The Answer is in the Question.

There are a ton of websites and blogs offering all kinds of business advice, tips, resources, and news, but after scouring many of them, I’ve come away feeling rather unenlightened. Perhaps it’s because most of these sites are rooted in the assumption that you already know what it is you want to do. While it may sound odd, I actually think it is the prelude to that stage which warrants attention, advice, tips and resources. After all, you feel most vulnerable when the old internal compass is on the fritz. So, it seems strange that significantly more aid is directed to people who have intact navigational equipment. What about the millions of poor souls lost at sea?

Well, although it won’t level the field just yet, I do have a metaphorical life saver of sorts that I’m happy to toss your way. It may be alarmingly simplistic, but my best piece of advice is to research the back story of every business, organization, or individual that captures your imagination. Hell, you can find most of this information just by visiting the About Us pages. These blurbs often reveal the unique perspective, talents and priorities of those you admire most. Even more, as I have learned, within these stories lies the key to your own search for fulfillment. In almost every case, small business owners and successful individuals answered their own call. They created the very thing that they were searching for in the world around them.

This past fall, CBS’s Assignment America aired a story about Jack McShane, a 13 year old boy from New Orleans. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Jack was frustrated by the city-wide neglect of public parks which had once been centerpieces of the community. And so, he hauled out the family lawn mower and went to work, mowing the lawns of local parks every Saturday and Sunday. Slowly but surely, more volunteers showed up to help, and now The Mow-rons are a full fledged nonprofit organization.

As Jack’s story suggests, it doesn’t have to be a groundbreaking idea, in fact, it often isn’t. Just look around you. What are you searching for? What do you feel is missing? There is a reason that you sense that absence. Perhaps it is because you are supposed to fill it. And when you do, you’ll be able to pass your life saver on to the next castaway.

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