Are You Limiting Yourself to Three Examples?
Three is a nice guideline for finding turnaround examples. But it doesn’t have to be an absolute. For example, sometimes finding just one example for a turnaround is all I need to see a shift in my perspective.
At other times, three examples barely scratch the surface of my belief system.
Sometimes I need more examples. A lot more.
I Was Working With a Client Recently
She was questioning the thought, “I will starve if I don’t sell my next painting.” And she was believing it quite strongly.
So instead of stopping at three or even four examples, I invited her to come up with 30 examples of how the turnaround, “I won’t starve if I don’t sell my next painting” could be true.
She came up with 30, which turned out to be a great list once she got going. And she reported that it really took the pressure off after seeing so many examples of how she is not dependent on selling a painting to survive.
I Did the Exercise Too
I took it as a challenge to find my own 30 examples too. And it was actually a lot of fun.
If my income went to zero today, and facilitating The Work was not longer viable for me, here are 30 reasons why I wouldn’t starve.
1. I have a partner who also earns money.
2. I could work at City Market Co-op (get to meet lots of people while I work).
3. I could get a job with a tree company (get to use chain saws! 🙂
4. I could ask my partner if there was a way for us to work together.
5. We could take a break from working and go trekking around the world, working locally whenever we need money.
6. We could live in India. My partner knows all the ins and outs of it.
7. We could sell our house.
8. We could move back to my partner’s mother’s house (which my partner owns), and live very cheaply.
9. I could go back to live in the ashram.
10. I could get a part time job working at Turnaround House, like I used to.
11. I could mow lawns like I did when I was a kid (I made a lot of money, got good exercise, and had lots of time to enjoy this satisfying, mindless activity).
12. I could get a job at a library (I love books).
13. I could drive a cab (I enjoy driving and chatting with people).
14. I could apply for jobs as a website designer while going back to school to learn more.
15. I could be a wedding photographer (I did that in the past and it was very successful – some clients told me never to stop).
16. I could make it my job to call each person I know to ask for work ideas.
17. I could apprentice as an auto mechanic (I’ve always wanted to learn more about how cars work).
18. I could become crew on a ship (I’d get to see the world and get room and board for a while).
19. I could ask my step-dad for suggestions of where to apply for work in NYC (he has helped all his children get a start in the working world – I’ve always considered it to be too materialistic, but it would pay me and teach me humility too).
20. I could go back to working for Vaidya Mishra. They never wanted me to leave, and I love what they do.
21. I could become a personal cook again. Easy! I do it anyway.
22. I could learn how to be a film editor and see if my brother-in-law would like to expand his business.
23. I could work in a bookstore.
24. I could write short documents to sell on Amazon.com
25. I could work as a photographer’s assistant in New York and learn that side of the trade.
26. I could get a job at one of the ski hills nearby (could be a lot of fun).
27. I could be an au pear for my sister’s kids.
28. I could apply for “real” jobs that are advertised in the paper even if I don’t have experience.
29. I could be a bookkeeper for any small business (I’ve done my own books for years and I’m good at it).
30. I could be a waiter. That’s one job I never tried, and sometimes I think I missed that experience.
That’s A Bunch of Examples!
After coming up with so many examples, I feel completely safe no matter what happens. It’s better than insurance for giving peace of mind. And my mind keeps coming up with more ideas too.
It totally destroyed the idea that I’m dependent on what I do to survive. But I needed 30 examples to really get it.
If you want to take the challenge, make a list of 30 ways you could survive if your income went to zero. And, if you feel like it, share a copy on the blog.
Have a great week,
Todd
“For people who enter this inner world, the world of inquiry, jobs become secondary. Freedom is everything. Jobs come, jobs go, companies rise and fall, and you’re not dependent on that.” Byron Katie, Question Your Thinking, Change The World
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