Hey Moguls, Steve Cook here…
This is a really tough question for most people to answer, but an important one.
Who would ever have thought that answering this kind of question would be difficult? Many have the canned answers that they hear so many others say such as “spending time with my kids,” or “being with family.”
While these are both good things, most people have given very little thought to it, and they more than likely don’t actively pursue it. Still others say helping people or “pulling off a great real estate deal” brings them joy – there are many things that we can come up with, but few have ever taken the time to really nail down an answer to this question.
As someone who has done a lot of real estate deals for almost 2 decades now, I can tell you that there was a time when the thrill of the deal brought excitement and joy, but it no longer does. I just go through the motions now. Even the deals that I did way back in the beginning of my investing career, which brought tremendous joy, no longer bring joy when I think about them.
There was a time…
However, when I’ve been able to reach out into someone’s life and see the positive changes that they make, I get very excited.
Most people who know me well, know of my deep Christian faith. And I can think back to the time that I shared my story with others, and how Jesus came into my life and flipped everything upside down, and to share how Jesus can change their lives as well.
When I think back to the people whose lives were positively impacted by these events, I still get the same feelings of joy as if it just happened. No real estate deal could ever take the place of allowing my life and experiences to be used to bring life to someone else.
I don’t take credit for the changes in the lives of others, but I do take joy in being privileged enough to be the instrument (or one of the instruments) that opened their eyes to greater things.
I also experience great joy in serving others.
Whether it’s going down to the homeless shelter to cook and serve a meal or go on a missions trip to give of my time toward helping to make someone else’s life better...
The memories that I have from doing such things continue to bring joy years after the fact.
Why don’t we pursue joyful things?
I’ve questioned many people who also share the same feelings as I do
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Why don’t we pursue the things that bring us joy all of the time?
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Why don’t we share the more meaningful things of life and faith every day with someone and experience that joy day in and day out?
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Why don’t we serve others physically every day?
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Why don’t we give our all every day?
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Why do these events that bring joy into our lives need to be so spread out and sporadic?
Because we choose for it to be that way.
Lay down your ambitions…
Living a life of joy through serving, means that you have to lay down your own ambitions.
After pursuing your own ambitions for a while, you may realize the futility in doing so, but you are stuck and find it difficult to pursue what does bring joy into your life. Bringing joy into your life needs to be intentional. It starts with knowing what brings you joy, and then secondly you have to do it.
I’ve been asked lately why I’m doing the things that I do regarding real estate, particularly about my change in direction from doing a ton of deals, to taking my teaching to a coaching level. It all has to do with my desire to pour my life into people…
I’m currently in the process of giving away much of what I have and working on freeing myself to be available to serve. Contrary to what the world believes, a lot of money and assets has not been freeing in my life, instead it has been a burden that I’ve had to manage, to the point where thinking about it and taking care of it has robbed me of pursuing what brings real joy into my life.
It’s my hearts deepest desire to be free so that I can do more of what brings me real joy. And the desire is so strong that I’m willing to go contrary to what the world believes and give it all away so that I can be free to have life.
More than anything I just want to challenge you to think about this for a while… and I really want to circle back to this lesson’s title: What brings you joy?
Get honest with yourself, really ask at a gut level, beyond the cliché answers …what truly brings you joy? Maybe it’s some of the things that I’ve mentioned here, maybe it’s other things…
Why don’t we focus on those things first?
I’ve said this before – never has anyone on their death bed ever looked back and wished they could have done more of the things that didn’t bring them joy or wished they’d done more work or wished they’d spent less time with their family or made less of an impact or left less of a legacy…
These are the things that tend to bring us more joy than anything. Why don’t we prioritize those things?
What can you add?
So, what brings you joy? What has this lesson made you think about? Share with us below.
Challenge yourself to think about the important things in your life.
Prioritize and pursue the things that bring you the most joy.
Leave behind the things that aren’t bringing you joy.
Steve Cook
was a nationally recognized real estate investing educator, author and real estate investor, prior to teaching Lifeonaire life coaching system. Today he is regarded as "The Coaches' Coach." Many of the people who have been coached by Steve have become coaches themselves, eager to share what they have learned with others.