Part 2 of Your Life

For better or worse, many people attach a great deal of their personal identity to their career. Unfortunately, if they lose their job, this personal identification with their employment can dramatically increase the stress of an already traumatic experience.

However, what really defines a person is not their job, but what they do if they lose it. This is true in all second acts of life, whether you’re overcoming a divorce, a financial setback, or any other traumatic experience.

삶에, 인생에 파도는 있다. 그러기에 어떤이는 인생을 '고해'라했다.파도 마땅히 있어야만 하는 것이다. 세상엔 무수한 파괴가 있었고 지금도 일어나고 있고 또한 세상이 존재하는 한은 이 파괴는 끊임없이 계속 계속 일어난다. 지진도 쓰나미도 공습도...

그럼 어떠하였던가.파괴된 그것보다 못한 것이 건설되었던가. 아니다 항상 늘파괴된 그것보다 훨씬 더 좋은 휼륭한 것이 건설 창조되었었다. 파도가 치는가 그럼 윈드서핑을 즐겨라. 항상 쉬지 않고 파도가 일어나는가. 그럼 그곳에 발전소를 만들어라.

오늘도 일어나는 수 없는 인생사 사건들에 좌절하고 주눅들고 있는가. 걱정항 것 없다. 누구에게나 다 있는 것이다. 다만안주하고 있는 그대에게 더 나은 환경으로 몰아내는 것이다. 지금보다 더 높은 단계로 업그레이드를 추진하는것일 뿐이다. "왜 이런 일이 내게"라고 하지말라.

뭘 말하는가. 일어난 사건은 그대 자신에게 별로 큰 영향을 미치지 못한다.아니지 결코나쁜 영향을끼칠 수가 없다. 다만 그 사건을 어떻게 받아들이고 반응하였느냐에 따라서 그대 자신 스스로가그대의 인생을 실패와 성공으로 만들어갈 뿐이다. 결코 발생한 바의 그 일 그 사건이 아니다.

17살의 장자크 루소 28살의바랑 부인을 만난다. 17살이라면 '19금'이하로 아직도 그 영혼을 담을 육체의 각기관도 들 발달된 상태다. 그러나 그들은 그들만의 세계를 만든다. 그가 죽기 2년전 그는 그 부인과 그 관계와 그 세계를 후세 사람들에게 전하고 있다.

성공과 실패는 지금 그대에게 일어나는 잡다한 처절한 비통한 사건사고가 아니다, 결코, 다만 눈 앞의 참상을 어떻게 인식하고, 받아들이고, 반응하느냐가 그대자신의 인생을 걸정한다.

새카맣게 다 전부가 몽땅 다 타버린 시카고의 대 화재현장에서 날개를 퍼득이여 잿더미에서 솟아오른 불사조를 그대도 진작에 만났을 것이다.이것보다 더 확실한증명이 있겠는가.

설익은 사고원칙, 자극적인 생각, 현혹적인 행동, 충동적 발언, 순간을 홀리는 광고 카피라이터에 맹목적으로 조건없이 올인하고 있는 오늘을 사는 4G세대는 긴 세월 무수한 실제 시뮬레이션으로 검증되어고 성장되어진 귀한 확실함의 원칙을 어쩜 그렇게도 철저하게 무시하고 있단 말인가. 참 안타깝다.

What matters is how you react. Do you sink or swim?

Let’s take a look at one of the most famous job losses in recent memory and see how it was actually the greatest thing that could ever happen to that individual. From that, we’ll apply the lessons to your life, to your struggles and to your challenges. Because whatever is in your way, you’re stronger than it, you’re tougher than it, and you’re better than it. You’re going to beat it.

In 1984, Steve Jobs and Apple launched a pioneering, mouse-driven, personal computer. Jobs expected to sell “zillions” of this new invention, but it wasn’t to be. Within a year, Jobs and the board at Apple had a falling out, and he was removed from Apple in 1985.

You’ve probably heard about Jobs losing his job, and no doubt you know the rest of the Jobs-Apple story. As such, it should come as no surprise when Jobs later claimed that the firing was, “the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

Despite his public fall from grace in the eighties, Jobs went on to a second act in his life that far exceeded his first. He started Pixar and gave us the movies that your children – and maybe you as well – still hold near and dear to their hearts, including “Toy Story” and “Cars”.

He followed that up with a second act at Apple beginning in 1996. The next decade and a half “only” included the release of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. Not too bad for a second act in life.

By the way, Jobs didn’t dwell on those missing years between 1985 and 1996. In fact, he believed the intermission between his first and second acts was necessary. “I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple,” Jobs said in 2005.

The lesson we can learn from Steve Jobs is that we all can have second acts in life. It doesn’t matter how tough the days seem right now. There are better days ahead.

If you don’t feel Steve Jobs is a good enough example, let me tell you about my friend Vince Palko. Vince is the successful artist behind our new American Dream adtoons video. But just over 18 months ago Vince was struggling month to month (as Financial Independence Monthly readers will soon discover on a bonus call I recorded with Vince).

Vince was no longer working at his six-figure a year job, he had just gone through a divorce, and he was struggling to pay his bills. There are an infinite number of ways Vince could have responded, including blaming other people or the economy. But he didn’t.

Instead, Vince set in motion a series of daily habits, such as contacting more people in his network, plus daily visualization and implementation techniques that allowed him to slowly but surely create a new international business based on his skills. Today Vince has helped “invent” a new form of video sales letter, and his business is booming. His story is inspiring, and reminds us that we can overcome our obstacles if we are persistent.

No one knows exactly what went through Steve Jobs mind as he dusted himself off from his fall from Apple in 1985, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that he focused only on his future.

As someone who struggled mightily in 2002, I can tell you that the best way to overcome obstacles and rebuild your confidence is by looking to the future. Back then, when I had few clients and a lot of spare time, I created a vision of how I wanted my future to look.

I also made lists of all the people I didn’t want to disappoint, all the people who could help me, all the ever-so-slightly possible opportunities that existed, and all of the skills that I had. Each day, no matter how discouraged I was, I reviewed these lists and forced myself to take action on one big thing.

I also began contacting at least one person in my network every day, asking how I could help them, or simply sending them ideas or material that I thought they could use. Vince Palko did one better. He decided he would double the number of people he was contacting each day and added value to their lives by giving them ideas to help their businesses first.

Simple action steps like this will bring you closer to getting back on track, so take an hour or two and make those lists today or over the weekend. First, you’ll be reminded of all the good things you have in your life. That will make you feel better. But more importantly, it will give you a hope for opportunity. And believe me, there is plenty of opportunity out there for you to reach your American Dream and achieve financial independence. It all starts with your vision.

As Napolean said, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” To me, it means that the soldier was fighting for his vision of the future. That is what we must do today, no matter how hard the battle may be. We all fight for what could be, so start by identifying what you are fighting for. Harness the power of this vision so that it drives you through the inevitable dips and over the obstacles you will need to face.

Never give up.

It is time for your second act,

Craig Ballantyne

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path; and that will make all the difference.” – Steve Jobs