There were two videos recently that jolted me out of my seat and made me sit up and think about my existence, causing me to really wonder about what direction I wish to take in business and in my private life. I have been making bow ties for almost a decade now and whilst I have never lost the enjoyment of that process, sometimes the nature of staying focused on one thing can make you blinded to changes that are going on around you.
There was a question that was raised in the SLOMO video by John Kitchin about the percentage by which his work promoted him spiritually versus financially. He noted that when he commenced his vocation he thought that balance was 90% spiritual and 10% financial, but that towards the end of his old career that relationship had inverted. And so, he decided that he did not want to become an 'asshole' like everyone else and he threw in the towel so that he could skate out the remainder of his life. He said he had been inspired to do this twenty years earlier by a 90 year old man in a canteen queue that turned to him and said 'DO WHAT YOU WANT TO!' .
And so I spent a great deal of time on my recent trip figuring out between John Kitchin and Alan Watts what exactly was the meaning of existence and what was my purpose moving forward.
I will let you in on a little secret, it doesn't have a single answer and to be frank, I am more confused than when I started my search. Suffice to say, one thing that has always been enjoyable in my life and which I turn to time and time again, is the writing of this blog. Regardless of who has read it, it has always been a great process that I have enjoyed sharing with others. More importantly, when I began writing it it was never about financial gain, it was about sharing information I learned about menswear with others as we continued to refine our products and services.
Do what you want to! What a simple thing to say and yet so effective. The only trouble is, there is not always a clear cut answer as to exactly what that might be.
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