Living Instead of Working: My Interview With Jonathan Mead

Due to the current economic situation, more and more people are being laid off from their jobs. Unemployment rates in America are the highest they have been in a very long time. Many are trying to find work yet despite all of this, I have come to notice that more and more people are talking about making a change when it comes to their careers.

I grew up in a house where my dad loved his job. He used to tell me that he would do it for free and was always amazed when he got money for the work he did. My mother, on the other hand, did not love her job but she loved what it allowed her to do. I always used to think how I would love to feel about my career the way that my dad did.

For years, I struggled with this whole career issue. My passion has always been writing but I had tremendous resistance from family so I did not go down that path as a full time career. I always kept writing on the side and did all kinds of other jobs to pay the bills.

 

 

Recently, I have come to see that I am getting tired of this old way of living and I want to merge the two. I want to earn a living doing what I love. I am not alone in this anymore. More and more people want to do what they love. Maybe one of the hidden blessings of the economic crisis is that the situation is forcing people to re-evaluate. Maybe now more of us will do what we love as opposed to just doing it to pay the bills.

With all of this in mind, I decided to contact a fellow blogger, Jonathan Mead to share his thoughts about the whole issue. Jonathan’s focus as a blogger is to help more and more people make a living doing what they love.

Here is what we talked about:

What prompted you to start your blog?

I started my blog because I wanted an outlet to share my thoughts on self-development and provide a different take than the typical approach. I would often roll my eyes at how cheesy some personal development blogs and books seemed. Their message was good, it was just that their delivery doesn’t speak to certain people. I wanted to speak to those people that conventional self-help authors miss.

Was your original intention to be known for wanting to help people have a job that they love? If not, how did this new direction come into existence?

It’s always been my goal to do what I love for a living, so to be involved in a project that helps others do the same was a natural fit for me. This wasn’t my goal originally, and teaching people how to make a living doing what they love, is not my primary aim with what I teach. Self-development is still the main focus, but purpose and career is an integral part of that, so it’s all really intertwined.

As a result of the economy, more and more people are thinking of new ways to make money. So there is definitely a shift in perception regarding the future of work. How do you see the whole concept of “work”? How do you envision the future?

I think the major shift will happen when people realize that it is much more practical do something you enjoy for a living. Motivation and excellence is an automatic side-effect of being passionate about your work, so it’s much easier to reach the top of your game this way. And when you’re at the top of your game and can provide tons of value to others, you put yourself in high demand.

As far as whether more people will work for themselves, that seems to be the trend as well. But I think there will always be a certain percentage of people that would rather be employed. Running your own business involves a lot more responsibility and attention to detail, not everyone is cut out for it.

How do you define “work”?

That’s a really interesting question, because that’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. Honestly, I’m not sure I can answer that question because the whole concept of what’s “work” and what’s “not work,” has been getting really fuzzy for me lately. Work in the traditional sense is how you earn your living, pay the bills, and contribute to society. But the idea that work and play are separate and distinct, that concept is falling away from me. Ultimately, what you really want is to not be able to tell your labor and your leisure apart, right?

I know you are a believer in doing something that you are passionate about, how did you find your passion and what is your advice for those who have no idea what it is that fills their hearts with joy?

I found my passion the same way everyone else does, by listening to my heart. But that’s not always the easiest thing to do when you have a lot of useless beliefs about what you “should” be doing and what is practical. So the best advice I can give is to give yourself permission to be passionate. If you don’t think you’re worthy or deserving of having passion for what you do, you will always have a reason for not finding your passion. But when you feel that you are entitled to being passionate about what you do, then opportunities and possibilities will start being manifested to you.

 

 

You recently started Project Mojave. Can you share what it is and if you will be taking new people sometime soon?

Project Mojave is basically a university of sorts for people wanting to break free from dead-end jobs and work for themselves. We teach people how to create a “freedom business” that is easily automated and allows you greater latitude in your life.

We will be taking new people soon, but I don’t have the exact details at the moment. The best thing you can do is go to Project Mojave and enter your email address. You’ll be updated as soon as there is more information on when the next enrollment will begin.

As you know, I am a vegan and into raw food, how is the journey going for you? Has it made any difference in how you see life and if so, what is the difference?

It’s been really great for me. I started out really excited and went into eating raw 100% at the beginning of the year. Since then, I’ve eased into a more 80% raw diet to simplify things a bit more for me.

It has definitely had an impact on the way I relate to food. Eating raw makes you more aware of the life and energy of your food. And I think it really makes you take a hard look at your relationship to food as well. Eating raw is all about relating to food as fuel and nourishment for the body. With much of cooked, processed foods, our relationship with our food is more addictive and unhealthy.

What would you consider your motto or philosophy for life/living?

My philosophy is to follow what makes you come alive. To do that, we have to ruthlessly pursue our own internal liberation. When we feel inhibited, we can see that we’ve placed some arbitrary limit on ourselves. When we recognize this, it’s a sign that we need to pay close attention. Why are we limited? Is this a real limit, or is it imagined and self-imposed?

So I guess you could say my philosophy in life is to live without limits. I like the taste of freedom.

To find out more about Jonathan Mead, visit his blog Illuminated Mind. He is also a regular contributor at Zen Habits. Special thanks to Jonathan for taking the time to talk to me.

Note: To read more about the reasons behind my new schedule change, click here.

Other Articles that Might Inspire You::

• William Shakespeare & The First Step to Becoming Extraordinary
• War, Love, The Allure of Travel and “The Lotus Eaters”
• Passion…It’s A Way of Life
• Forget About Mission Statements…What’s Your Creed?
• Project Revealed: Welcome to the Launch of Happy Lotus Lifestyles, LLC