Monday, October 31, 2011

Find Your Lot in Life

I've been thinking about something deep and moving to blog about but nothing is stirring things up.  Although I did see an episode of NH Chronicle about some guy whose passion in life is fixing old fountain pens.  He said he is doing what he loves and people from all over send him fountain pens to make operable again.  He looked truly happy but I found myself feeling lucky that fixing fountain pens was not the thing on earth that I loved doing.
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http://www.nanepashemetboats.blogspot.com/
We've all heard the credo... Do what you love and the money will follow.  And there are plenty of examples of wealthy people who apparently are doing what they love.  But there does seem to be some sizable loopholes.
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As in...... how long does it take for the money to catch up with you while you are engrossed  in working at what makes you so happy.  I've made no bones about the fact that  I'd be thrilled to go through life buildng finely detailed cedar stripped wooden boats.  
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There is absolutely no doubt that these boats, which turn so many heads when I row through Marblehead Harbor, could reach a willing market.  But it would take a huge investment in marketing and production techniques to get these boats built at a price that the public would find desirable to purchase.  My one off boats that I have made would be wildly prohibitive in price because of the manhours involved.
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Unless I found an Angel who wanted to fund the venture at a loss for five years or so, there could be no real Nanepashemet Boat Company.  And you don't find these Angels hanging out at the Gerry Bar.  So while my love would be boatbuilding, my life for five years or so would be finding  investors, then keeping them happy.... a far cry from planing and sanding cedar hull planks.
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I guess I'm not willing to make the sacrifice to truly do what I love.
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Sometimes, though, what you love is right there in front of you and you don't even see it.
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I really love negotiating business deals, and Nanepashemet Telecom Site Acquisition  lets me do two or three lease agreements per month.  I love to build stuff from the ground up, and even though it is cold steel, Nanepashemet Telecom General Contracting gives me plenty of satisfaction in that regard.  I love being on the cutting edge of technology, and wireless is where it's at.
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So maybe I'm already doing what I love.  And the money has been following along as needed all along.  Although if a deep pockets Angel who wants to fund a startup classic boatbuilding buiness is reading this... please give me a call.

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