It’s Time to Pursue Your Passions
Article 1 in a 5-part Series
By Robert Allen
Best-selling Author and Co-founder of EWI
Excerpted from his book, Nothing Down for the 2000s
Most people choose real estate because it’s the fastest, safest way to financial freedom. And who doesn’t want financial freedom? If you make enough money, the world is your! Right?
That’s one of the reasons a lot of people go to work each day. In the back of their minds they say, “If I work and save long enough, I can retire and do what I really love.” Some yearn for a faster way. They play the lottery. Or get caught up in some get-rich-quick scheme. Or turn to legitimate investments such as stocks or real estate. The underlying assumption is always the same: First make some money, then you’ll be able to do what you love—pursue your passion.
So what’s the first step in making money? All success books preach the same thing: You much set a goal. Make it specific. Write it down. Visualize it. Read it every day. Magnetize your subconscious mind with single-minded, moneymaking determination. Simple.
Well, if it’s so simple, why aren’t more people financially independent? Well, one of the problems is that most people set goals based upon external motivation or whim.
I think it’s far more important to talk about “intentions” rather than goals. That’s because your intentions are guided by your “inner voice.” An intention is fueled by a sense of purpose.
Here are some other differences between goals and intentions:
Goals Intentions
External motivation Internal motivation
Whim, fancies, appetites Deep needs, desires
Happiness in end Result journey is the reward
Future oriented Now oriented
Unnatural Second nature
Dissatisfaction Fulfillment
Imitation Uniqueness
Mediocrity Excellence
Pursuing Your Passion = Fulfillment and Leads to Financial Freedome
When you’re doing what you love to do, the money comes naturally. Maybe not at first, but eventually—if you stick with it.
Imagine what you would do if you won $10 million in your state lottery. Would this make you happy? Sure. (Whoever said money doesn’t bring happiness doesn’t know where to shop!) What would you spend it on? A larger house in a better neighborhood? How about a nicer car? Pay off those debts? Buy some new clothes? Give a little away to your favorite charitable cause? Blow a few thousand for the heck of it? Sock some away for a rainy day? And, of course, you’d quit your job and do what you love to do, right? Seriously, how would you spend your time if you didn’t have to worry about money? Want to know a secret? Most people never bother to ask themselves that question.
What most people are really seeking is the ability to spend each day doing something they love. Rather than looking for happiness in some future goal of financial freedom (like almost all Americans), you want to find something that fulfills you every step of the way.
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