Have you heard the adage, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”? More than likely you have. How about this? What do you want to be when you grow up? I’m sure you were asked this question at least once when you were a youngster. When asked the question, did you have an answer at the ready, or did you need a few minutes to think about it? We all had dreams of becoming something great, like a fireman, a teacher, or a rock star, just to name a few. Well, how did you do? Maybe you never aspired to be what you set out to be or said that you would become. But then again, things change. The older we get, our tastes change, our view of the world changes, even our goals change.
When I was a child all I ever wanted to be was a teacher. I never waivered. I went to college, and got a Bachelor of Arts in History planning to be a high school social studies teacher. It didn’t happen. Then, when I decided to get my Master’s in Library and Information Science I said I didn’t care what kind of library I ended up in as long as it wasn’t a school library. My first library job was as a School Library Media Specialist. I finally made it as a teacher. Long story short- it wasn’t my cup of tea.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my career path is to do something you love to do. Why is this important? If you enjoy what you make a living at, you end up being happy in more ways than one. Life itself becomes much more interesting and fun. You find yourself speaking passionately to others about your work. The experiences you have along the way become much more rewarding, and enrich your life in many ways. You meet fascinating people. I know people who have turned favorite hobbies into small businesses, and have succeeded. Sure, they may have had to sacrifice a steady paycheck for their happiness, but not one of them either turned back or gave up. Their passion carried them through to success. I’m not in a position to sacrifice a steady paycheck so I’m taking a much slower route in growing my business. But I will get there. I like my day job as a Librarian, but I absolutely adore the work I do with clients as part of Living Moon Meditation. It may have to be a side thing for now, but that won’t always be the case.
While no job or business is perfect, the important thing is to enjoy it, even learn from it. If you are unhappy in your current situation, why not take steps now to change it? Somewhere out there is a job or business that is perfect for you. If you are already there, I applaud you. If not, realize that it may take some time to figure out what you really want to do, and even more time to actually get there. That’s all right! I can tell you from experience that finding and doing what you love is absolutely worth it, every step of the way. All of the research, training, and hands-on experience has made me a stronger, happier person. Feeling in charge of my own destiny…well, there just is no greater feeling.
Do what you love, and love what you do, whatever that may be. You’ll be happier for it, trust me. I promise you will never look back. And if you need help figuring out what it is you want to do or how to make it happen, you can hire me for some coaching sessions. I’m always happy to help.
