Time for another bold move? Should I boldly follow my intuition?

[Claude Roy]

Hey Guys,

I would like to have your opinion on a situation that I'm facing. I am a software developer from Quebec City and I moved to Florida 3 months ago. I now have a job here where I make the most money that I've ever made, yet I feel totally unfulfilled when I'm being totally real with myself. I've known my life purpose which is veganism. The main reason to why I'm here is to start a business to give money to non-profits that do work in that area and help reduce animal suffering.

I am alone here and to me, it seemed like it is the "perfect" opportunity to start my business since work is easy and I earn some money that I could invest in my business. The truth is that when I come home, I really have to discipline myself to work on my business and I have a hard time doing it, since it seems like the work that I'm doing is so disconnected to animal work even though it is why I am doing at the end of the day.

I have a seen a job opportunity in California for a web developer at a non-profit organization that I truly love called Mercy For Animals. It has been on my mind for a while to just quit everything here and go and work there. The "problem" is that my salary will drop almost my half and the place where the job is is a lot more expensive than here so I will barely make any money. I feel like I will be more motivated to work on my business since I will be working on a day to day job that will be more motivating. Even if I earn less money, if I'm able to work quickly to start my business, it might be a smart change, but I fear that I will miss an opportunity to invest more money in my business and get it started quicker and ultimately helping animals more.

Any opinion/insights from you guys would be welcome, I am totally open minded to anything that I might not have thought of.

Thanks a lot and have an amazing day,

Claude

 

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[G-Man]

First, no one can answer a big life question like this for you, but as someone who worked for a non-profit for years, here's my 2 cents:

• 90 days isn't that long. Maybe you're giving up too soon?
• FL is big. I'm sure there's animal related charities somewhere around you.
• If you love non-profit stuff, and go to work full time for a non-profit, be prepared to have your love of the work and belief that it's worthwhile totally destroyed.

I can't stress that last point enough.

When I read your post my gut response is that you have a general sense of ennui and dissatisfaction at your job and are idealizing another place. It may very well be the case that you could drop everything, go there, and be living your dream. Or, you could get there and in 90 days be idealizing some other place.

Give it some thought and be real with yourself.

 

[Imgal]

When I read your post my gut response is that you have a general sense of ennui and dissatisfaction at your job and are idealizing another place.

This is such a wise point and one to really sit with... and I mean sit with it a bit, decide you're still right and then go away and come back and sit with it more.

I know it sounds stupid, but I can't tell you how many times I've been disillusioned with something, chucked it all in for something new and then realised 3 weeks later that this wasn't the solution either, I just wasn't happy with certain parts of what I'm doing.

I'd spend more time thinking about why and how you could discipline yourself to do the work you want to do on building a business. If you can't motivate yourself to do it now then the likelihood is you're going to find it even harder once you've more free time.

All said with love, I promise you!

 

[Mattie]

Hey Guys,

I would like to have your opinion on a situation that I'm facing. I am a software developer from Quebec City and I moved to Florida 3 months ago. I now have a job here where I make the most money that I've ever made, yet I feel totally unfulfilled when I'm being totally real with myself. I've known my life purpose which is veganism. The main reason to why I'm here is to start a business to give money to non-profits that do work in that area and help reduce animal suffering.

I am alone here and to me, it seemed like it is the "perfect" opportunity to start my business since work is easy and I earn some money that I could invest in my business. The truth is that when I come home, I really have to discipline myself to work on my business and I have a hard time doing it, since it seems like the work that I'm doing is so disconnected to animal work even though it is why I am doing at the end of the day.

I have a seen a job opportunity in California for a web developer at a non-profit organization that I truly love called Mercy For Animals. It has been on my mind for a while to just quit everything here and go and work there. The "problem" is that my salary will drop almost my half and the place where the job is is a lot more expensive than here so I will barely make any money. I feel like I will be more motivated to work on my business since I will be working on a day to day job that will be more motivating. Even if I earn less money, if I'm able to work quickly to start my business, it might be a smart change, but I fear that I will miss an opportunity to invest more money in my business and get it started quicker and ultimately helping animals more.

