I would like to write this article to encourage you to find work doing what you love. One of the keys to a happy life is job satisfaction and this comes from doing something you enjoy. As Steve Jobs CEO of Apple Computer says "the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven"t found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it” (Stanford Report, June 14, 2005).

Everyone is good at something; you just have to find it. Here are a few tips to help you find that special talent and how to engage it.

Everyone is born with a natural talent and/or a passion.

Thanks to the intrinsic design of DNA, we all have something special to offer the world. Our unique set of traits determines our strengths and weaknesses thus providing us with a range natural talents and skills. These natural talents may be tangible like fixing things or intangible such as problem solving. It can be something as simple as organizing files to something more complicated such as fixing computers. Either way, they are there and should be used to improve your life and the lives of those around you.

Finding your natural talent

1. One great way to find your talent is by writing down all the things that you enjoy doing. Maybe it was something you loved doing at school or as a child but haven't done in a while. Or perhaps it's something you find your self doing whenever you have spare time. Once you a list, circle 2 or 3 that stand out from the rest. You know when you have found something you enjoy when the simple thought if it makes you smile.
2. Another great way is to ask your friends and family what they think you are naturally good at. Commonly people over look their natural talents as they can't see them for what they are. They have spent so many years doing and comes so naturally to them that it is seen as "normal" or "common". What you are naturally good at may be a hard task for someone else. So ask your friends to list a few things that they think you are good at.

Things that stop people perusing their natural talents and passions:

One of the top reasons for not pursuing something is fear. Some of these include:

• Fear of failure (don't want to be laughed, embarrassed or shamed)
• Fear that being rich turns you into an arrogant and selfish person (only if you want it to)
• Fear that you aren't good enough (low self esteem and self confidence)
• Fear that you don't deserve to be successful (none of my friends and family are so why do I deserve to be)
• That the world is a cold place and you will not find the support you need (you have to believe in yourself first before anyone else will)

Once you have found your talent:

Once you have found something you are good at, you then need to explore your options.

The first thing you may focus on is the list of possible jobs and careers that require those skills. There are plenty of career expos and job agencies that are happy to work with you to find that special job. There might even be that perfect job out there for you that you haven't didn't even know existed.

You may wish to strengthen or perfect your natural talent by developing more skills in that particular area. This could include going back to school, completing short courses or any other training available. It is a good idea to search the internet or look over some of the subjects offered at your local university.

Finally, you need to find a way to make a living from using your talent. Your natural talent and/or passion may lead you directly into a profitable line of work or you may have to innovate and create ways of making money doing what you love. Explore and research your area of skills and find out what is the best way to earn from it.

Doing the work you love is about spending time doing something that makes you happy. You need to find the things you love doing and incorporate that love into your working life. Life is about quality and having a job that satisfies you is one of the important factors that add to that quality. So the saying goes "Good things take time". Be patient and don't give up.

Actual motivation means confronting and overcoming your doubts before coming to the fulfillment of your dreams. Your motivation has to span before, during & after you have started your business if you are able to accomplish this, you will be on your way to success and far away from the thousands of failed or bankrupt small business owners.

To conquer your doubts, you need not only to be motivated but to possess a realistic business idea before jumping into it.

Sources of Business Ideas

One better way to identify a business opportunity is by observation. Your ability, to observe the environment in which you live, and thinking through what you see, hears, smell, touch or feel, then you will be able to see Business opportunities staring & mocking at your Door. This can not be seen by an untrained eye. A Good Business Target could be an invention, of new product, services, an old idea or solutions. For example.

1. A Business Related to the Work You Do

   Your business idea may be an experience you had, or that which is related to the work you are doing or have done in the past and such experience can give you opportunity to Launch into an existing market.
   
   This is one easy way of getting into a Business since you already know you're Customers, Clients and how to locate them.

2. You Can Fill a Gap in the Market

   The word gap means a need or wants not satisfied in the market or service when ever there is such a need or wants then business opportunity exists, and unless a business fills a gap it can never succeed and I want to let you know that there are lots of Gaps waiting to be filled in the labour market. So, once you have identified a market gap, formulate a plan of action to acquire the opportunity with better timing.

3. Poor Delivery of Services or Products

   Your own business idea may be your ability to improve the quality of a product or service in the labour market. If you can find a solution people will be willing to pay for it. Try to find out what people dislike and complain about. For example, problem of business people, house wives, working wives, professionals, in relative to the existing Goods & Services.

4. Taking an Interest or a Hobby as a Business

   Talents or hobbies can serve as a Better source of a business idea. Take a look on what you enjoy doing and how it can satisfy human needs or want. An interest in entertainment, academics or sport etc can be a very Good Business Opportunity.

5. Technological Advancement

   As a result of introduction of new Technology such as internet, GSM and other service provider, you can then provide services that can fill this gaps created by the advancement of this Technological Business Opportunities.

