Ooooh, you should see the eyes in the audience when I open with this question! You can almost hear them wondering: "why is 'Mr. Internet' asking that kind of question and how does it have anything to do with my online success?" This response is not too surprising when you stop to think about how many people just sort of "fall into" their career. Well, there really is an important reason why I often start my speeches this way, and it has everything to do with achieving true success.

We have so many options available to us in today's society (unlike during our parent's or grandparent's time), that "opportunity" can be found around every corner. For most people in the Western World, the issue of "survival" has been licked. Many now find that most of their time is spent in the pursuit of some reasonable level of affluence and comfort —and working way too hard to ever fully enjoy it.

What if you actually were able to earn more, work less, and have plenty of free time to enjoy it all? I contend that most people wouldn't enjoy it for very long. In fact, some part of them deep down would be scared to death of no longer being distracted by the "busyness" of their work and personal life. They would be facing the terrible chasm that separates the "human doings" from the human "beings". It is actually quite difficult to just "be" —unless, everything you "do" is on purpose and consistent with why you are here (i.e. on this planet).

Having a sense of "purpose", knowing clearly what it is, and living it daily has been a major part of my life focus for the past 9 years. Prior to that I was a successful "human doing" that had everything going for me, other than being completely clueless as to what life is really about. Well, to make a very long story short, I had a big enough personal "2x4" whack me upside the head (i.e. crisis) in 1993 that it caused me to "pause". So much so that I shut everything down, including my very successful Santa Barbara-based business and took two years off to figure out "why I was here". That's after fiercely declaring to my wife "I'm not doing another damn thing or starting another business until I figure it out!" At that point my wife had her own "crisis", however had faith in me nonetheless (I never said it was easy being married to me!)

That process of self-discovery was full of frustrating fits and starts primarily because I didn't know of any process that was specifically designed to help one find their purpose for being alive. After kludging through it in my own unique and circuitous way, I came to the realization that I am here to affect and help a great number of people through my speaking and writing. It was at that point that my speaking career was born. However, I wasn't sure how it was all going to come together to earn a living (there's that darn survival issue again!) I just knew it would. So now I can honestly say that when you see me speak, or read what I've written, you are experiencing the work of someone who is doing exactly what they were born to do! And my life is "on purpose" when my actions (i.e. my "doing") is consistent with why I'm here.

Well "yippee!" for me. The only problem is that up until recently, when anyone asked how they might find their own sense of purpose, I had no real answer for them. My own journey was so unique and well financed (few can afford to take a full two years off to climb the mountain of self-discovery) that it is a poor example of how to do it.

All that has now changed due to an incredible little book that gives a very specific process on how anyone can find their sense of purpose. It's called "The On-Purpose Person -Making Your Life Make Sense" by Kevin McCarthy (a very special thanks to David Horowitz, Sr. VP NRT for turning me on to this wonderful book). In its short 142 pages there is a story about a man who "had it all" yet felt quite empty and lost. He meets an "on-purpose person" who shares a process that will help him find and live his purpose (which, by the way, can consist of many facets). A very entertaining, powerful, yet easy read. It is the first resource I have found anywhere that gives a real world, step-by-step approach to finding one's purpose. Now when people ask how to find their purpose, I simply point them to this book.

Now let's get back to why this is so darned important. You see, thanks to the revolutionary "Virtual Assistance" movement, I can and do show professionals almost every day how to "earn more, work less, and enjoy life —virtually". This stuff is real and does WORK! The only problem is, if you are in a career that is not consistent with your sense of purpose (i.e. "what you were born for"), then my friend, all that success and free time will make you quite uncomfortable indeed! That's because being freed from survival and time crunch issues, at some point you will be faced with "what's it all about?". And if you don't have a good answer for that all-important question, chances are you will sabotage your newfound "success".

Chances are you already know that "success" means much more than just financial reward. It's my personal opinion that success really has very little to do with money. I see success (at least for me) as living fully and completely in one's purpose. And in the process of doing so, we make the largest possible contribution we can to the world —the best of who we are. For what it's worth, those that do this tend to be well paid too!

Hopefully, the next time I see you in the audience, your eyes won't get so wide when asked "Are you in the career you were born for?" Hopefully there will be a glint of recognition, and the fire of knowing that you are fully living your purpose!

(EDITOR'S NOTE: PARTING THOUGHTS are the personal musings of Mr. Internet on topics and issues that he happens to choose, typically at the time he sits down to write.  He hopes that you enjoy reading them as much as he does writing them!)