What To Do Next

The next day, Dave went out for a walk in the local park at lunchtime. The weather was good for this time of year, but Dave did not seem to notice. He had a lot on his mind. He had a job, but that was no longer enough. He was committed to taking control of his life. If he was to fulfill his commitment, his future would have to change. But he had no idea what to do next.

“What can I do?” Dave thought to himself. He thought of various types of businesses, but none of them seemed right. He also had no idea how to start a business.

He looked around the park as he continued to walk. The surroundings were beautiful, but they provided him with little inspiration to help him with his quest.

When he got back to his place of work, he could not seem to concentrate on work. He scanned the yellow pages for possible businesses and tried to imagine them as his business. Nothing seemed to jump out as ideal.

He also made lists of things he liked to do in his life. He remembered reading that some people turned their hobbies or interests into some sort of business.

The next week, Dave had lunch with Sue. The main topic of discussion was finding the right business.

“I feel kind of trapped," Dave said, "I know I have to do something, but I don’t know what. It all seems so unfamiliar to me.”

“That’s ok. You’re doing fine. You are conscious of the need to change. You’re ahead of many of your coworkers. You just need to take the next step,” said Sue.

“And that is?” asked Dave.

“We’re agreed that you need to change course. So far, you have let others decide that for you. Now you have to take control. Therefore, you need to take control of your life. It would be pretty pointless starting out without knowing where you’re headed.” Sue smiled.

“I get it. But how do I do that?”

 “You need to discover your purpose in life. And, you need to identify your values. A purpose answers the question “Why am I here?” and values identify what is important to you. Until you are clear on these, don't quit your day job.” Sue said.

Before they left the restaurant, Sue gave Dave a book to read and some worksheets to help him get started. Dave wrote down another note to himself: