In part one, a series of questions were presented to you that you have probably pondered at one time or another. These questions can really bring you to a point of wondering if anyone cares or even wants you to make your furniture. It’s easy to succumb to the self-doubt and fear that can arise from asking these questions. It can often lead to you wondering if there is any value to you making furniture in the first place.

It can get lonely sometimes with all that wondering going on inside your head. But, I’m here to let you know that getting discouraged is not an option. Instead it’s time to realize exactly what you offer the world through your woodworking.

What if I were to tell you that people really do want you to make your furniture? In fact, what if I said that the entire world needs you to make furniture? How’s that for a sense of purpose!

The World Needs You to be Passionate

If you’re here reading this, then chances are, you are passionate about woodworking. The sound of the hand plane creating delicate shavings is music to your ears. You are always dreaming of the next piece, the next project. You build furniture in your sleep. You have absolute passion for this craft and everything connected to it. In fact, that’s what you’re known for, isn’t it? People cannot think of you without thinking about your unending love of woodworking.

How many people walk around every day without any evident passion? Think of all the folks you come in contact with on a daily basis. How many of them are passionate about something? I mean really passionate. I bet that most aren’t, or if they are, they keep it hidden. They don’t feel as though their passions can be released on the world so they keep it bottled up afraid of people’s reactions to it.

The world needs passionate people living in it. Society needs to see that living with passion is a good thing, regardless of whether other people understand that passion. When you live openly with a passion for something, that spills over into other aspects of life. People see this and take note. It scares some, and it inspires even more. It inspires people to find their passion. It inspires people to live that passion openly.

The World Needs You to Create

Creative people make the world go round. We do! At the heart of every movement, every product, and every big idea is a creative person or group of people who flesh out their creativity and inspiration. When you go to the shop and begin to turn your inspiration into woodworking reality, you’re adding to the creative flow that exists in the world. The lessons you learn and the discoveries you make as you create, add value to your existence and to the existence of everyone around you. We live these lessons and discoveries, and thereby teach them through that living. The very act of creating your pieces, creates lasting value for all to experience through you and your work.

The World Needs You to Succeed

What is your definition of success in your woodworking? I know this can be a topic all by itself, but take a minute and really define this for yourself. What does success look like for you in your furniture making endeavors? Is it earning a living through selling your pieces? Is it having the freedom to express yourself though furniture making? What about having opportunities to share your experiences and inspire others? Each woodworker is going to have a different definition of success because each one will have different reasons for taking up the craft and different goals to achieve within it. Whatever true success looks like for you, the world needs you to achieve that.

When you are working toward your defined success, you become an example of determination, clarity, and dedication. You become what most people wish they were – a person with goals and a very clear purpose. Most individuals walk around wondering what their true purpose in life could be. You, however, have found a purpose in woodworking, and striving for that purpose is part of striving for your success.

Notice, I haven’t said anything about achieving this success. Your goals of success are certainly achievable, but a person can put too much stock in the final achievement rather than on the lessons that come from the journey towards that success. As we move towards our vision of success, the lessons we learn along the way can change that vision, so we change our course. Be open and flexible enough to change course and you’ll find this success coming sooner than later.

The world needs to see that success on your own terms is certainly obtainable and worthy of striving for. Fear, doubt, self-sabotage, and following convention all need to be obliterated by you and your path to success. Show the world that your core values trump all conventional wisdom, and that your definition of success is a most worthy and courageous pursuit.

The World Needs You

When it all seems pointless, when you’re wondering if you and your furniture even matter, remember that the world desperately needs you to work, live, and be your woodworking. Let your core message and values shine through each piece you create and each day as you live with the passion for a most worthy and noble craft. Let your authenticity shine through each plane stroke, and saw cut. Make each finished piece a message about you and your mission. Let the world know that without you and your furniture, it would be a lot worse off.

Have you struggled with this in your woodworking pursuits? If you have, why? If you haven’t, why not?

Let’s talk about it.

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