Have you ever asked yourself what your dream job is?

This is one of my favorite topics. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had this discussion with people who work a job they really don’t like, who see working as simply a way to make an income and pay the bills. Do you know what I ask everyone who tells me that nothing about their job fills them with passion, everyone who says to me, “But it’s just a job”? I ask everyone what it is that they love to do, because if you figure that out, there’s always a way to monetize your passion. I’m living proof that it’s possible.

Ask yourself this: What is your unique gift? Everyone out there has one. The problem is that most people don’t understand their worth, and they give so much away for free or surround themselves with people who believe that what they have to offer can’t be monetized. If you haven’t figured out what your gift is and how to monetize it, here is a clue: What you are meant to do is connected to what you loved to do when you were between the ages of seven and fourteen. You know who I learned this from? Marissa Peer. When I heard this, I had this “aha” moment, because even though I am now living and doing my dream job, making a really decent income that supports my family, it took me landing in one of the toughest times of my life to discover it.

You know what the “aha” moment was? When I was in grade two at the age of eight, I had such a passion for reading and writing stories, lots of them, and I was so passionate about it that I took one of the stories to my teacher and gave it to her. You know what? She had absolutely no interest whatsoever in what I had done outside of school, and she even went so far as to laugh at me and leave me feeling as if what I had done was absolute drivel. It crushed me. Did I come from a family that supported and encouraged me, one I could share this kind of passion with? No, I did not. I’m not saying this to criticize them. They just didn’t know how to inspire, encourage, and praise me, because they had never learned it.

So think back to your childhood, and you may get a clue. Something may have happened to you, or maybe a parent, teacher, family member, or someone else yanked your dream from you. Maybe you were told to be realistic, told you can’t make an income doing that, or maybe you were laughed at and ridiculed. I’m here to tell you not to listen to that voice or whoever it was who said that to you and left you believing that you have to do something you hate to make an income. We now live in a society and time where people pay for things that make them feel good. You know, people pay for designer brands, specialty coffees, body art, etc. Look at some of the things you buy. Are they things you absolutely have to have, or are they things that make you feel good?

Look at the changes in the world today. Who would have thought people could make money through online gaming, just playing cards at home? Or take the example of Spanx, which are marketable simply because they make women feel slender and as if they look like a million bucks in that form-fitting dress. We even have robotic vacuums! People are very willing to spend money, and a lot of money, on things that make them feel good. Even during times of war, women still spent money on their hair. Having your hair done makes you feel good. Look at the specialty coffee houses, where people spend a fortune on these coffees every day when they could just make it at home and pack it in a go mug.

We buy things that make us feel good. Think again of your skill, your talent, your calling, and how you can monetize it. You do have a skill you can monetize, everyone does, and that skill you have can also inspire others. Before you say yes, you do, but you can’t make money at it, I’m here to tell you that you can, because I’ve done it. As I’ve learned this year, I am one of few authors who actually earn a full-time decent income from writing. Many have not been able to give up their day jobs because the marketing aspect of publishing has become more and more difficult. You have to have the confidence, the ambition, the mindset to believe in yourself, to push ahead. Look at what you can create that will make people feel good There’s always something someone wants. This is why people buy designer brands when they could just go to a discount store and buy bargain brands that are practical.

Find a way to give yourself that same feeling. The top ten percent in any field are never, ever unemployed, and you can be one of them.

Your mind is set up to be asked questions, so ask! What could I do to use my talents and create immense wealth? What could I do to inspire others? Ask it over and over again, because you should be doing what you love. Never, ever go into a career just because someone told you that you could make a lot of money or that working a job you hate is the only way to make an income.

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