Be Mused

Sometimes intuitive inspiration comes from odd directions.

Saw it on the license plate of a shiny black Saab ahead of me in traffic. “Bemused,” it read.

What does that mean?

And I answered my own question. “Muse” came out of the book The 4-Hour Work Week. When I first heard of this book, I thought it was another quick sketch by a 20-something Internet whiz, written for a quick buck.

Then I read it and saw the meat behind the marketing.

Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week, has been coloring outside the lines his entire life. Naturally he has created his own definition. In his world, a muse is an automated vehicle for generating cash without consuming time. That’s it. With the currencies of cash flow and time, he says, everything is possible. Without them, nothing is possible.

Makes sense. After all, how can you give your gifts to the world if you’re struggling to pay your electric bill?

This book is cataloged in the business section, but I’ve found lots of spiritual undertones lurking between the lines. Following a Ferriss muse looks like a 21st century version of letting Higher Powers provide (by whatever name you call them).

There are just a few steps to setting up the channels for the muse to come through: Identify your passions and knowledge base. Include a product. Create virtual pathways to connect the people who’ve got it and the people who want it.

After all, God helps those who help themselves.

Once you have a muse to manage the mundane, you can start another company or organization to change the world. Rich celebrities, business tycoons and athletic all-stars have been doing this for years.

With a muse, anyone can be Brangelina.

My own business has had its joys and challenges. It offers ever-expanding avenues for learning and self-discovery, with major headings like:

• Let others help
• Be comfortable with quiet
• Trust intuition

These ideas seem simple, yet each one is a world where you can spend a lifetime exploring. They are realms where the day job couldn’t satisfy me, where I couldn’t find fulfillment in a cube from 9 to 5.

Sometimes you just need a nudge, or a reminder.

“Be Mused” means something like, “Trust the Force, Luke!” – in the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, speaking to an adolescent Skywalker at a critical moment.

“Be Mused” means to trust your intuition and take your life to another level, a step that doesn’t have to be as big as blowing up the Death Star.

Following your muse is about following your own intuition, the opposite of what most people do. Focus is important. Remember the big picture. Play to your strengths. Work your passions and outsource the rest. Everyone can win.

So I’ll delegate the To Do list, turn off the TV and act on my intuition. I’ll take another risk, enjoy the rewards and pat myself on the back.

And when Intuition speaks, she will also say, “It’s okay, Chosen Daughter of the Universe. Show off seven days a week and twice on Sunday. This economy is no place for the weak or meek. Have fun. Kick butt.”

I know the Universe will nudge me again from time to time. That’s okay, too. The infinite can be scary, but the muse is with me, and she’s starting to purr.