In my last post; No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!, I wrote about Mark de Fraine and his Turks and Caicos Islands water sports charter business Wake to Wake Watersports, and how he and his partner created it. Related to this, in my blog posts, I give each a category that they fall under and these categories reference those traits, principles or perspectives, etc., that I find we all need to have within ourselves or view the world from, in order to live a ‘fun’ancially fulfilling life.
These traits, principles, perspectives and such are adaptability, authenticity, maturity, objectivity, productivity, reality, responsibility and tenacity. I find that my posts, when boiled down, so to speak, can be given at least one of these categories that the post applies to, refers to, or demonstrates.
It wasn’t until I wrote and reflected upon Mark and his Wake to Wake Watersports success story, that I realized that although he had demonstrated that he possessed and had clearly leaned into some, most or all of the components I refer to above, there was something else featured in his journey. Something relating to the fact that, in his story, one can see that he was, slowly but surely, answering his calling.
When I wanted to apply a category to his story, I wasn’t fully convinced that any of the ones I had been using up to the point of its writing captured the essence of what trait or acknowledgement was being made in it. For example, Mark had surely shown a capacity for responsibility and productivity in building his business and, over the global Covid-19 pandemic – and the obvious loss of business on a multitude of fronts that accompanied it – surely accepted the reality of the situation. Looking at it objectively, and no doubt maturely, he surely adapted to it. Furthermore, the fact that such a young business was able to survive this loss of so many paying customers clearly showed his and his partner’s tenacity.
Having said that, I knew that there was something else at play here, and it was something that I have come to realize is very important for anyone looking to thrive in the First World – not just survive in it. After spending some time pondering and dwelling on it, it came to me. To be ‘fun’ancially fulfilled, one needs to determine if they can monetize their calling, and then if so, figure out exactly how.
A “calling” can be described in many ways. For example, the dictionary defines it as “a strong urge toward a particular way of life or career; a vocation.” A synonym for it is “mission”. Many refer to it as “one’s reason for getting out of bed” or “what gets you going and keeps you going”. In the mid-350’s B.C., even Aristotle weighed in on it, referencing it accordingly in the greek terms “telos” and “eudaimonia”
In a January 2020 post written by Lucy Dayman on her Savvy Tokyo website titled Ikigai: The Japanese Concept Of Finding Purpose In Life And How This Age-Old Ideology Can Help You Find Happiness, she writes that “ikigai” – a Japanese word – “is the key to finding your purpose, or value, in life”. In my understanding of what she wrote, I feel that the best way to really encapsulate the overarching ideology of ikigai is when considering four main criteria, namely, what you are good at, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you enjoy doing.
Where these four criteria intersect, is where you will almost certainly find your calling. Having said that, if you have three of the four locked up, but cannot see how your potential calling is something that you can get paid for, this is still a good thing. Assuming that it is not illegal and/or immoral, it still is something that is almost certainly worth pursuing as a vocation as it will, again, give you a reason to look forward to each and every day. In addition, the more you cultivate it, the more it may have a chance to be monetized and perhaps, ultimately become your occupation.
At the very least, having something that your current circumstances allow you to participate in, that you are good at, that you enjoy doing, perhaps one day may be what the First World needs and allows you to “make more monie” from, is surely worth getting out of bed everyday for, isn’t it?
Disclaimer: The information contained herein should not be construed or considered professional advice. Nonetheless, thanks for reading! If it resonates, there’s “plenty more where that came from” on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X ‘n’ YouTube.