Any opinion/insights from you guys would be welcome, I am totally open minded to anything that I might not have thought of.

Thanks a lot and have an amazing day,

Claude

I knew this woman once who started her own animal rescue mission. Why don't you just stay where you are and create your own non-profit. If there isn't places in the area, isn't that your open door to opportunity. Why do you need to give to other non-profits? I mean what's wrong with you heading your own project. Sounds more like you want to give money away to someone else so they do the work for you. Seems the easy way out. Are you really helping animals with being a web-developer. The animal activists and advocates I know are more involved, transporting animals, working to get donations, fundraisers, networking with other animal clinics, researchers, etc. They have a whole chain of events and players. I'm not sure what your best goal is, being the website developer or the animal advocate. I think you might have more inner motivation if you actually do some experimenting, volunteering, participating in the involvement of animal rights, activism, what ever it is your trying to help them with. You can help an abused animal by feeding it and taking it to the vet. You can be a foster care parent for an animal until it finds a home. Maybe you're just not truly involved in the animal world to know what you're main goal is and if you don't know that you'll be moving all over the world.

I think you need to read your first paragraph a few times and what you say you're whole reason for being their is helping animals. Your purpose is Veganism. How does computers, veganism, and animals correlate? My suggestion...stay where you are. Go volunteer at the zoo, animal shelter, or something to do with animals. In the middle of that process alone, perhaps you're aha moments will come along, and point you to what is your purpose and goal?

 

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[Claude Roy]

First, no one can answer a big life question like this for you, but as someone who worked for a non-profit for years, here's my 2 cents:

• 90 days isn't that long. Maybe you're giving up too soon?
• FL is big. I'm sure there's animal related charities somewhere around you.
• If you love non-profit stuff, and go to work full time for a non-profit, be prepared to have your love of the work and belief that it's worthwhile totally destroyed.

I can't stress that last point enough.

When I read your post my gut response is that you have a general sense of ennui and dissatisfaction at your job and are idealizing another place. It may very well be the case that you could drop everything, go there, and be living your dream. Or, you could get there and in 90 days be idealizing some other place.

Give it some thought and be real with yourself.

Thank you so much for your genuine response, I really appreciate it. It is true that I might be idealizing Mercy For Animals, because when you said that , I remember last year, when I volunteered for Farm Sanctuary for 3 months in California and I really loved it, but there were of course some things about the organization that were not as nice as what I thought about it before.

Deep down I feel like the problem is 100% in my head and that I have to master my own emotions in order to see more clear on that because like you said, three months is not a really long time at all and it mig, in fact, be too soon to change something.

Thanks a lot for your honest opinion,

Claude

 

[Claude Roy]

This is such a wise point and one to really sit with... and I mean sit with it a bit, decide you're still right and then go away and come back and sit with it more.

I know it sounds stupid, but I can't tell you how many times I've been disillusioned with something, chucked it all in for something new and then realised 3 weeks later that this wasn't the solution either, I just wasn't happy with certain parts of what I'm doing.

I'd spend more time thinking about why and how you could discipline yourself to do the work you want to do on building a business. If you can't motivate yourself to do it now then the likelihood is you're going to find it even harder once you've more free time.

All said with love, I promise you!

Hey there,

Thanks a lot for your genuine response, it really means a lot. What you're saying is very true, I feel that the problem lies 100% in my head and that I have to be able to feel happy, motivated, disciplined without anybody else and now is a very good opportunity for that. The other side of it, is that I feel that if I were to die tomorrow, I'd regret not giving it a shot. I feel though that if I can get through it and be totally happy/motivated/disciplined without being with anybody, it's might be the greatest reward that I could ever give to myself.

