There is a story of a ninety-two-year-old lady who was moving into a nursing home. As she was being wheeled down the corridor, the attendant began to describe the room. “I love it,” the old women gushed. “But you haven’t even seen the room yet,” the attendant reminded her. “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,”she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged. It’s how I arrange my mind.”

There’s an important principle in that little story. Much of your success is decided in advance—or “arranged in your mind.” Circumstances will never determine your amount of happiness. Circumstances only highlight who you already are. Many times a career path starts because of circumstances, rather than priorities. Family expectations, chance occurrences, a friendly teacher, or the desire for money can lead us down a career path that’s ultimately unfulfilling. It’s tough to make choices at eighteen that will be meaningful at forty-five. Just recently, I saw a forty-four-year-old client who opened with the comment “Dan, I’m tired of living my life based on the decisions made by an eighteen-year-old.”

If your work life is not providing a sense of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment, draw that line in the sand. Decide what your ideal day would look like: How would you spend your time? What skills you would use? Money is ultimately never enough compensation for investing one’s time and energy. There must be a sense of meaning and accomplishment. And yet a surprising thing frequently happens on the way to fulfillment and worthy contribution: rather than learning to live on “beans and rice” there is often the release of a financial flood. It’s a myth that if you do what you love, then you’ll have to be content to never make any money.

I have had the pleasure over the years of working with many people in this process of refocused and authentic direction, where ultimately the flow of money surprised them.

 

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Dan Miller is President of The Business Source, founder of "48 Days" and author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and 48 Days To Creative Income. He is the growing authority for creating effective life plans that are achieved by integrating natural gifts, unique personality traits and one's own values and passions. His unique clarification of how God gifts us will introduce you to a new sense of freedom and fulfillment of your life's calling. For more information, visit http://www.48days.com/ .