6. High Price On Products and Services

   By observation and research you can find out whether a particular product or service is being over priced. And if you can provide such products or services to the market at a reduced price with a Good Quality, then you have a business opportunity.

7. Monopoly

   Your ability to discover a Monopoly in a market if not protected by law, you can establish a competitive products or services, as your business opportunity.

8. Adaptation or Imitation

   You may Borrow an idea from an existing products or services that already have a market, and then create a competitive products and services for them.

9. Invention of Product or Service

   Your Good Business Idea may be creating unexisting products or services to fill market gaps by using a new method that no one has ever implemented.

10. Failure of a Product or Service

    Failure of products and services may be as a result of so many reasons. But if you can identify why they failed irrespective of its available market. If you can provide a solution to that, then you are already setting up a business opportunity. Which ever idea one may have, insure that it fits your needs as an individual but it should not be far from Business proposals.

Questions You Need to Ask Yourself

Am I Ready?

Am I ready to be self-employed? Every one will likely answer yes, but insure that your yes is an honest ''yes'' before beginning your journey to entrepreneurship.It may be better for you to say that you are not ready, that starting a business that is too big for you to handle , at a certain stage. But if you know that you are not ready, take time & analyse it and take creative measure, you may need to do more research and planning or if you lack finance you find a way to look for money. In sure that you confront whatever situation on ground in Time. Avoiding, an External and Internal distraction which prevents you from devoting time to your business.

Your friends & family members may complain of not seeing progress at the initial stage, you must be prepared for this particular challenger more then others because it is a natural problem.

Do I Have the Starting Power?

Initially, you will have very hectic & frustrating time starting your own business since selling of your products and services, with delivery to your customers' satisfaction and maintaining the momentum of your start-up is concern.

So you might be required to put in twelve to Fourteen hours a day, seven days a week and such self sacrifice must be endured for any period it takes you to be successful. And must strive for more success, this is all about starting power.

Any one who can change, adapt and work hand will be successful, while those who can not will work for others for the rest of their life time.

Am I Prepared to Compete and Stand Out in the Market?

Different kinds of business fail from the first stage or few years after starting because of ignorance inexperience and carelessness, it is better to know the odds and planning against them is the some way to compete.

You should be using Handwork and persistence, timing, initiative, pricing product marketing, Economic situation, Favour and Luck are some of the factors that keeps every business. However, a failing economy, poor product or service, a saturated market place, lack of finance inexperience, or lack of demand, even personal problems any threaten the survival of a Business.

With this you should reveal whether you are ready to think about your own business structure or not.

Just as there are a million different ways to get to Rome, there are a million different ways to become financially free.

I have always been interested in MLM and Network Marketing and always run into people who like to tell me, it's a pyramid scheme, only the people on the top make the money and whatever else those “nay Sayers” like to throw out there to justify their failures and doubts. I don't really listen much to peoples opinions, because most of these people will also tell you that life is unfair and you have to work hard to earn a living; when you mention financial freedom, they'll go “what's that?” That's something that was designed for the rich…well; I don't need to continue on because these are the people who are poison to those who want to advance. They mean well, I'm sure.

I realized that most of these people are broke. They don't take risks, they play small, and they are victims to circumstances. They blame and complain. When they run into an opportunity, they see someone else trying to get them for their money. Why is that?

We were taught to have a job, to go to work, provide, take one week vacation a year and probably sit around the house, fixing the roof, because money is tight and that's the way it is. Great life isn't it? Not so much.

What's my point? I've known so many people like those. My family. I am pretty open minded; I've tried a few MLMs. Yes, I just “tried” I didn't do it. I didn't follow through with it. I failed miserably quite a few times. It didn't work for me. One day I sat down and took a real good look at what I'm actually doing and why I am where I am. And boom. It hit me. I didn't care about the product. I wanted to make money. Yesterday! Fast! Now! My heart wasn't in it. I am a musician, what am I doing selling life insurance?

I enrolled my friends, people who are just like me. I surrounded myself with people just like me, broke, frustrated and skeptical, looking for the quick fix. I took a break and gently asked the universe to give me a sign. A new opportunity. I opened my e-mail and a guy I met a while back at the Millionaire Mind Intensive send me an e-mail saying “call me” with his number. My “programs” (old beliefs) told me, it's not you, another thing you'll fail at, don't do that again, you're not good at this. Just a waste of money and time. Great story isn't it? What did that story do for me in the past?

Let's see? It got me nowhere. I'm exactly where I was a year ago. My friend who got me into one of the MLM companies is doing fantastic. I could've been there, but I am not. And that's okay. The product wasn't resonating with me. I decided to be open minded and approach it through a different pair of lenses.

