What is your purpose?
By: Mariangie Gonzalez
Two days ago I was having a conversation with my husband, we were talking about work politics, the economic situation, continued education, etc.
My husband started college after we had our first child, back in 1998, after 2 years he got a new job, the new work schedule didn’t allow for a regular college curriculum anymore, so he dropped out.
About 2 years ago, his company announced that they will be reimbursing their employees for their college education, so he grabbed the opportunity and started studying again. He studies in one of those 5-week class programs.
Anyway, during our conversation, I asked him when the new session was going start and what class he was going to take this time, (he had been off since Thanksgiving and to be honest I saw that “not-planning to-go-back-to-college” attitude in him).
This is how the conversation developed:
Hubby- “You know what? I’m so unmotivated this time, there’s no use for me to keep studying, I’ll never advance in my company”.
Me- “What do you mean there’s no use? Are knowledge and a free college degree not enough?”
Hubby- “No, I mean, no matter how hard I work and how prepared I get, other people will get the promotions, not me”
Me- “Well, if that’s how you feel, then finish the education, and when you are finished, you serve your company a year or two, whatever they require you to work for them because they paid for your education, and then you leave and get a better job with your “new” degree or even start your own business. ”
Hubby- “The only require 3 years of service for those that they pay for their master’s degree; there is no requirement for those that they pay for their bachelors degree”
OK, at that point I wanted to slap my husband.
Me- “I can’t believe that you don’t want to do something for yourself! I would have like 15 bachelors degrees if I had the money, it’s not about getting promotions is about LEARNING! NOBODY CAN TAKE KNOWLEDGE AWAY FROM YOU!!!!”
Yeah I had to raise my voice a little, I was so mad…
Me- “Dad, always told us that we should learn about EVERYTHING we could, because we never knew when that would come up handy, I hated that he forced us to take music classes for years, but how was I able to purchase and pay-off my car when I was in College?… Teaching music lessons!”
Me- “Years later, when I was offered the Landscaping Teaching position in the Vocational School, if I hadn’t had previous teaching experience, I would have not being hired and helped to get my teaching certification or would I…? And you know that has been my BEST job ever…”
He nodded his head and said: “Yeah… maybe you are right…” (of course I’m right!, LOL!)
But, seriously, sometimes we don’t have a clear purpose or we have the wrong one to begin with, and that is why we lose our motivation, that’s what happened to my husband.
In life and in business, we need to carefully define our purpose, why we want to do this or that, and we can’t have a purpose for outside reasons, it has to be for us.
We may want to get a higher degree, increase sales, homeschool our children, get out of debt, but NOT because of the reasons the world thinks we should do it, but because of what we want to accomplish, what we think is best for us, what will makes us happy, what will makes us grow as a person, as a professional, as a parent, etc.
What is your purpose… is it YOURS really? Sit down and define your purpose, put it down in writing so you never forget…
——————————————————
The author is the owner of the online pet remedies store http://www.MindBodyAndPaw.com since October of 2004 and is an Independent Distributor for Forever Living selling Aloe-based health & beauty products and helping other start their own businesses from home, you can learn more about her products and business opportunity here: http://www.mariangie.myflpbiz.com. She lives in Puerto Rico with her husband, 2 children, 2 tuxedo cats and a pit bull.
About Mariangie - She lives in Puerto Rico where she works full time as an Agronomist, owns a home based business since 2004 and is the proud mother of 2 bright kids (and 2 cute cats).
Filed under Home Business, MLM/Network Marketing
