How Long Will You Be Dead?

A few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast about business people who have overcome various obstacles in their lives. The guest was Danny Meyer, founder and head of Shake Shack. He talked about when he was younger and his parents wanted him to pursue a career as an attorney. Deep down he wasn't interested in law because his real passion was food.

One day, he was discussing all this with his uncle, who could see that young Meyer was torn. The uncle asked him, "How long will you be dead?" Meyer didn't know what to say. His uncle answered for him and said, "A lot longer than you'll be alive. Do what you want to be happy."

This struck a chord in me. We only have one life and so many of us try to make other people happy by living a life that conflicts with our own goals. Of course, this doesn't mean you should sit on the couch all day eating bon bons and watching Porky Pig cartoons (which is possibly the goal of certain people I know). It's also incredibly selfish to live a life based entirely on your own happiness. There has to be a balance.

Working in an industry that isn't satisfying or helping others will make you miserable. When I was a kid there were commercials on television that were part of a "don't do drugs" campaign. In the ads, children would say things like "I want to be a fireman" or "I want to be a doctor". Then you would hear an adult's voice say "Nobody wants to be a junkie" with a picture of some guy who looked horrible and apparently addicted to narcotics.

When I saw that commercial I didn't think of the drug-addled guy, but instead I considered all of the other occupations that the kids didn't mention. In my imagination I could hear the serious voice say, "Nobody wants to be a door-to-door vacuum salesman." As they say, choose the work you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.

Are you happy in your career? Do you feel like your work helps people or is it just a way to make a paycheck? 

Obviously not everyone will think the way Meyer's uncle did. People all over the world work in jobs that are not fulfilling or satisfying. Meyer was lucky to have someone who gave him great advice early on, when he was young and without obligations. At that point it's easy to make a decision as to what you want your life to look like. 

I live in a location that is a vacation destination, and we have a lot of restaurants. In the summers, college students will come to town to work as servers in these eateries. They make good money in tips and love living at the beach. At the end of the summer, almost all go back to their school or hometown, but there are always a few who stay behind. 

When I go out to eat sometimes I will get the server, now in their 40's who came down to the beach one summer and never left. The hours, the decent pay and the location led that person decide that this was what made them happy. 

Too often we don't consider what makes us happy. We let others make those decisions for us. If selling makes you happy, go for it. I've seen many people take a stab at it only to walk away. That's fine. It's not for everyone, so be flexible, do an assessment of what does give you a sense of worth and satisfaction, and work toward your goal. And remember, you'll be dead longer than you'll be alive.

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.