself. I also think that the ride there and the learning and doing to get there is amazing as it teaches us so much about ourselves and others and about life.

I love the video game analogy you did here… I used to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater with friends and would have cheats enabled and it would be a lot of fun for a short period of time but then it did get boring. So boring in fact, that I just wanted to see my character fall and get hurt or something for once so that I knew there was something more to play for.

The reality here I think is that we actually do live in a perfect world simply because what our definition of perfect should actually be is striving for more and making things that much better.

Perfect really would be boring wouldn’t it?

http://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_the_fringe_benefits_of_failure.html

Thanks for your latest post. Best wishes and keep up the good work you are doing.

There used to be a time during the post-war boom (industrial era) when you could join a company at 18 (without a college degree)–either through an internship or apprenticeship system–and retire after decades of work. The company would take care of your needs as long as you were a loyal and productive worker and got results. You worked for this company your entire life. In return, the company would take care of you and your family and provide for all your needs. You could live the “American Dream.” However, that may no longer be true for a lot of people.

If the “social contract” is not dead already, it is surely dying a slow death. Study after study shows that companies are being rightsized, downsized, re-engineered, re-structured and much of the work is also being outsourced to developing nations.
The cost of labor is cheap in such nations, and companies are interested in cost-cutting measures because they want to make profits. That means: you can be the best worker on the team and still lose your job. Your boss invites you into the office and offers you a pink slip and you find yourself in the unemployment line.

And even if you have a steady job–like 9 to 5–and a paycheck, you still have to deal with the long commutes, office politics, bad bosses, and irritating co-workers. And company policies can also cramp your style if you are used to more freedom.
That’s why so many disgruntled employees are trying to start their own business, following their passions, and becoming entrepreneurs. The only job security these days is the one you create yourself by developing a variety of skills. And these skills should add value to your clients/customers. Those who were only good at making widgets have found themselves being superseded by generalists with cross-functional skills and the ability to adapt to any environment.

If I lost everything? Yes, I would have friends and family to help me, and I am extremely grateful for that!

Companies lay off all the time and go under quickly when they fall. There is never any guarantee that anything is secure.

The best thing for us to do is to not keep our eggs in one basket, take leaps of faith every now and again, and make sure we are surrounded by people that love and support us.

I know that if I lost everything tomorrow, I have a family that will look after me while I build myself back up (which I am 100% confident I would do). Can you say the same?

I just found your blog about a week ago and really am inspired by your posts. I like this post because it makes you realize that some of the best times in a persons life are when they are uncertain. With uncertainty brings untold opportunities. When you’re tied to a job your path is already laid out before you and there typically is little or no deviation. When you carve your own path the opportunities increase as the path could go here or there or everywhere.

Some of the best and most invigorating times of my life have been when I’ve been laid-off unexpectedly. It’s during those times that I start to have more hope than usual that my life will improve because the road ahead is not set by my job but by my own actions.

I think the idea of the right time is something that many of us get far too caught up in. Like you said there really is no right time to go for it. You just have to move in that direction. If we get paralyzed by fear, that’s where we run into trouble. Fear will always be there, but we just have to fight through it.

Things aren’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel bad. How you interpret external events depends on your perspective.

In essence, you build a successful mindset. You know how to learn to become successful at anything.