I realized, all the times before I always thought about one thing and one thing only. Money! I need to make money, not in a year, now! I didn't really like the product, but I thought I could Sell It. Yet I didn't.

I checked out the new opportunity and really liked everything about it. I decided to not try but do it this time around. Here's something that made all the difference.

1. I didn't approach any of the people I've approached in the past
2. I found something I'm truly passionate about
3. I'm being about helping others first and see the money as an extra bonus
4. I challenge myself to do things different
5. I am following a system a plan
6. I'm going one step at a time instead of trying to skip a few trying to race to the top

I think a lot of times we stop ourselves because we don't see how it is possible for us. It seems too big, too complicated, and too scary. Yes, only when we are uncomfortable is when we are growing. I dare you too, to do something different.

Sometimes people would come into my office with definite business ideas, while others were seeking assistance to determine what type of business they should explore. Some arrived with great business management skills while others had little or none at all. Some were open to suggestions and ideas, while others were opposed to any form of guidance. All of them, however, had one thing in common - a dream.

On an April, 2007 Oprah television show, Oprah brought in guests who had managed to turn their dream ideas into successful businesses. She featured true American success stories like: Diane Warren, one of most highly successful song writers of this generation; Liz Lange who built an empire on “wearable” maternity wear; and Jonathan Adler from Bravo TV's “Top Design” who abandoned a good paying job to pursue his passion for making pottery, which is now features in many trendy boutiques and stores nationwide.

All of these guests had one thing in common - - family and friends that actually tried to discourage them along their journey and a burning desire to succeed no matter the odds.

Using Russell Simon's and Chris Morrow's book Do You, as the back drop, the television show talked about how individuals who are interested in following their own pathways should rely heavily on their inner “passion.” I wholeheartedly concur!

I used to see about 75-100 people per week who were seeking to start their own small business. Most of them came in to my office believing that they had wonderful ideas. Some were for businesses that they merely “thought” would work, for one reason or another. Others were eager to start businesses for which they had an innate passion. Can you guess which group tended to be most successful? You would be correct if you guessed the group that had a true passion for their business idea.

Like Diane Warren, Liz Lange, and Jonathan Adler, these people yearned to build something that would, in essence, be an extension of who they were as individuals. That is a definitive secret to successful business development and the whole concept behind the Do You book.

Unfortunately, few new business ideas are truly unique. Whether a person is looking to start a new restaurant, a floral or gift shop, design a clothing line, or whatever the case may be, chances are that someone, somewhere has already done it. Therefore, the key to succeeding at the same - - or higher level - - than those people, is individual passion, creativity, and pure raw desire.

Contrary to popular belief, opening a business is not likely to make your life easier. In fact, the opposite is true. It is likely that your life will become far more complicated. While it may be true that you no longer have a boss to please, you will still have to please someone; in this instance, your customers. And with a little luck, there were be hundreds of them to please.

A lot of people don't equate pleasing bosses as being the same as pleasing customers. They would be wrong! In a job, you as the employee must do things in a certain way and at a certain level in order to ensure that you get paid. As a business owner you must do the same thing, because if you don't perform at the level and quality the customer wants, he or she will no longer do business with you and you will no longer get paid. So, in reality, it is not all that different.

Another misconception that a lot of people have is that business owners will automatically make more money than they did in their old jobs. That may not be true at all. Most small businesses take several years before they begin to show a profit. In fact, a lot of lenders won't even consider making loans to individuals who do not have another revenue source in addition to their small business. They depend upon the business owner making timely loan payments, which may not be possible directly from the new business alone until it begins to make a certain amount of profit.

Other people go into business for themselves thinking that they can work fewer hours. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, small business owners put in a minimum of 10 to 12 hour days and typically work seven days a week.

Even though a business may only be open from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, that is not an indication of the number of hours that a business owner will work. There are additional peripheral activities that he or she must perform in order to sustain the business. These include things like accounting, marketing, education or training, and personnel management, just to name a few. All of that extra work quickly eats into the business owner's personal time.

While passion alone is seldom enough to guarantee achievement, it is an important start. If owning a business is something to which you aspire, carefully consider the following:

1. Assess your personal abilities, talents, and interests to determine what it is that you “love” to do
2. Determine is there is a “viable” customer base for your products or services
3. Make certain that your customer base “can” and “will” pay the cost for your products or services
4. Assess the additional skills you will need to build or obtain in order to ensure your business's success

Assessing what you love to do is important in building a successful business. If you love what you are doing, the amount of time and effort you have to put into the business will become less of an issue. In fact, it may become the key to your ultimate success.

Case in Point: Jonathan Adler had a very successful job. However, his passion was making pottery. It was what he loved to do. Therefore, when he left his job to pursue that passion, it was not only easy for him to spend extra hours at the pottery wheel, it was a totally fulfilling experience. The same can be said for Diane Warren who began writing poetry and songs when she was just a small child. Just ask yourself this: Who doesn't want to make money doing something you love to do?

