Let’s face it: none of us really want to be miserable at work.
But studies suggest that fewer than half of us are actually satisfied with our jobs. Why is this? Well, we need people at the lowest levels to “clean up the pipes” so to speak. We need assistants to carry out the duties of the executives. Our world would crumble without the invisible, hard-working people who dutifully go to work each day, sacrificing their time and energy for the betterment of humanity.
Or at least the betterment of their boss.
Going from one of these workers to a happy, thriving individual who is in love with his work, works because he enjoys it (not because he has to) and works for a purpose takes a lot of (you guessed it) time and energy.
When thinking about the mass complacency that accompanies so many of us in 9 to 5 culture I am often reminded of an experiment where a young child is taken into a room and given 5 M&Ms. The child is then told that if he waits for 5 minutes, he can have 10 M&Ms. Of course, the premise behind the experiment is that a child who waits often exhibits a better ability to set goals and persevere toward better things in the long run. (Never mind the fact that M&M’s are unhealthy!)
I’m amazed at how many of us settle and take the 5 M&M’s. I hear things like “work isn’t supposed to be enjoyable” or “the economy sucks” or “but I have a steady income and decent salary with benefits.” But this isn’t even a difference between 5 and 10 M&M’s. It’s more like 50. Or 100. What are you waiting for, anyway?
The truth is, many of us are afraid of the challenge it often takes to getting to this stage.
The Fifth Stage
I often wonder what a day in Leonardo DaVinci’s life looked like. Did he wake up, jump over to his latest flying machine prototype and set to work with abandon? Did he march into town with tons of flyers explaining how plants from his newest garden could cure headaches?
Perhaps both. Perhaps neither. Maybe it just depended on the day.
The point is, the man was passionate about his life. And nobody would argue that he gave a lot to the world. If he lacked passion, I doubt he could possibly have come up with so many ideas, put them into reality, and helped create the title “Renaissance Man.”
I know what you may be thinking: “I’m not Leonardo DaVinci! How could you possibly suggest that everyone has that kind of potential.”
The truth is – you are right. You aren’t Leonardo Davinci. You don’t have to be.
You Are Finally Yourself
And thank goodness for that!
In this stage, you are doing what you love, and you are giving back to the world because of it.
The human gene pool is remarkably diverse, varied, and adaptive. Some of us are naturally great athletes. Others are great writers, and others are wonderful teachers. Our friend Leonardo was probably good at all of the above, but you don’t need to be a genius in every area to find your focus.
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Stage 1 – Learning to Earn |
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Stage 2 – Working for Others |
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Stage 3 – Self Connection |
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Stage 4 – Building Your World |
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Stage 5 – Passionate Living |
How do you maximize your talents while making a living at the same time? That’s the hard part. In Stage 4, you started your process of doing just this. By the time you are running a successful business that you love, or writing books, or teaching kids to dance in Costa Rica, or whatever you fancy, you will have arrived.
People in Stage 5
It may seem like very few people truly love their work. You might be wondering who actually has reached this stage. Perhaps someone you know. If you are wondering what Stage 5 looks like, here are some people who have reached it in their lives (some are lesser known than others!):
- Darren Rowse – Founder of ProBlogger.net, and considered the “grandfather” of professional blogging. He loves what he does, and helps people learn to blog and write effectively.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. – One could contest that what he did was more a way of life than a career – but he did revolutionize the equal rights movement.
- JK Rowling – Got her inspiration for the immensely popular “Harry Potter” series while riding on a train to London in the early 1990’s.
- Gordon Ramsay – His love of cooking and willingness to study, work hard (and demand the best at his restaurants) helped gain him international success and his own show(s).
- Greg Graffin Lead singer of the punk band Bad Religion and Life Sciences professor at UCLA combined singing and brains to launch a successful (and ongoing) music and teaching career
- Erin Brockovich – Law Clerk turned environmental activist who fought for clean water in southern California (with almost no formal training.) She also has a feature film by the same name about her story.
You don’t need to be famous to reach this stage. You just need to have passion for what you are doing, give something beneficial to others, and play by your own rules!
You Are in The Fifth Stage if…
You will know if you have reached this stage. But the chances are good that you will be so in love with your work, that you will not have much time to really care!
I’ll help you out.
If you match all of the following characteristics, you are in stage 5:
People in Stage 5 tend to…
- Genuinely love what they do
- Be making a real difference in others’ lives
- Not have a “job” but rather a way of life. Their career is undefinable somehow
- Not care about money
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