After a fulfilling training session with Doctors at Hygeia, I have closed shop this year to corporate training and consulting – I am earnestly looking forward to the holidays before I resume next year to another roller coaster of workload. Seriously, I am having a ball with my chosen career except I missed blogging, which has been extremely difficult to maintain considering tons of things I had to learn.
Anyway, I realized I loved teaching either through blogging or face to face. This is my passion and my calling in life. There was a time this year that I listened to Steve Job’s Stanford speech every morning about following your passion – this was very instrumental to keeping me focus especially in the midst of financial temptations. This is how Steve Job’s puts it in one of his quote:
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked! There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
The number one killer of “following your passion” is the perception of “financial responsibility”. It appears so real that you feel its influence practically choking you to death. The question that seems unanswered is “how to follow your dreams and make money while doing it?” Is this possible?
The movie “Notorious” is a bio flick of the rapper Christopher Wallace aka Notorious BIG and it explains the dilemma in the hearts of many – Burdened with the financial responsibility of taking care of his daughter followed by the guilt of being abandoned by his own father, he took to drug trade. After a stint of jail time, he wanted to make use of his rapping talent and the scene in which he was introduced to Sean “Puffy” Combs ensues:
Sean Combs: “Are you still hustling?” (Means if he is still selling drugs?)
BIG: He keeps mute and moves his head in a guilty sway
Sean Combs: “ Don’t get it twisted, I am not against making money, my business is about the streets but my business is not in the street.” (Means that he tells music stories about people selling drugs without selling drug).
BIG: “If you have real paper coming my way, I am off the game.” (Means if Sean Combs can make him money through rapping, he will leave the drug business)
Sean Combs: “Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream: I started off as Andre’s assistant and I am now running this place”
Mr. C: With all due respect Puff, dreams are not paying the bills
BIG: “His dreams do.” (Means Sean Comb’s dream is paying his own bill)
BIG: “Maybe in the right hands, I could be one of the greatest”
Sean: “How old are you?”
BIG: “I am 19”
Sean: “By the time you are 21, I will make you into a millionaire – We can change the world, BIG, we can change this game – you can either be the average nigger from Brooklyn or you can rap about the average nigger from Brooklyn ”
Though they had a rough start, BIG eventually became a millionaire at 21years old living his dreams. Now, you will always be at a crossroad between financial obligations and living your dreams. In my little experience in life, I have tried different routes to financial independence and I realized there is no easy route – not one single one – every route requires patience and “staying power” to understand the game.
I remember having a chat with a guy who was into advance free fraud (aka 419). When he told me the true processes involved in running the 419 businesses, I really did not see any difference in the process between an honest businessman and the 419 guys. They are both exposed to opportunities, dry periods and staying power. I can boldly submit that the easiest route to financial freedom is following your passion and dreams because money is not a prerequisite to doing what you are called to do.
Now, to the question of the day – “Can financial freedom be taught?” The answer is a big NO. You cannot clone the dream of someone else. If you live with Bill Gates for 50 years studying him day and night, you will never become Bill Gates. Even children that have the DNA of their financial icon parents do not become their parents. However, you can guide people to follow their dreams.
N/B: Someone’s dream or someone can be called to support another person’s dream
Enjoy the holiday!
