The Story of Big Jim

The power went out. Again!

I looked out my second story office window and knew exactly why. I could hear the sounds throughout the morning. There was a crew of four men and three bucket trucks stringing power lines along the new poles they had been planting in the front and back yards of my neighborhood the past few weeks.

Often, during this time, I would work on my laptop on the front porch and watch this professional teamwork in total synchronicity, moving from pole to pole in planned sequence. First, it was connecting the phone lines. Then, cable. Today, and finally, from the back alley, the electricity.

What was of extreme interest to me was the foreman of this well-oiled machine. A big, burly middle-aged fellow whose sheer stature and hard look would intimidate most. But, he always uttered his commands, some very loudly as his underlings were often thirty-five feet in the air, with warm authority.

You could tell his crew really liked and had great respect for him. Although this was far from your typical "lean on your shovel" squad, they still joked while working at a well-managed pace. Bossman, whose job description no doubt mandated a no hands-on, no physical labor approach, was always doing something to speed things along, be it picking up refuse or spooling wire. In fact, while they were in the process of connecting my power, guess who was pruning the overgrown pine tree branches in my backyard to make it easier for his boys?

It was at this point that I brought my high-wire friends a sampling of my special blend coffee (I prepared this, just prior to 'lights out'), reserved usually for special company. Setting a tray down on the patio table, I engaged 'Jim' in conversation and remarked how much I enjoyed watching them work and how much it reminded me of my great production team when I owned a dry cleaning business. Another well-oiled, and fun to run machine.

His sun-hardened face beamed with pride as he began telling me about what a great group of guys he had and how they were the most productive crew in this large company.

No wonder!

Our conversation was not a long one. Jim had to get his boys back to the matter at hand, and that was to get my power back. But it served to make me think that here was a man who loved what he does, made a positive impact on those around him and earned the sincere respect of those under and above him. I could only surmise that Jim also had a great family life.

Why do I tell this story? Simple. It's a simple story of real success! No, Jim is not famous. Probably never will be. Nor is he rich as I could tell, or any of those things that people usually associate with the term 'success.' If this man won the lottery today I'd bet the farm he'd be planting poles and stringing wire and having fun with his crew the very next week. He is, judging by my brief encounter with him, a simple man who possesses one of the true keys of success: He loves what he does!

Let me ask you this? Are you doing what you love? Are you having fun with your 'job'? Do you feel a real sense of purpose and genuine passion for what you are offering people, be it your labor, your customers or your employees? Do you bring those people around you the great value that they deserve and that you are capable of giving? Are you respected by those around you for what you do? Are you, well, happy?

Let me assure you, if you answered "no" to any of the above questions, it's far from too late to change everything in your life!

In my top-selling eBook, Success: A Spiritual Matter, I had the extreme honor of interviewing fourteen very successful entrepreneurs. One of those, Paul Lemberg, offered this: "Make sure your work is personally meaningful. If it's not—change what you're doing!" He continues, "Figure out what your purpose is." Not a purpose for you to shellac to a piece of wood and put on the wall. Not a purpose like a check box for your business plan. But a purpose like, "What are you here on earth for?" That kind of purpose.

One of the famous quotes of legendary Jim Rohn goes like this:

"Turn your vocation into your vacation."

One of the highlights of putting Success: A Spiritual Matter together was conducting a live interview with Jim Rohn. He made this amazing statement: "Beware of the thief on the street that's after your purse. But also be aware of the thief in your mind that's after your promise."

Don't let that thief steal your promise and keep from the world everything that you have to offer. You CAN do what you love. You CAN start right now.

Contemporary mythologist, Joseph Campbell, offers three words as the number one rule of life, which pervades all cultures and religions:

"Follow Your Bliss."

Isn't it about time that you followed yours?

“Acquiring wealth, for the sake of acquiring wealth,

is a lonely and unsuccessful existence.”

©Rick Beneteau

www.RichardBeneteau.com