So What Do You Like to Do?

I enjoy writing.  I enjoy reading.  The two go hand-in-hand.  Successful writers will tell you that they read more than they write.  It's just the nature of the beast.  One of the books I've been reading recently is Quitter by Jon Acuff.  I think it's a very appropriate book for  me to be reading now, as I'm facing the issue of future employment.  One of the comments Jon makes early in his book deals with trying to find out what it is that you really like to do.    There are all sorts of interest tests available on the internet that might give you some hints about what your strengths and interests are.  He makes the observation that most people have known for years what it is they love to do, but have forgotten what it is or have pushed it far into the background.  It's just a matter of becoming reacquainted with your passion.

I've taken some of those personal interest tests before.  The results are always the same; I should be a teacher or a writer.  Interestingly enough, I recently took a course on spiritual gifts.  This is not the first time I have studied spiritual gifts, but I felt that perhaps i needed to reacquaint myself with what the Bible had to say.  By the end of the course, the results were the same -- teaching topped the list.  No surprise, really.  If you're a teacher, you also spend a significant amount of time reading and writing . . . another "hand-in-hand" situation.

Back to Mr. Acuff's book -- he asks the question, "What are you willing to do for free?"  It's a rather straightforward question.  It's not really original -- school guidance counselors have been asking that question for years.  But sometimes we need to be reminded of things like that.  So . . . of all the things I've done in the past, of all the things I've dreamed of doing, which one(s) would I be willing to do for free?

Well, I'm writing this blog for free.  No one is paying me.  And in the process of writing this, I am providing "learning opportunities" to those who read it -- that is, I'm teaching -- for free.  When I started this blog, my motivation was mostly because I felt a need to express myself, to put my own thoughts down on paper, to create a personal journal about my experiences.  That I put in a blog format was secondary.  I wasn't really worried about having a wildly successful blog.   I was just doing it.  Writing for free.  The teaching aspect just came naturally.  In order to describe where I was going and what I was doing, I felt the need to provide some mini-courses about the Philippines.  I didn't think, "Hey, I should try to teach people."  I just did it.

I haven't finished Mr. Acuff's book yet -- I still have a long way to go.  The ultimate goal of the book, however, is to guide people into doing the kind of work they really want to do.  And yes, getting paid is one of the expected outcomes of doing that work.  The real question for me isn't "what" I will be doing, but under what conditions will I be doing it?  I've been doing some freelance work (please note the ad I placed on the right hand side of my blog), which has been okay, but so far it really hasn't produced a lot of significant work for me -- it's just been something to do to keep me busy.  I'm not working for free, but I'm not making the "big bucks" either.  It's not where I want to spend my energy when I come home from the Philippines.  It certainly doesn't involve much teaching.

Some closing notes:  I don't intend on "monetizing" my blog . . . that wasn't my purpose for starting it.  I added the "Freelancer.com" ad more to help others who might be looking for freelance work; however, it can generate a little income for me if people visit the Freelancer.com site.

Writing is work.  I didn't do a great job on yesterday's article -- I rushed it, and apparently it showed, as I had a comment from a reader regarding the quality of the writing.  My apologies, Leah . . . I will strive to do a better job.

I will get the chance to do a little teaching while I am in the Philippines . . . for free.  I'm looking forward to it.

Pag-ayo-ayo!

Scott