Are You A Sell Out?

"Are You A Sell Out?" That one simple question can be a powerful, life-altering, decision-making question, can’t it? It can go on to beckon answers to more in-depth questions, like: Are you a sell out because you chose to stay at home with your kids? Are you a sell out because you only work your homebased business part-time and haven’t turned it into a conglomerate? Are you a sell out because you gave up your dream in favor of a steady paycheck? Are you a sell out because you've done a few "iffy" things to get ahead in the world? Are you a sell out because you've started a business that makes money instead of being a starving artist? Are you a sell out because you've climbed the corporate ladder and made a success of your life? Are you a sell out because you've exceeded your farthest expectations and now live a life of luxury?

I knew a man once whom others thought was a "sell out" because he worked a job versus starting his own business. He was a very smart man and dad a good head on his shoulders. He could've been anything. He could've taken Corporate America by storm. He could have built an empire. But instead he chose to become a United States Postal Service Worker—a mailman.

Despite all the nudging to be someone else, to do something else, to gain more prestige, to make more money, to build a legacy, he stayed the course. He stayed a mailman. And he did so because he knew he wasn't a sell out.

He knew exactly what made him happy. He loved his life. He loved knowing that if he worked x amount of hours, he’d make x amount of money. He liked playing the stock market on the side, knowing that it wouldn’t affect his livelihood. He liked being comfortable. And he loved knowing that he could be home every evening with his little boy and his wife.

He had a routine, too: come home, unwind, work out in his home gym, spend some time hanging out with his son and wife, and then relax to his favorite television show. Then once a year, like clockwork, he'd drop his son off at his mom's house and drive down to the airport where he and his wife would spend an entire week on a cruise ship—rekindling their love for one another. He didn't spend big bucks trying to keep up with the Joneses, he didn't live to please people, and he didn’t care about the latest gadget or the gossip around town. He knew what made him happy and that’s what he lived for.

Every day he had a smile on his face and a big heart filled with love and contentment. Every day he seemed to embrace his life and show just how proud he was of it.

Years later, when his wife wanted to start a homebased business, she asked him to jump on board but he graciously declined. He supported her desire, but as for his part in the business, he simply said, "Some people are chiefs and some people are the chief’s people. I am the chief's people."

When people would approach him to change careers, he’d politely thank them for their insight then simply say, "No thank you. I love my job. It pays well. It provides good health insurance. And besides, what job lets you get outside every day without breaking your back, lets you meet and greet people, and provides a steady paycheck?"

In his eyes, he was successful. He had something every man dreamt of: a beautiful wife who loved and respected him, a healthy son to share his life with, a steady paying job he actually liked, good health, and self-respect.

So what is selling out exactly? Selling out is doing anything that makes you regret your decisions. Selling out is anything that makes your days difficult to bear. Selling out is anything that causes you to dream about a “better life” somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else. And selling out is letting other people dictate how you should live your life.

There are days we can all take a lesson from “The Mailman”. There are days we all need to be reminded that we don’t have to sell out to live life abundantly. So I ask you: "Have you sold out lately?"