This is a guest post by Jennifer Bones.
There has been a quiet revolution brewing online. It’s not something we talk about often but it’s very real. It is a revolution of new ideas, newfound freedom, higher levels of expression and self-actualization.
Blogs are no longer just content place holders. They are now vehicles for social change and increased awareness. They are individually fueled mini-movements catalyzing creative evolution in all areas of life and business.
Several pioneers have paved the way for these changes. People like Chris Guillebeau and Goddess Leonie showed us there is a different way to do business online. They are shining examples of those who followed their passions and succeeded.
I now see hordes of people trying to jump on this bandwagon with dollar signs in their eyes. New sites and special offers pop up in my stream all the time promising they have The Answers I need to be happy. But like some of my favorite Demotivational Posters, they’re doing it wrong.
Two key distinctions exist for people like Chris and Leonie:
- Each spent years in self-exploration until they identified precisely what their gifts were. Then they trusted that wisdom and built their life, and livelihoods, around it.
- Neither of them are driven by money. (I’m relying on what each of them has written on the subject, of course.) They simply want to make enough money to survive while doing the work they love.
Selling happiness isn’t enough
There I said it. If you’re in the business of selling happiness I’m not buying. And I’d wager a sizeable bet not many others are either.
Why? Because I don’t need you to make me happy. I don’t need you to show me the way to happiness. I don’t need you to tell me what I need to do to be happy.
Selling happiness is selling yourself short
There ARE gifts you have that only you possess and the world DOES need them. Once you identify them and begin to provide them to others, those gifts WILL make people happy. That happiness is a side effect though and cannot stand alone as a product.
If you’re great at marketing, people need that information. It will make them happy. If you’re a phenomenal writer, people need help with their copy and this will make them happy, too. Maybe you are a WordPress wiz, psychic pet whisperer or talented palm reader. These are all gifts that will make people happy.
My best advice if you feel stuck in the fruitless rut of trying to sell happy? Be willing to start anew. Do some serious soul-searching and stop being too afraid to acknowledge what truly makes you so awesome.
I swear to you, it is not your ability to make other people happy. It is much deeper than that, much more meaningful, and so much more valuable…ahem, profitable.
I’m Jenny B, proud owner, operator and resident sex goddess of Up Your Impact Factor where we uncover how to use our words to change our world. Tweet up with me on Twitter, subscribe to the Spice Up Your Shite newsletter or just stop by to say hi!
Identifying those gifts is a lifelong journey.
I think that anybody who takes responsibility for the happiness of other people will discover that some people are happy being miserable instead.
It's like Bill Cosby said: “I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
OH SNAP! You are so right about that. Excellent, excellent observation.
Thanks for sharing that.
No. Thank you for sharing a wonderful post!
I think in general people are finding ways to be better and in turn, happier, without all the fuss. So many people aren't biting on the “I am so happy cause you bought this product”. The type of people that buy in to that probably already have problems that are a big deal, because at that point you reach desperation. I may be entirely off topic according to your post, but thanks for reading anyway!
Thanks Stallar! I think everyone would like to be a little more happy, and we'd all like a little more money, too. The problem is that just as with all those get rich quick schemes, get happy quick is a bit of a scam…even if the happy monger did not intend it to be.
Thank you for emphasizing the inner work. Prosperity reached by the long, slow path of the heart.
My creativity is an extension of this work, a fruit of this labor. My goal is to do it all for a living, so that part of my compensation is the freedom to continue.
Hey Peter! “…part of my compensation is the freedom to continue.” I just love that. And yes, as much as people hate to admit it, there's no escaping soul-searching here lol.