He is basically travelling all over the world looking for funding for his movie that he’s been making for the past few years "The Legends of Afrobeat", and working doing storyboard illustrations for commercials and feature films. His nomadic life and 21st century business affords him the opportunity to travel as long as there is internet nearby. Which is how he can come to me to work, play, rest and make money all at the same time. He is my younger brother and fortunately we have a good relationship and enjoy each other’s company, I have noticed that he is very knowledgeable and well respected in his field, which A. makes me proud and B. makes me wonder.
He has been doing this work for a number of years now and I think I’ve done probably 4 jobs since then, made a lot of money and lost it, been satisfied, contented and discontented many times over, but can’t seem to just do one thing and do it exceptionally well, and achieve mastery. Don’t get me wrong I am very good at what I do, whatever that may be, but I don’t consider myself that “BEST” at anything. I throw myself into new ideas, where I see a need that could potentially make money, which they do, but then something happens, and either I get discouraged or lose interest. But either way, I feel like I kill off these viable business entities, without ever realizing their true potential, or mine. I have God given a talent, that I don’t use, and that’s a crime, and I know it. I need to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. I’m 41 years young and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels, searching for …something.
My life being thrown into a tailspin lately has shaken me to the core, and made me readjust my focus. When someone asks “what are you doing for money?”, my standard reply is “EBay”. I’ve been selling used motorcycle parts on EBay since 2002, and it’s been a little side venture that I started when I moved to Asheville and went to work for the local Honda dealer, MR Cycles. I left that job and got into real estate sales, but always had EBay chugging away on the internet, bringing in a respectable $1000/mo. without really working at it. That’s always been a standby; whenever I needed money I’d pay attention to EBay for a couple of hours and bring in some cash, pay my fees and go on with life. But now, after moving myself, my family, and my EBay inventory to this little cabin in the woods, I realize that I don ‘t need much else to be happy.
When I told people I was moving up here from Asheville, they would say one of two things, either “that’s great, you’ll be really happy up there” or “Are you nuts? What are you going to DO up there?” Well, aside from renovation and my weekly trips to Lowe’s and Home Depot, I work at EBay, organizing parts, building storage units, shelving, and hopefully shipping parts that I have sold. I have a few clients that I help with their real estate websites, but for the most part it’s EBay. So what does that tell you? Well, it tells be that the internet is where it’s at. The global marketplace makes small towns like Hot Springs NC be able to build and flourish with an influx of new “locals” that have always dreamed of the quiet solitude of small town life.
I grew up in a small town, a really small town, Ashburnham Massachusetts. But I think Hot Springs is a smaller town than that. But small towns need industry, of some kind to survive; the residents need cash to spend in town that comes from…jobs. I believe that with the economy the way it is, the global marketplace is the only place to do business, someone out there has money. Times are bad here, but not everywhere. During the depression, someone was making money. Even now businesses are thriving, even if they are foreclosure attorneys. But even they employ local people to maintain the properties they seize. So think about new ways to thrive, there is money to be made, and people need help. How can you help? How can I?
Yes, people are scaling back on everything, but you know, you still have to spend money. To keep the lights on, put gas in your car, build business…can you help build someone’s business, or satisfy a need they may have, and build yours at the same time? Yes, if you get creative. What do you need? What do I need? Can you do it better than the other guy, and at a better rate? I’m always thinking that way. But my problem is finding the one thing that brings money and happiness.
In my constant attempt at making a living, I’ve been lulled by money, and dulled by money, but always worried about money, no matter how much I had in the bank. That evil thing that clouds your mind with worry and contempt, and breaks up relationships more than any other, money, has diverted my focus and happiness too many times. My good days, I don’t think about it at all, my bad days are always about money or lack of it. So how do you have more good days than bad? “Follow your Bliss” as Cher and so many others have said. It’s very hard to do, and believe me I haven’t mastered this either, but I’m trying. Acknowledge the things that bring you pleasure, and happen to put money in your pocket. Someone said to me long ago, find out what makes you money that you do well and “do it more”. There are time suckers out there that we deal with everyday, oh…like email , Twitter and Facebook, but if you can figure out how to make those time suckers “tools” for your business, then go nuts! But make sure that it brings pleasure at the same time.
Trust me I know these things and it’s still hard to do, I feel guilty, when I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I go do it. The desire to have work not feel like work is probably everyone’s dream, including mine. But lately it’s been a problem to feel pleasure about what I’m doing, or feeling happy or pleasure about, well, anything at all. I’m trying to notice the small victories, the smile, the chuckle, the contented sigh, as much as the big things. And believe me, that’s work as well. But, work doesn’t need to be hard, focus on the art, and pleasure of creation, or of a job well done, because life is hard enough.
So, as the saying goes,” if life is handing you lemons”…, remember there are many recipes out there for lemon bread, lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, as well as lemonade. Just find the one that makes you the happiest when you taste it, but remember to savor it as well.
