It's been a long time...

This, my personal blog, has been neglected. Perhaps I've been too busy. Perhaps I've been too business. Perhaps I've been offline having fun instead of writing. Whatever the reason. I'm here....

I do frequently let people know that I have a personal blog. Interesting that even in saying that I haven't been drawn to write. The instigator for this post was seeing words to the effect:

Don't spend so much time making a living that you forget to make a life....

And THAT is something I believe in.

A friend of mine has recently been offered a job. A highly lucrative job. One that has been so tempting that it prompted her to her resign from her own business and consider several employment options.

That situation got me to thinking about the choices I've made over the past 9 years.... 9 years I've been unemployed. No boss. No employees. Just me, myself, and I. Running a business or two as I go, but nonetheless, unemployed.

I love it.

The lucrative jobs are out there and I know I could do them. I know I'd be great at them. I know I'd be able to use the knowledge I've gained over the past 9 years, add the knowledge I gained in my corporate life before that, and add in a few classes, some street knowledge, and barre chords, and I'd be a pretty hot property. :)

But I'd be an employee. And that, my friends is something I don't every want to be again.

Master of my domain is what I want to be. It's what I've come to expect. My day is my own to strategise, network, train, develop, serve, create, improve, or relax as I see fit. My vacation days are plentiful. My work days are full and exhausting. My schedule is flexible, yet full to the brim, because I like it that way.

A four day weekend, like the one I'm enjoying right now, is actually somewhat frustrating. I woke up several times this morning (day 4 of 4) and had to do lists forming, presentations being rehearsed in my head, new songs longing for more opportunities to play, and ideas for creating new business.... Here, on my day off, I'm organising my home office to be ready when tomorrow comes.

In actuality, I'm working as hard as I ever have, and, honestly, though I could be making more money... perhaps a lot more.... I couldn't imagine taking up any offer. Money isn't everything. And life is short.

It's a great life. Once I realised that making it a great life was more important than making a living. That I work to live, not live to work. That I can choose to focus on what is important to me. And choose that, I have.

Don't spend so much time making a living that you forget to make a life....