Thanks a lot for that response, I know that it definitely is coming out of love

Claude

 

[Claude Roy]

I knew this woman once who started her own animal rescue mission. Why don't you just stay where you are and create your own non-profit. If there isn't places in the area, isn't that your open door to opportunity. Why do you need to give to other non-profits? I mean what's wrong with you heading your own project. Sounds more like you want to give money away to someone else so they do the work for you. Seems the easy way out. Are you really helping animals with being a web-developer. The animal activists and advocates I know are more involved, transporting animals, working to get donations, fundraisers, networking with other animal clinics, researchers, etc. They have a whole chain of events and players. I'm not sure what your best goal is, being the website developer or the animal advocate. I think you might have more inner motivation if you actually do some experimenting, volunteering, participating in the involvement of animal rights, activism, what ever it is your trying to help them with. You can help an abused animal by feeding it and taking it to the vet. You can be a foster care parent for an animal until it finds a home. Maybe you're just not truly involved in the animal world to know what you're main goal is and if you don't know that you'll be moving all over the world.

I think you need to read your first paragraph a few times and what you say you're whole reason for being their is helping animals. Your purpose is Veganism. How does computers, veganism, and animals correlate? My suggestion...stay where you are. Go volunteer at the zoo, animal shelter, or something to do with animals. In the middle of that process alone, perhaps you're aha moments will come along, and point you to what is your purpose and goal?

Hey Mattie,

I totally know what you mean, I've asked myself the same thing as well, am I really helping? The thing is that I've contacted a lot of people involved in non profits asking them if they think it is more helpful for the animals if you are working directly for them or if you build a business and give money to these non profits that do awesome work. They all came out that it could be even more helpful giving money and I've felt that as well because last year, I was volunteering for a non profit called Farm Sanctuary and employees were paid like 10$ an hour and working very hard so I was like wow, if I actually build a business and give money to them, I could pay for a lot more than one employee so it might actually be more effective doing that than working there.

That is why I am kind of going that way, I feel that I could contribute more that way even if might be a harder way. I feel like it is not in fact, going the easy way. I might definitely be wrong though and that's one that I'm still thinking alot about. I've been giving talks in colleges about veganism and I can definitely tell you that it was a lot of fun.

Thanks a lot for your genuine answer,

Claude

 

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[Mattie]

I totally know what you mean, I've asked myself the same thing as well, am I really helping? The thing is that I've contacted a lot of people involved in non profits asking them if they think it is more helpful for the animals if you are working directly for them or if you build a business and give money to these non profits that do awesome work. They all came out that it could be even more helpful giving money and I've felt that as well because last year, I was volunteering for a non profit called Farm Sanctuary and employees were paid like 10$ an hour and working very hard so I was like wow, if I actually build a business and give money to them, I could pay for a lot more than one employee so it might actually be more effective doing that than working there.

That is why I am kind of going that way, I feel that I could contribute more that way even if might be a harder way. I feel like it is not in fact, going the easy way. I might definitely be wrong though and that's one that I'm still thinking alot about. I've been giving talks in colleges about veganism and I can definitely tell you that it was a lot of fun.

Thanks a lot for your genuine answer,

Claude

Either way is fine, I've done my internships, work experiences, I know how the whole systems work. A lot of people donate money, sponsor, fund raise, and still make a big difference. I think I'm just used to putting my self in the experience. Even if I just donated, I'd still get my feet wet, join in and do some of the work, because it just gives you another perspective.

I think experience is just important as information.

 

[Claude Roy]

Either way is fine, I've done my internships, work experiences, I know how the whole systems work. A lot of people donate money, sponsor, fund raise, and still make a big difference. I think I'm just used to putting my self in the experience. Even if I just donated, I'd still get my feet wet, join in and do some of the work, because it just gives you another perspective.

I think experience is just important as information.

You are definitely right on this point, experience is really important as well, because it gets you more in touch to why you do it in the first place