Let me define what I mean by 'health'...because what you list out will contain the primary opportunity for your free agent (self-employment) success.
In your life, you have chosen paths and habits for certain reasons. For example, I'm here trying to inspire you to free agency…self-employment. Why? I honestly think it can be best for you life. So why would I keep quiet about that?
Bear with me on this example...
Is self-employment for everyone? I don't really need to answer that question…it's moot. Bringing up the question itself is unfortuate. When we find things that have benefited our lives, we don't share them and shout from the rooftops. Why? We might offend someone. What we have found as truth for us might not be best or possible for someone else. Our message may even be…gasp…unfair toward them!
Pictured - me working at home on a beautiful Rocky Mountain day, getting some typing help from a neighborhood squirrel. I'd wish that opportunity for you. And yes, that's a real picture and a real squirrel.
If you would unabashedly, fervently communicate to others what you believe in, you'd find grand opportunities within your calling and work. More on that below...
Thus we generally say nothing to avoid coming across as unfair or insensitive. We preface any belief and put fine print disclosures below any statement? What is touted as 'intellectual' and 'mature' today is…to stand for nothing. Complete tolerance. What is right for you is only for you and to put it upon anyone else is intolerant and judgmental.
So we sit silent and let others die while protecting ourselves. Folks, gravity is absolute. If you teeter on the edge of a cliff and I don't grab you, shame on me. If you're about to drive across water in the road that I know is 6 foot deep with a driving current in the middle and I don't flag you down, shame on me. If I find something in life that immensely benefits me and I don't share it with you…I'm being as selfish as if I was given the key to all the world's resources and kept it to myself. And what if I believe it's best and you don't? Well, so what? It's not about agreement, it's about caring.
If college radically changed your life for the better and you think everyone would benefit by going, then shout it from the rooftops! Let us know! State your case and impact those with eyes to see and ears to hear YOUR message and experience. Be brave and confident and you'll bless so many people.
I wouldn't hear you myself, because I am actively opposed to college for most people. But why care about me when there are masses who ARE open to you?
Get that?
So in your life…what:
- Do you believe in
- Do you advocate
- Are you a fan of
- Do you wish others would experience
- Do you believe is best for all or most people
Here is the biggie that sabotages needed evangelists for so many things…the issue of 'right and wrong.' Especially amongst religion. We have a lot of pharisitical, pompous, self-righteous, hypocritical folks feeling they are right and others are wrong. I know…I'm by nature a card carrying member of SRAA - Self RighteousAholics Anonymous.
My wife Teri got onto me about this on one specific occasion. As a family we are self-employed, vegetarian, anti-media (no TV or newspapers or radio), home schooling, environmental, Jesus Christ following, fitness pursuing fanatics. We've looked at most areas of life and pursued what we feel is best and truth, and we've committed to following that. Which can make for some tremendously opinionated feelings. And in wanting these things for others where we've experience benefits, Teri would sometimes chafe at the perspective of us being right and them being wrong.
Point taken. So let's rephrase that...and I think you'll like this:
"What do we believe is most healthy?" It's not right or wrong or self-righteous or life or death (maybe) or an issue of eternal salvation. What do you adhere to in your life that you feel is the healthiest choice? And be boldly honest.
For me again, is it an issue of right or wrong to be self-employed? Nope. Is it more spiritual to be self-employed? Again, nope, not in and of itself anymore than it makes you more spiritual to have a Bible. But I've experienced *successful self-employment in my life and thousands of others…and it by far allows for more good fruit to come from your life than the alternatives. So yes, I think it's 'most healthy.'
Is being vegetarian or even just eating healthfully a right or wrong issue? Definitely not! They ate plenty of meat and milk and honey in my Bible! But in comparison to today's cultural diet, do I think it's most healthy to avoid much meat and processed foods? Heck yes. Should I keep it to myself if I see others in sickness and illness caused from, as my buddy Dr. Randy James says, "Giving your body things it doesn't want and denying it of things that it needs." No, I should care enough about you to share what I think would help you, even if it may step on your toes a bit. Which necessitates me showcasing I truly care about you so you'd even respect me enough to listen.
There is tremendous opportunity for you, in pursuing self-employment, in this exercise. If you can't list anything in your list of what you believe to be 'most healthy', it's because you have not led a self-examined life thus far. Which there is no shame in. Just get to examining now! But otherwise, make a list!
Then, order the list from most to least important. Up there at the top will be some key areas where I'll guarantee there is opportunity for you to create a product or service or message that you can pursue and make income from and truly serve others in.
Just to help, here are some ideas of what I know are often topics of 'most healthy' in people's minds:
- Physical fitness
- Financial stewardship (saving, investing, giving)
- Environmental issues - Green living on many levels
- Animal rights
- Politics
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Education
- Sex
- Diversity
- Serving humanity
- Leadership
- Spiritual faith belief (this will be automatically listed first for many folks, but I listed it last on purpose as it's often a crutch for not going further than just this. You can't have a business based just on this, and being a pastor isn't a business)
Try to keep things you are personally frustrated or angry about out of your list and focus on what things you truly pursue for yourself and feel others would benefit from.
Feel free to share below, debate...whatever. If you read the comments in my previous post, you'll see that we're here to have a discussion, not just spout off.
*Successful self-employment is different from mere self-employment, no different than saying I'm IN LOVE with my wife rather than I merely 'love' her. World of difference.
