Which Road Should I Take?

Written by Mr.SelfDevelopment - 23 Comments
Categories: self improvement

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice.

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get,” said the Cat.

“I really don’t care where” replied Alice.

“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

- Quote from the Alice in Wonderland Movie

My brother called me the other day and asked me for some advice?  He was trying to decide between two job offers:

Job 1 – The first job was your typical 40 hour a week “office” job.

Job 2 – The second job was more of a career in the insurance industry, where he would start at the bottom, and after many years and many long hours eventually rise to the top (if he was good).  The second job did not pay as well as the first job (initially), but the potential pay-off of the second job was much greater than the first job.

So which job should my brother take?  Well the answer is…it depends.

Just like the Cat was trying to tell Alice, which road you take depends a great deal on where you want to end up.

Begin with the End in Mind

I asked my brother what was his life’s purpose.  He said his purpose is to “teach,” but he wants to make a lot of money first.

I told my brother to forget about the money, and I advised him to focus on his purpose.

I then asked him which job best supports his end result of “teaching.”  He said the first job best supports his goal because he would only have to work 40 hours a week, which would give him spare time to teach.

He continued on to say, but if I take job number two, I can work hard and make more money, then I can retire early and “teach” later in life. I again advised him to “focus” on his purpose, not money.

I cautioned him to think this process through carefully because things don’t end wrong, they begin wrong!

You Can’t Ride Two Horses Well

It would be very difficult to have a successful teaching career while you’re working 70-80 hours a week in the insurance business; no one can ride two horses well.  As they say, you can do anything, but not everything.

I recommended to my brother that he dedicate his time to achieving his life’s purpose, and I advised him to get started today by choosing the job that best supports that decision.

Tomorrow Never Comes

My brother was thinking that he could always start teaching later in life, but the reality is, tomorrow never comes.

Unless you decide right now to pursue your passions, they will probably never be fulfilled.  They will always be postponed until some nebulous time in the future.  You will eventually “miss out” in the one area where you could have had the greatest impact on the world.

You only live once, don’t go to your grave with one regret; don’t postpone your purpose.

The Money Will Come

My brother seemed to be overly concerned with making money.  I told him not to be anxious about making money.  The fear of not making money is the quickest way not to make it.

You will always have greater money making potential when you’re doing what you love.

In conclusion, whenever you’re at a cross-road, be sure to make the decision that best supports the overall mission and goal of your life.  If you do, then you will be well on your way.

What advice would you have given my brother?  What are some other cross-roads where this advice would be applicable?

About the author: this guest post was written by Mr. Self Development. For more information please visit Mr. Self Development at mrselfdevelopment.com; Mr. Self Development is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth.

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  • http://improveminduniversity.blogspot.com jonathan figaro

    One must make a conscious decision to follow the path within their hearts. Most people usually go for the money as motivation to achieve a specific result. While money may be essential, it is not a determining factor. Following your heart is the only way to seek true happiness and success.

    1. Happiness comes from a life of purpose. If you need some direction ask your self the following questions.

    1.What makes me happy?
    2.How can I serve people?
    3.If I didn’t rely on money, which direction would I follow?
    4. What give me the greatest sense of self esteem?

    You cannot walk tow paths, so choice the path where happiness comes first. Money will flow into your existence when your ready to receive it.

  • Tiffany

    I think you gave your brother good advice….the problem is everyone wants a quick fix. If your faithful to your purpose you will be successful.

  • http://positivelypresent.com Positively Present

    great post. it sucked me in right away because i’m a HUGE alice in wonderland fan. jonathan brings up some great questions in his comment that i think are really useful when trying to decide which way to go.

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com Mr. Self Development

    Jonathan…thanks for the comment…that’s certainly good advice…

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com Mr. Self Development

    Thanks Positively Present….I love that quote from Alice in Wonderland…

  • Tammy

    Great article….thanks for the advice….

  • http://saleemrana.com Saleem Rana

    I certainly wish someone had given me the advice you gave your brother. It would have saved me many years in the wrong work. There is nothing more important than doing your own work well, rather than believing in the best available opportunity.

  • http://dwellupon.net Peter

    Creating goals in life gives us a clearer idea to the road we must take. I really like the ‘Alice in wonderland’ story too.

  • Swati

    Hey this is a wonderful post. Loved the way you linked the Alice in wonderland story to the real life situation we all face

  • http:///www.positivewayoflife.com Josten

    Making a decision that is going to determine ones future to obtaing they’re goals is not as hard as it may seem. I’ve learned what to do and what will get me further towards achieving my goal.
    Great post

  • http://www.upgradereality.com Diggy – Upgradereality.com

    Heya!

    This is an absolutely amazing post, it is so true, I’ve been blogging about the same kind of things.

    People thinking happiness comes sometime in the future…happiness is right now, you have one life and you need to live it. Every minute that is gone never comes back.

    Just subscribed, looking forward to more posts :)
    Diggy – Upgradereality

  • Claudiu

    Very interesting article, you explained how young people should choose their career… I like it
    Claudiu

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com Mr. Self Dev.

    Thanks to those who have commented and to any future commentors…

  • http://www.selfdevelopmentcourses.net self development courses

    True. It doesn’t matter which way to go. But make sure that you learn from the days of your journey. self development courses can help us know more about how to handle life more firmly. Most of the times, we need to check on what the experts say.

  • http://www.wellbeingandhealth.net Evan

    I think if you can make a decent income doing what you love the money won’t matter much.

    Will the money follow? Yes and no. I’ve yet to hear of many teachers who love their work making as much as Donald Trump (or even a reasonably successful real estate agent).

    So I don’t think you’ll necessarily become incredibly weatlthy doing what you love. I do think (as long as you make enough) that it won’t matter too much. And you’ll be making a better world (one not dominated by chasing money).

    Extra benefit, you won’t be one of those people who can only talk about their business and how they are making money.

  • ME

    I could totally relate my self to the article as this is exactly what I’m going through!
    I made my mind finally! thanks a million for the useful advice!

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com MrSD

    Thanks for commenting…..

  • MrSelfDevlpmt

    Hello ME, thanks for taking the time to comment….this is why I love writing…I love to teach people the lessons that I’ve learned so they don’t have to make the mistakes that I’ve made….I’m glad you now know what to do….

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com Mr.SD

    Evan, thanks for commenting…You ask the question, “Will the money follow?” the answer is the money CAN follow.

    Wealth is a choice….that teacher could certainly write a book on the best learning environment, or a new teaching technique. Writing a best-selling book is the ultimate form of teaching…

    Wealth comes from ideas, and ideas are available to anyone…

  • REGINALD

    CAN WE TALK ON THE PHONE?

  • http://www.mrselfdevelopment.com Mr. Self Development

    Visit my “contact” form on my website as to how to get in touch with me….

    Rgds

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