Real Success Without a Real Job: There Is No Life Like It!

Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (09/06) "For most people, work is a gross inconvenience or necessary evil they have to put up with in order to earn enough money to survive for the time they aren't at work." Writer and 25-year veteran of an `unreal' job Ernie Zelinski releases his latest book on how to escape corporate life. Chock-full of inspirational quotes from those that have paved the path to success, Zelinski provides his readers with ample encouragement and thought-provoking questions to help them find out what really drives them. "The key," he says, "is to discover your passions and attempt to turn them into a successful business enterprise." Creativity, fear, criticism, failure, money, and friendship are all addressed in Zelinski's own `I dare you to try this and succeed' attitude. Enjoyable and well-written (despite Zelinski's claim to the contrary), this book is for anyone that dreads going to their job each day whether entry-level or executive. Zelinski successfully demonstrates that a more fulfilling work life is not beyond anyone's grasp. His section on scrutinizing the way money is viewed is especially remarkable - most people work to make more money, which they hope will increase their happiness. Zelinski notes that the opposite is actually true - increase your happiness at work and the money will naturally follow. Blocking outside influence is also important - so many people have careers in areas they don't necessarily like but are there because it's what everyone else views as `important' or `rewarding'. Zelinski later reminds his readers that an `unreal job' is a real business and that their creative hearts and minds must still maintain good business sense. The important things in life are worth working for, right? Zelinski's own life is testament that "Real Success Without a Real Job - There is No Life Like It!" is attainable. He's gone from "the bills were coming in faster than I could rip them up" to happily typing away at his laptop in a coffeehouse...after he's rolled out of bed at noon, of course. He's passionate about escaping corporate life yet maintains a sense of pity for those unmotivated cubicle-dwellers. "Real Success" both entertains and enlightens. Ernie Zelinski's "Real Success Without a Real Job - There is No Life Like It!" is a catalyst towards change and will motivate readers to reach for more. If your soul doesn't sing with joy every single time you think about your current job, read this book!

Ernie Zelinski provides motivation, inspiration and guidance in his book "Real Success Without a Real Job". Ernie's purpose in writing this book is to help the reader develop personal potential and to fulfill their dreams. The book provides thought provoking questions and exercises that help you discover what it is you really love to do. There is a natural progression and action steps to help strategize your plan. Zelinski helps the reader recognize that career success is more than having a real job. Real career success comes from enjoying your work and having the freedom to perform that work just about any time you want. He inspires you to create your own dream job or to operate an unconventional business. To accomplish this you must find your mission or true calling, a passion for something with which you can meet your needs. Zelinski stresses that creating a new career requires courage as well as desire. Throughout the book the author uses letters and stories from readers who have attained amazing success without a real job. He also uses experiences from his own life to show how the powerful success principles emphasized in this book can help you. Personally, I appreciated the quotes and pithy sayings from well known personalities featured as highlight sidebars throughout each chapter. He not only provides quotations but also recommends other authors and helpful career books and motivational resources. Ernie's book creates an environment for creative dynamic thinking. He leads the reader to take that first step of risk needed to turn a passion for living into rewarding financial fulfillment "without a real job."

If you're working at a job and wondering what it would be like to be your own boss, whether doing contract work or owning a business, this is a great book to get your creative juices flowing. Ernie Zelinski's "Four Steps to Creating a Dream Career" include inner exploration, outer exploration, decision making, and implementation. He also highlights the steps to take to connect your existing skill set to a dream job or business venture. He focuses also on the benefits of developing your dream career, which include work you actually enjoy (and an environment in which to enjoy it = no politics), plus more time for the people you love and activities you have been missing while you've been at that job you're not so crazy about.

Do you measure your life through dollars and cents or by personal satisfaction? If it's the latter and you feel trapped in a job, working hard to maintain a lifestyle you don't value and don't know how to escape....you have to read this book! I discovered Ernie Zelinski's book The Joy of Not Knowing it All last year and have been a raving fan ever since. In Real Success Without a Real Job, each chapter systematically deals with rethinking faulty belief systems and obstacles we tend to put in our own way, things that stop us from getting what we want in life. I recommend Ernie's books to clients regularly and this is his best book yet! Anyone who wants to change their work will find the information in this book invaluable. It's an easy, quick read that's hard to put down. And it's full of solid information from someone who lives what he writes about.

After working from home in an 'unjob' for over 8 years, I can tell you that success in any venture has less to do with "how". There are 100's of books that tell you "how to" whether its starting business, retiring or pursuing a dream. But if the "how to" was all that was needed, everyone would be living their dreams. "Real Success without a Real Job" can help you put together the other ingredients required to reach success other than the "how to". Successful people aren't smarter or luckier. What they do have is a desire to have success that's bigger than their fear, a willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, and don't let the nay-sayers, stream stealers or plain bad luck and disappointment stop them. That's were Ernie's book can help. It's filled with information and resources designed to get you to take action on those "how to's". It inspires and motivates you to take stock of your life and create a life that fills you with joy and abundance. It teaches that riches come from living in within your values and being true to yourself. Once you have that, the money and more importantly, happiness and fulfillment will follow. If you are unhappy in your work (or retirement) and want to find something more fulfilling and yes, even fun, this is a great book to help you put in place all the internal ingredients (desire, commitment, persistence, etc), so that you can take action and achieve your dreams.