You Might Not Punch a Clock But You do Work

This is beginning to be one of the most overused phrases in our industry. People are using this phrase to try and impress others into thinking that money simply falls from the sky and wealth grows rapidly in their backyard.

Recently I had a conversation with a somewhat influential businessman. He was poised in his craft and loved by the people around him. But as I sat in his office talking with him about his business opportunity, he continued to tell me that he hadn’t worked in 20 years. I am a practical guy and completely understood what he was implying but statements like that cause me to shake my head because I know he is missing the point.

For those who follow the sports world, you may have heard about the recent lockouts that took place. Players were unable to “WORK” and as a result some of them had to find other avenues of employment. In a recent interview Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat said, "If it's a year lockout you've got a lot of guys not getting paid all season and have to find a way to make sure that they are the means to their family and find work…" Mr. Wade said that if the lockout continued then he would also consider going overseas.

Dwayne Wade is one of the top earning NBA basketball players in the country, yet he says that he would have to find “WORK.”

Myles Munroe shared an interesting thing with me concerning the word “WORK.” He explained that the word “WORK” came from the word Eragon. Which means to become, to manifest, to fulfill, to reveal, to become yourself; in other words, to discover or to become what you ought to become through self-manifestation.

One has to understand that your “WORK” is not your job. Your job is what your employer pays you to do. It was designed to help you pay bills. You can retire from your job but you can’t retire from your work, because your work is your gift. It is your purpose. It was the reason you were created.

Here’s the bottom line. It’s understandable that you don’t punch a clock. It’s understandable that you are an entrepreneur. It’s understandable that your wealth is such that you can walk away from your profession and live comfortably. However in order to succeed in this life one has to go to “WORK”

Are you ready to “WORK?”

Donald Payne