Creating Value

Often, I frequently read the blog Get Rich Slowly which offers personal finance advice. As a long time reader, I've come to realize personal finance is about choices-most importantly life choices. One article on Get Rich Slowly, entitled "Giving to Receive: What Legacy Will You Leave?" emphasized a corner stone of long-term sucess:

"the best way for me to get ahead in life — financially or otherwise — is to constantly provide value to others."
~Tyler Tervooren, GRS guest post

Speaking for myself, I am a fairly young professional looking for something worthy of my time and energy. Ideally, something which energizes with an empassioned sense of purpose.

But how to we take the steps away from just having a job for a paycheck and towards making a living (maybe eventually more than a living) while pursuing something which we feel has purpose (if even just for ourselves). Is it naive to think these two seemingly competing needs can synergize into a meaningful career? I think, at first, it only sounds naive, but when carefully considered it is not. When an idea creates value for others and aligns with a passion; perhaps that intersection is the is the best chance of long-term success.

For those with a seemingly incalculable number of ideas, how do we know which ideas to ignore and those to devote our finite time to. When you consider the concept of creating value for others, then the out-of-focus, vague ideas seem to come into focus.

Personally, I love ideas, no matter how simple or complex (simple is often better). I love talking to people about their ideas and my own. Everyday I come up with at least ten different ideas. I would love a career where I could just talk ideas all day. The whole process of bringing those intangible and vague notions into a tangible form is fascinating. I often watch the behind the scenes information on DVDs, read about different entreprenuers and emerging businesses just to feel the excitement around ideas coming into existence. But more importantly who does this passion of mine create value for? Perhaps, the answer is the key which can open doors for an energizing career.

What do you think?