“Yes, everyone can do what they love — but not necessarily for a living. I realize I’m extremely lucky to be able to do what I love for a living. You might be able to get lucky too – I’d give making a living from what you love a shot before dismissing it. See if it’s possible. But if not, still do what you love, on the side, for no money. It’s still worth doing, even if you have to do something else to put food on the table.”
To many people, it can sound wildly idealistic to do what you love for a living. Unless you love compiling TPS reports or mopping floors, this kind of dream can feel out of reach. What if you want to be a professional dancer? What if you want to go sailing for a living?
Reality can certainly be a tough pill to swallow, because we have our bills and our responsibilities. That’s perfectly understandable, but it does not mean that you should discount your opportunity to do what you love.
It’ll still be a challenge and you won’t love every second. You will encounter hiccups and frustrations. That being said, life being as short as it is, you owe it to yourself to do what makes you happy. If you want to dance, then dance. If you want to go sailing, then what’s stopping you?
In an ideal world, we could all make a very comfortable living doing what we love to do and not worry about making enough money doing it. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t quite work that way. You might be able to make some money from your hobbies and interests and, if you work hard enough and if you’re lucky enough, you may be able to parlay it into a career. If not, you should still continue pursuing your interests for their own sake.
This is one of the many lessons that Leo Babauta provides through his Zen Habits blog. You never know what you can accomplish unless you give it a try. If you just try to turn your passion into in a career, you might surprise yourself. And even if you don’t make it big, you’ll still be doing what you love. And you’ll have a smile on your face.
Isn’t that worth it, in and of itself?
I read Zen Habits all the time Michael. Leo has a great philosophy on life, I particularly like his recent posts that he has simplified his life to just one major project.
Being simple, doing what they enjoy. A great life.