I Love What I Do

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

~Confucius

Confucius said a lot of things (and is attributed many more; I'm not sure he actually said, "Man who sit on tack get point!"). This statement above rings only partially true for me.

I love what I do and I know many people who love their work. We also work hard at doing what we love. It is not drudgery, yet it is work.

The first book I ever wrote was a memoir for a lady who grew up in Norway, was Jewish, and was subject to anti-Semitism. Fascinating story, and when she read my words of her life, she cried. That's when I knew I was using my gift properly. I also had never worked harder in my life.

Researching and interviewing and writing and editing and proofing. Those may be things I love yet they also fall under the category of work.

I understand the gist of Confucius's message. I love what I do. I love my life. Having my business also means there are all kinds of tasks that need to get done too. They may not be my true love, but are necessary. Accounting and organizing and administrative duties are work too.

Doing (or delegating) is easier when the overall scope of what you do is what you love. Motherhood was a job I loved and yet it required some work. Changing diapers may be a labor of love, but it's labor. You get my point. (Without having to sit on a tack.)

To think that every day will be floating on air because we love what we do is not realistic. Confucius was saying that you can find what your heart wants to do so you can wake up each morning and not dread the day. He just said it more eloquently.

When I worked at the IRS, I got up each morning in a fog. It was the daily routine of get up, go to work, come home to make dinner to do it all again tomorrow. I thought that was normal life.

Now I know work is so much more. It is standard conversation fare in our country to ask "What do you do"? I used to hate that question when I worked for Uncle Sam. Now I love it. I also meet people every day who love what they do. They work hard, yes, and their work is a part of their joy.

What about you? Do you like what you do? Do you find fulfillment too? Last week I wrote Never Say Never. You are never trapped. You can indeed continue on your journey and have work that you love. Start putting out feelers. Take a class or offer a class. Moonlight on the side. Dabble around until something sparks you. Ask. Tell. Your boss will never know you want to be a trainer unless you say something. One step leads to the next. If you are employed or work for yourself, take inventory of your "love level" - which of your tasks do you love? Do more of that.

Don't complicate it. For now, just focus on doing more of that. See what starts to happen. Someday you will wake up and enter each day knowing you do what you love. Confucius also said: "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."

Maybe you will work every day of your life, and if it's what you love, call it whatever you want. I love my work, my job, my profession, my career. Calling it work is just a label. It's how you feel that matters.