Recently I was talking with a practice member about the apple orchard she works at during the fall. She mentioned that due to hail damage the harvest was going to be down substantially this year. I asked how that was going to affect the owner and the business. She said although it would mean a lot of lost revenue, the owner wasn’t worried about that. As a business owner myself, I wondered, “How can someone not be worried if her business is going to lose money for the year?”
She went on to explain that the owner was an 80 year old woman. At this point in her life, the apple orchard wasn’t a way to generate income, it was a way to express her passion and give her a sense of purpose. She could get rid of the apple orchard and leave herself plenty of free time to do whatever else she pleases. However, she chooses to continue working, operating, managing, and sharing her apples because that is what she wants for her life.
It seems like a very fortunate situation to be in. Not the fact that she was able to work or not work, but the fact that she was able to do what her heart called her to do.
As I’ve thought about my future, I’ve often pondered the idea of retirement (no I’m not hoping to retire by the time I’m 30…down the road of course). While I see myself stepping away from a full workload, I never picture myself fully “retiring.” If I love what I do and am doing what I love, I want to continue doing so. It is not a choice based on need, but rather a choice based on desire. If my heart calls out to continue, I’d much rather listen to that than the expected “normal.” I see no need to retire at 65 if it means I’d leave behind what I enjoy.
Currently, I love what I do. I love the fact that chiropractic can be used to open up peoples’ eyes to their true potential…to help bring out something that may have been left behind years ago. As people start to have more energy, think more clearly, improve their mood, and increase their vitality they open up to possibilities previously unseen.
So my challenge to you is to start to consider…what is your apple orchard? What would you love to do?
What would get you jumping out of bed each morning excited for the day ahead? What would allow you to feel filled with purpose each and every day? And perhaps most importantly, consider how you could get paid for doing what you love. While it may not mean you can leave your job in the next month, it may get the wheels turning just enough to start you moving in that direction. In that case you may not have to wait until you are 80 to find your orchard.
If the task seems big, how about starting smaller? How about planting a seed in the minds of your kids? Encourage them to seek and explore and be excited for the possibilities of doing what they love to do. It might even allow them the opportunity to not only find their apple orchard, but to spend their whole life there.