What is important in life? Simple things. Humor. Time with friends. Giving and service to others. Working hard in something you enjoy.

Why are these such difficult concepts to put into practice? Some of us are swept up our perception of how life should be lived. Some of us are susceptible to the image of the "great life" that we are supposed to create. Some of us are sure there is a secret to building great wealth which will finally make us happy. Just make enough money and buy enough stuff and lose enough weight and somehow magically happiness will follow.

All these myths are illusions that distract us from living the life that will make us happy....one full of everyday richness.

The first rule of being a pirate is to remember the ultimate goal...living a good live on the open seas.

There are more ways to build an NJO than you might think. Webinars, books, consulting, coaching, teaching, talks.....let me count the ways.

Dream the future. Walk in your truth. Believe in yourself. Live in the present. Embrace your fears. Live your passions well. Follow your deepest desires. Take risks and have adventures. Laugh and pray at sunrise. Say thank you at sunset. Howl at the moon...just for fun.

NJO next steps

The next step in establishing my no-job option (NJO) is to create income streams from my strengths, things I do naturally without effort. I am a natural teacher, but a bit over the syllabus and grading routine. I am a great coach and would like to take this to the next step. So, the next step is to find an online method to deliver workshops and private coaching sessions on executive and life coaching. This will allow me to reach a larger audience on how to pirate one's life.

How does anyone do this? Start with your strengths, with and things you are good at and do not consider work. How would you like to deliver this? In person, online, oversees, to children. There are numerous options. Now look for the many ways that you can connect the what with the how.

Your shadow reflects your true self and is the gateway to your deepest fears. Embrace your shadow as your ally and walk through the gateway of your fears. Your fears can guide you to your greatest strengths.

I learned years ago that no one can pay me enough to live with sandpaper on my soul. If I cannot leave a job yet, I can prepare for change.

If your job is making you sick it is time to rethink what your life is about. Even in interesting times there are options. Even when it seems that there is no way for you to improve your life, there are options.

Start by remembering that we always can choose how we interpret or respond to an event. Security comes from the inside, from the way we approach a problem, not from a pay check. Yes, we need to have enough to pay bills and live, but we can choose how we respond to the situation and that is our inner security.

When I am upset at work I remind myself that my job is really to come in, focus on my work, smile, be nice, and then to go home to my real life. When work consumes me it means that I have walked away from my real life, my inner spiritual life.

When I remember that my emotions are there to guide me and that my life is about my choices, I am able to pirate my life well.

NJO

I have been thinking more and more about the NJO, or no job option. Most of my time is spent helping students plan for the future, which includes career advice. Recently I am hearing about how they feel trapped in jobs that are making them sick because of the economy. I tell them that our minds our never trapped. We can choose the freedom of thinking differently, approaching something differently, and trying something differently. We can choose to be happy.

This might mean treating a job more like a job and less like the focus of life. This might mean starting to build other income streams so that we are prepared for capricious shifts in the economy or our jobs. This could also mean finally pursing something we love, even just as a hobby, so that new doors can open for us.

Pirates know that there is always a way...maybe not the tried and true, predictable, expected way, or the way we were taught....but there is always a way.

Everything can be taken from us but one thing, the last of the human freedoms:to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances. VF

Pirates were the corporate innovators of their time. The song of the sea and the wind taught them how to live in the moment of destiny.

Small positive actions taken on a regular basis are more effective than any intentions. Actually donating one cent daily can be powerful.

Two days sailing in lake Dillon reminds how important listening is. We sail by listening and feeling the wind and waves, not by thinking.

A recession proof career for the future: transition specialist. A project manager helping people move to next stage of life such as seniors.