When I began reading The Monk and the Riddle, I thought it would simply be a “how to” book on entrepreneurship. Instead I was treated to an almost philosophical study on how to live your passion through your work. To say I was intrigued is an understatement. I must admit to some surprise when I read about the Deferred Life Plan because I had attributed that way of thinking to, well, people like my father who worked for the same company until he retired and wondered why my generation kept changing jobs, not taking into consideration that some of those changes were not voluntary or were the only way to advance in the business.
Many people work at jobs that they have no interest or desire to continue long term in an attempt to realize financial security over creative freedom and satisfaction. I have certainly been guilty of it. When faced with a choice of doing something that truly made me happy on a self employed, entrepreneurial level, I opted for the “steady” pay check. Or, as a friend of mine bluntly and honestly put it, “You sold out.” He was right. The part-time work that I was doing on my own actually paid better than my full-time job, but I walked away from my dream and in the direction of something that promised me health benefits that I didn’t have to pay for myself. I sold myself short. And while I wasn’t aspiring to become a millionaire, or even wealthy, for that matter, it would have made me much happier than the 9-5 job I gave it up for.
Konisar made me realize, however, that all hope was not lost with me. I had long ago learned the difference between a “job” and a “career.” His perspective on what should draw us in the work we do resonated with me on many levels. I can identify with the idea that work outside of the arts and entertainment industries can be both lucrative and creative, even in the most seemingly mundane jobs. I would go out of my way in whatever I was doing to infuse creative energy and imagination into each task and my enthusiasm not only paid off for me, personally, but inspired others as well.
Konisar writes about what motivates us in our work. Is it drive and the desire to reach a goal that will ultimately end in a big payoff? Or is passion fueling our desire to succeed? And while many people confuse the two for being one in the same, he points out that they could not be more different. Drive, he explains, is what pushes you toward a goal. It is the sense of obligation that you feel to do the best you can if only because it’s expected of you. Passion, on the other hand, is the pull you feel to move forward. It’s what draws you to the next step, and even when you don’t know where those next steps will lead, you simply can’t resist moving forward. Passion is the heart of all that is important in living something other than a deferred life. How many people work to retirement in a position they only deign to be in to make ends meet, just waiting for the moment when their ship comes in so that they can move to the distant second step of the plan. In so many cases, that second step is never realized due to illness, age, or a number of other reasons. And working for nothing more than a paycheck is a dismal existence.
It takes an honest evaluation of yourself and more than a little self-knowledge to know where your passions can be found as well as courage to follow a dream. Lenny’s story is a somewhat cautionary tale of how easy it is to lose direction when the only direction is toward the bottom line. Many people measure success by what is attained and obtained. We are taught from an early age that it is better to go after as much as you can get than to stop for a few moments and enjoy life. We all have different ideas about what it means to be successful. If success is defined by wealth and wealth is defined only in monetary terms we are destined to be poor and to feel unsuccessful. If, however we can find joy in providing a service that is of value to others we may ultimately find value in our lives that has little or nothing to do with material wealth. Happiness is a rare commodity. It cannot be purchased with money, not true lasting happiness. That comes from the satisfaction achieved when our best efforts have produced something that is as much a benefit to others as it is to us. I mentioned my father before and his work ethic. While I don’t believe that he would have used the term “career” to describe his job, he enjoyed his work and was working toward a goal. He was providing for and raising a family. And along the way he did the little things that make life worth living that had nothing to do with fancy cars and extravagant vacations. He and my mother instilled in us the belief that life is what you make it and that living the good life does not depend solely on financial gain. And the power to elicit positive change through service to and for others is more powerful than anything that can be purchased with monetary wealth.
Life is full of choices. And with each choice we make we give something up. But once we have identified what brings us the most satisfaction and joy in life those decisions can be much easier to make. Komisar’s Lenny learned this after a number of false starts. Once he abandoned his “fun in funeral” idea everything began to fall into place. Instead of a quick and meaningless foray into a world of uncertain possibilities that he had hoped would end with a big financial payoff he returned to the roots of his idea and produced something that would not only benefit others, but provide him with an accomplishment that, if it succeeded, he could be proud of. And if they weren’t successful, in this venture Lenny would still gain a wealth of experience in ways that he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t invested in this idea heart and soul. As he mentioned, he would be sorry if he didn’t give it his best efforts. Lenny is, of course, a figment of Komisar’s imagination. Or at best a composite of a number of people he knew and/or knows. But, although Lenny himself doesn’t exist, many like him do. And if we are lucky we will learn what is important in life while we are still, if not young, then in good enough health to appreciate and enjoy it.
Komisar, R. (2000, 2001). The monk and the riddle: The art of creating life while making a living. United States of America: Harvard Business Review Press.
