by Krista Jones

This essay has certainly been a long time coming. Now that it has finally come to fruition I’m afraid I don’t know where to start.

The beginning would be rather boring if you’ve been a longtime Copy Protégé reader. So I’ll kick things off with an old joke to set the stage:

A poor man goes to a church every day, kneels before the statue of a great saint, and prays. Each day he begs, “Dear saint — please, please, please … give me the grace to win the lottery.”

His pleas go on for months.

Finally, the exasperated statue comes to life, looks down at the begging man and says in weary disgust, “My son — please, please, please … buy a ticket!”

I’m humbled when I think about how long I’ve dreamed of being in the position I’m in right now. And by the effort it took to get here.

Unlike some, I don’t think our destiny is predetermined. When I think of destiny, I picture a dance between divine grace and willful self-effort. So there are certain lottery tickets I can buy to increase my odds of finding contentment.

Up until the past couple of years, I relied far too heavily on my head for direction. The single biggest exception to this was when I chose to become a copywriter. That time I went with my heart.

Not to say that it was an easy decision. My head fought me big time. After all, copywriting meant turning my back on six years of college to earn two environmental degrees. It meant starting over after working hard to establish my name in the industry. And it meant facing people’s skepticism about whether I could make it as a writer.

Nonetheless, my heart kept telling me to go for it. Not just for the freedom, creativity, and potential financial rewards it would bring, but for a much bigger and far more personal reason …

I had a gut feeling that copywriting — a career that many think is based on dishonesty and materialism — would (gasp) bring me closer to my spirit.

And it has.

Copywriting — particularly my work with Nightingale-Conant and Copy Protégé — has done more to nudge me along my spiritual path than I ever expected. It has also helped me start shifting from living from my head to living from my heart. These days I’m not only much better at following my bliss, but I’m also less afraid of being my authentic self.

Now, after years of longing for a spiritual context for my writing and business, I’ve finally done it. I’ve teamed up with a friend to launch a new website (www.YourOuterPurpose.com) and e-letter. Our mission is to help people who own, or think of owning a business, integrate their spirituality into their business as well as their family lives.

For the first time, I feel that I’m fully living the life that I ought to be living. I have found the right balance in my work and personal life.

So I’m very optimistic about 2009. In spite of the risk and uncertainty of starting a new business. And in spite of the recession.

If you want to get on the track that is meant for you, don’t wish for it. Don’t wait for the ideal circumstances. Increase your odds of finding contentment …

Buy a ticket.