In between, he lost everything.
Losing everything shakes our foundation. Pictures of Hurricane Katrina attest to that literally. But what about metaphorically? Do we let our possessions define us? Do we identify with work so much that nothing exists beyond it?
Most men when asked why they work so hard answer, "So that I can give my wife and kids a good life." Most women, however, when asked, "Is this stuff (cruises, jewelry, cars) important to you?" will answer, "Not really."
Huge gap.
I think we've forgotten how to ask for the kind of life we want. We're running on automatic pilot. I remember when I had my business several years ago. It was a one-person, home-based business. I made more money than I could spend and had more free time on my hands even with three times the client base of my competitors.
Then I bought into the "bigger is better" lie. I hired employees, leased office space, rented furniture and fixtures, bought small business insurance, and hired an accountant. Within weeks I had cut my salary in half, hired and fired four secretaries (shades of Murphy Brown), couldn't find a salesperson who could sell, you get the picture. I did build the business, but at a price.
I was working harder so that my employees had the luxury of a salary; I had less free time because now that I was a role model, I had to be in the office early; I went from being focused to being distracted because of all the personal problems people brought to work.
By the time I decided to exit stage left, I was emotionally, physically and financially depleted.
The question is "Are you working to live or living to work?"
"If you lost everything, who would you be?"
Image courtesy of Graur Razvan Ionut" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
