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I Don't Have Enough Time??

October 17, 2008 in Finding Passion, No More Mondays, Personal Development with 26 Comments

The biggest deterrent I hear to starting a new business, writing a new book, becoming an expert in one area, or moving up the ladder of achievement in any way is – “I don’t have enough time.” 

I just got the Nov/Dec issue of The Futurist magazine.  In an article on How Americans Spend Their Time it reports a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics survey.  Among other findings it shows:

Watching television remains the single most common and most time-consuming leisure activity among Americans.  Both men and women spend an average of 2.6 hours per day surfing channels from the couch.

Holy Moley!  2.6 hours a day.  What are these people thinking?  That’s 18.2 hours a week, 78.8 hours a month, or 949 hours a year.  A typical work week only accounts for 2000 hours a year – so we’re talking about almost half as much time spent watching TV!  You know what you could learn and accomplish in that same amount of time?  Read more »

Wanna be a wealthy idiot?

October 14, 2008 in Finding Passion, No More Mondays, Personal Development with 15 Comments

The name Nasrudin is used as the mythical character in a tradition of Sufi tales.  Here’s one:

Nasrudin used to stand in the street on market days, to be pointed out as an idiot.  No matter how often people offered him a large or a small coin, he always chose the smaller piece.

One day a kindly man said to him, “Mulla, you should take the bigger coin.  Then you will have money and people will no longer be able to make a laughingstock of you.”

“That might be true,” said Nasrudin, “but if I always take the larger coin, people will stop offering me money to prove that I am more idiotic than they are.  Then I would have no money at all.”  Read more »

Did You Lose Your Horse Today?

September 23, 2008 in Finding Passion, No More Mondays, Personal Development with 26 Comments

Like most of you, I have been hearing a lot of personal examples of “disaster” this week.  No gas, no job, no retirement fund, worthless stock, cancelled vacations, and general uncertainty.  Rather than trying to create something profound I’d like to share this old story.

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, because he owned a beautiful white horse. People offered fabulous prices for the horse, but the old man always refused. “This horse is a friend, not a possession,” he would respond.

One morning the horse was not in the stable. All the villagers said, “You old fool. We told you someone would steal that beautiful horse. You could at least have gotten the money. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”  Read more »

Money Therapist?

September 21, 2008 in No More Mondays, Personal Development with 5 Comments

ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs (EAPs) reports that requests for therapists are up 20% in the last three months.  Biggest worry: Money.  So let me get this straight – workers are concerned about mortgages, college tuition, collapsing stock prices, and the threat of losing a job – so they are asking for a therapist?

I have a Masters degree in clinical psychology – but really.  Why would someone go to a counselor for money concerns?  I’d recommend they go see someone with money.  If you want to go to a higher level of success in a particular area, find someone who is already performing at the level at which you want to perform.  What’s up with this?  Why would I want someone to help me stop worrying?  I can just bury my head in the sand if that’s the desired goal.  Read more »

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

September 15, 2008 in Finding Passion, Personal Development with 13 Comments

Does this reader question/comment ring any bells with you?

“I have never understood the question (or variations on it) of “What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money?” as advice for finding one’s calling. I guess it’s because I would stay in bed, eat junk food, and watch TV. I’ve never seen any job that had any real purpose either, so who I would want to trade places with is meaningless as well. Can’t really say I’ve ever felt alive.”

Here’s why the question makes sense.  In as much as you may think you really would lie around the house, eat Twinkies and watch Seinfeld reruns – my observation is that no one enjoys doing that for more than a couple of weeks.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with lots of people over the years for whom making money was no longer an issue.  But that really brings to the forefront the question: “What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money?”  Those people don’t have the easy out that “I only work because I have to.”   Read more »

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