Will the Money Really Follow?

Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow is the title of Marsha Sinetar’s bestseller. Her main concept expressed in the title is very appealing. However, already on the first pages of her very inspiring book, Marsha admits that if you do what you love, the money may follow only after along period of struggle and deprivation. In some instances, Marsha Sinetar acknowledges, even if you do what you love, money will never follow. Unfortunately, Marsha’s Do What You Love principle did not work for me. Nor did it work for most of my clients, students, teachers and associates.

Eventually, I discovered in history books that many world-renown geniuses frequently could not generate sufficient income by doing what they loved. The list of these geniuses include Albert Einstein, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln.

The reason that Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow does not work for most people is that for the majority of us the Midas Touch has no correlation to our greatest talents. If you belong to this sizable majority, your talents will not put bread on the table, and you may have to do something unrelated to what you are best at.

A few exceptional individuals would follow their dreams regardless of financial rewards. Lack of money cannot stop them, poverty does not frighten them, and even half starved, they still manifest their highest potential in creating masterpieces that humanity may recognize only after their death. How can they do this, and is it really worth it? To answer these questions, I have written a book, Discover and Live Your Destiny, available on my website. Here is some of its content relevant to our current discussion on money.

Destiny

We all are born with enormous creative potential. This potential is unique for each of us and is predetermined from birth. Under normal circumstances, your potential is dormant. Its rare manifestations are usually very brief. The only way to awaken and manifest this potential is by living your destiny, which is a life path that allows you to express your innate talents fully. By living your destiny you accomplish your unique mission in life.

Gifts of Destiny

The price of living your Destiny is high: superhuman efforts, huge risk and, frequently, deprivation. What then makes people like Mozart, Van Gogh and Che Guevara choose destiny with all its monumental problems that may also include poverty? The rewards of destiny are enormous: a life of purpose, personal freedom and sense of fulfillment. Living your destiny just feels good. Sometimes very good, even euphoric. Problems and obstacles, even disasters, are perceived as opportunities. Moral dilemmas do not linger. They get resolved through actions. Astounding life transformations take place rapidly. And these transformations are usually positive and irreversible.

Destiny and Money

The relationship between destiny and money is illustrated in Star Wars through its main character, Luke Skywalker. In the films, he volunteers for the most dangerous missions, risking his life daily. Young Skywalker has no need for recognition. Concerns about financial rewards do not even enter his mind. Luke does not receive any salary for risking his life. Nevertheless, he is never without food, clothing or shelter. The best training, the fastest transportation and the most advance medical care in the galaxy are available to him free of charge. All his expenses are paid by the Rebel Alliance, New Republic, or Princess Leia.

A few daring souls may choose to follow Luke Skywalker and live their destiny like him, disregarding all financial concerns. For them, destiny will become a reward in itself. However, since destiny rarely produces substantial financial gains, you may have to rely on other sources of income, outside of your chosen life path. High expectations of recognition or money may significantly slow your progress on the path of destiny. Life will always provide you with what you need to accomplish your mission, which always includes bare necessities, but rarely luxuries or comfort.

Here is the unfortunate truth: If you want to live your destiny, and at the same time have luxury and comfort, then destiny may not be enough for you. Paraphrasing Marsha Sinetar, do what you love, but discover your Midas Touch and use it to make the money follow. How this can be done is discussed in my books, Psychology of Money and Psychology of Investing.