Turning What You Love into What You Do
By Patrick J. O’Connor
“We get a living by what we get and a life by what we give.”
~Winston Churchill
Psychic income: a benefit from turning what you love into what you do
Most people are familiar with the phrase, “You can’t take it with you.” This mantra encourages us to live life to the fullest, seize the day and enjoy it while we can. The idea is, when our time is up, there is no way to take anything with us, which is true for material things. However, there is something we can take with us. It’s called psychic income which is “ the personal or subjective benefits, rewards, or satisfactions derived from a job or undertaking separate from its objective or financial ones.” It is rooted in the belief that it is better to give than receive. It is also stems from turning what we love into what we do.
Psychic Income Account
Each time we do something for someone without expecting anything in return, we receive psychic income. Think of it as currency in a savings or investment account. Unlike other types of currency, the psychic income account has unique characteristics:
- It is a deposit-only account
- There’s no way to withdraw any of this income
- There is no way to spend it
- You can only save it
- It bears interest like other accounts
Psychic Income Deposits
We make a deposit into the account each time we volunteer, share a kindness or do something for someone without expecting anything in return… especially for someone in need. Think of all the clothing and food drives you have participated in at your church. Do you raise money for the Animal Protection League? Do you help with a reading program at your grandchildren’s school? Do volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels, help feed the needy on Thanksgiving, donate to the Red Cross or American Heart Association? Do you volunteer or donate to programs for military veterans? Each deposit results from something done for someone else and has made the world a little bit better place.
Psychic Income Samples
We all know lots of people who have contributed to their psychic income accounts. Here are three examples of the win-win-win situation identified in the May blog segment. The donor wins, an organization wins and a beneficiary wins.
Kelly
Kelly retired in 2021 from teaching middle-school English and found herself tending to a very ill pet. She had lots of time on her hands and wanted to keep busy, so she took up knitting, even though she had never knitted before. She quickly learned how to knit wool hats, completing 250 of them in the winter of 2022! She donated 100 of them to a local Ukrainian church who sent them to Ukrainians struggling through the war there. She continued to knit hats and is up to 365. She has sent hats to Laura’s Home, a local women’s shelter, and some to the Caring Closet at the school where she taught. Her mom, mother-in-law and husband joined her in her project, and they now have a room in her house called “the hat room.” Together, they have made 467 hand-knitted wool hats to keep heads warm!
John
John was involved for 12 years playing music part-time during his sales career. He played at nursing homes, his church and as part of a prison ministry program. When he retired, he decided to use his extra time to get more involved with music. In effect, he created a volunteer “second career,” performing with his guitar as a solo act as well as with various groups. He now plays regularly in nursing homes, at family functions and at church services. He also coordinates the music and performs as part of the prison ministry program. He and a few friends even play and sing Christmas carols for the Salvation Army. People are more generous with donations when there is live music playing!
Jim
Jim spent his career as a high school speech/drama teacher. After retiring in 2010, he promptly launched a “second career” as a volunteer drama director for the Western Reserve Masonic Community retirement center in Medina. He guides residents in a Reader’s Theatre program to perform 50-minute comedic skits. His work culminates with performances for the residents, family members and staff. Everyone enjoys the performances, including Jim. He reports this has been the most rewarding part of his lifetime in theater, providing him a wonderful creative outlet.
You Can Take It with You
Picture a lifetime of deposits, mostly small ones, into a psychic income account with no withdrawals or any way to spend it. When our time comes, we can take our psychic income plus interest with us. And, we know our lives will have made the world a better place.
My July blog will reflect on two years of segments from Turning What You Love into What You Do.
Image courtesy pexels.com
Mike Spriegel
Good one! But mine is more like psychotic income. Works for me.
Pat
Having known you for some 40 years I concur!!
Thanks Mike
Child Advocacy Artist George E. Miller
Many years ago, I attended a Foster Parent Association Conference in Orlando. An integral part of the conference consisted of a panel of young people recently aged out of Foster Care. The six young people on the panel answered personal questions about their sexuality, mixed emotions about their birth parents, and child abuse. It took a tremendous amount of courage and selflessness, to answer such personal questions in front of such a large audience. Something I know I would have struggled with. I wanted to show my gratitude to them for the courage they shared with all of us. I asked the conference coordinator if each of the young people on the panel could come over to my art exhibit and select any piece of artwork free of charge. You can’t imagine how good it made me feel as they smiled and chose the artwork that resonated with them. Giving away that art felt better than any sale I’ve made at any conference. Now I always look for opportunities to get that good feeling as often as I can. To make a deposit into my Psychic Income Account! Thanks Pat!
Pat
Wow George what a wonderful deposit to your account. Reflect for a moment on what that meant to those youngsters and how long they will hold it dear. And with tangible artwork as a constant reminder.
You should share that story on your site!
Thanks as always,
Pat