Bubble is such a funny word. If you say it a few times, you’ll realize that it really is a weird sounding word, it even looks weird. But we’re used to it – how it sounds, how it looks. Unless you say it over and over again – it’s exciting, maybe even funny sounding it makes you laugh. My life is a bubble. I am so used to it, I know exactly what is going to happen (most of the time) unless I take the time to spice certain things up then it becomes a funny sounding word. And then, I get used to it again. But it’s not entirely my bubble.
That’s how I felt.
So, when I first saw the trailer for The Lemonade Movie, I thought about what a great wake-up call that was for people who were not only let go during the recession but for people who were lucky enough to remain in their current jobs to perhaps take a step back to realize that a) your job is not a definition of who you are b) why wait for something to happen to you before you appreciate that life has no replay buttons. The greatest realization for me through this was that, you can try and try to fulfill the part of you that “wishes” you were doing something else while working that 9-5 that you may or (may not) love – but at the end of the day, that secondary or tertiary thing almost always takes a backseat to your current job that takes up at least 1/3 of your day and 2/3’s of your energy. In my last days at the ‘Soft before I made this decision to leave, I came back from my epic adventure thinking I could apply all the facets I longed for from that memorable trip into my current life – maintaining an active lifestyle, eating healthy, spending more time with people I cared about and meeting new people while sharing stories. In the first few weeks, it was easy. Until it was too easy to make excuses for why I wasn’t maintaining my habits – soon after, I was back in the daily grind succumbing to the demands of this fast-paced life – that being busy had little to no correlation to my visions of how I wanted to live.
I was so busy, I forgot what it meant to live.
After that realization, the only reassurance I had was perspective – the newfound perspective of a lifestyle that I desired; knowing I can and wanted to do more with the life I have because there IS so much more out there. Therefore without being restrained to a job, I now truly understand the people from the Lemonade Movie – it’s not about making time to do the things you love, it’s not about finding stability before taking chances, it’s not about waiting for the right moment to do something – it’s about these people being free from the bubble of importance we live in, finding that new perspective for things that matter to you and just doing them, without waiting for that pink slip.
“And Then What?”
I want to share a story from Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week. The ironic thing is that this book has been recommended to me quite a number of times but I never had the motivation to read it given I was already in a similar mindset. But this story was told to me by my good friend Alex Ikonn & it resonated with me because it speaks to all of us who work so hard every day without further thought into what we really want at the end of our lives.
The Fisherman Story, from the 4 Hour Work Week
American consultant was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied only a little while.
The consultant then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time.
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”
The American consultant scoffed, “I am business consultant and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution.
“You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”
To which the American consultant replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then, senor?” asked the fisherman.
The consultant laughed, and said, “That’s the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You’ll become very rich, you would make millions!”
“Millions, senor?” replied the Mexican. “Then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