Determining if there is a customer base for your products and services can be a little more difficult, depending upon what your business intends to do. Sometimes the market base can be obvious. Other times, it requires research. Occasionally, it may even require a little “tweaking” of the original business idea in order to ensure a viable base. (Note: See my upcoming article on “market niche” for additional information in this area.)

Case in Point: Liz Lang both experienced for herself and learned from her friends that there was a market for comfortable, stylish, affordable maternity wear. Previously to her clothing line's development, there were two main trains of thought. The first was to make do with regular clothing - - in large sizes - - so that you could still remain somewhat stylish in dress.

The second was to give in to the hideous look of available maternity wear. Lang, therefore, knew that a third option - comfortable, stylish, affordable maternity wear - would very likely thrill a somewhat forgotten target base of women.

Making certain that customers can and will pay for a company's products and services is actually much simpler than most people believe. Those that doubt that fact should talk to consumers who are starved for quality goods and great customer service. They will tell you, for the most part, they are willing to pay reasonable prices for what they desire.

Assessing the additional skills required in order to ensure business success is probably the trickiest subject matter of all. A lot of people have difficulty being truthful with themselves about this issue. We'd like to believe that we already have everything we need internally. The truth is, however, that all of us need assistance from time to time. There is no shame in that, but there is shame in refusing to take advantage of things that could help us be better individuals and business owners. (Note: See my upcoming article “Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength.”)

All of this leads back to the original point: Passion - doing what you love - is the key to just about everything in life; business included. And doing what you love to do may actually be the greatest reward of all.

That’s when it happened. That’s when it always happens. This time it came from my sister-n-law. I knew something was up since she was calling me in the middle of the day. She never calls in the middle of the day. After playing family catch-up, she said what she was really calling about.

“Listen, you know me, I’m not trying to sell you anything. You don’t have to do it, but I’ve found this business...”

Instantly I knew what kind of business it was. There is only one kind of business that has friends and family call you in such a state. I took a breath and continued to listen.

“Now you know, I have never been in one of these before. All the times you and my brother were in them I just didn’t buy it, but this one is different. “

I confess. We have been in one or two. Well actually four or five. We were in Amway. I have to admit it was exciting. We were listening to motivational tapes like one takes vitamins. Each day we would rise turn on a tape and get motivated. The only problem is that we could never quite get over the fact that we were in Amway. We didn’t get money out of Amway but we did get a vision of the dream. The dream of what money could afford us. That’s what led to the next one. Next there was Kevin Trudeau and his miracle Vitamins which was moving along great until he switched to a product that we didn’t feel comfortable working with. Then there was Wayne Pickering and the metals business which we were just on the brink of making the big money when it collapsed. There were a few more misses along the way and as last we got to the point where we never wanted to hear the world Multi-level marketing again. Then she called.

“Really, this is different. It’s about travel….” Here’s the deal. My heart was saying NO, but my head was thinking differently, “What if?” it said. “What if this were the one.” Her enthusiasm took me away and by the end of the conversation I heard myself saying. “Yes, when I come in town I’ll go to a meeting.” What did I just say?

I was soon broken out of the trance when I reported my plan to my husband. “You’re going to do that again? Is that what you really want to do, convince our friends and family to get in this business?” He was right. This was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to write. That is what I really wanted to do. If I do what I love, the money will come. I don’t love multi-level marketing.

When I came to visit my sister-n-law she said the meeting was set for the next day. I told her, “Listen, I’m not interested this is not a business for me.” She graciously accepted my retort and only asked that I be a warm body.

It took ten minutes into the meeting for my heart to start pounding and my head to start spinning. I was not only warm, I was HOT! It took 10 more minutes for me to decide to sign up. This was a good thing. This one was smart. This one was credible. This one makes sense. This one is the ticket. The rest of the meeting I just asked question after question after question. I was pumped. I was going to start my own business. I was going to make money. Lots and lots and lot of money.

The next morning was like a bad hangover. What am I doing? I can’t do that. I don’t have the resources. That’s not me. What did I do?

What is it about these multi-level marketing gigs that get you so twisted up? I believe it’s the possibility of being financially free. What could we do if we were financially free? I can think of long list of things I could do, but is that what it’s all about. I wasn’t willing to be a teacher because it was too time consuming. I wanted spare time for my writing and my family. No matter what anyone says being successful in multi-level marketing takes time. Success at any business takes time. You have to put 100% into it. You have to go to meetings, have meetings, and be a part of the company. Is that what I want to do with my time?

One of the struggles in life is balance. There is an important balance between making money and the making of ourselves. I know in the end all that will matter in life is what I have done, not what I have. If I really dig deep enough I see that what I want money can’t buy, so why seek after money. I think for now, I’ll seek after me.