Loving What You Do
Saturday, January 19, 2008

One of the things that I love about the internet is that it has allowed me to see and read and listen to the products of people who obviously love what they do.

Making sure that I love what I do has been a central theme in my life for nearly 20 years -- and I think I'm getting better and better at it. My Misery-Early-Warning System has been getting more and more sensitive during these two decades. I'm now at a point where I can stand about 5 minutes maximum of doing anything that I hate before I stop (and I usually choose not to do it at all), about 10 minutes of doing anything that I dislike but don't really mind doing, and about 20 minutes of doing something that I feel luke-warm about.

Granted, there are some things that are necessary to surviving and thriving that I used to dislike or hate -- but since they are things necessary to my survival/thrival, I've found ways to turn them into things that I love doing -- or else I've swapped with someone else who loves to do them (taking out the garbage, for example -- I have never found a way to love that -- thankfully, I live with someone who has natural love of garbage-taking-out, but who has never cultivated love-of-spreadsheet -- hence, I keep the accounts, he takes out the garbage).

The thing about cultivating love for what you are doing is that I've found that it (usually) makes you better at doing it. I love cleaning the bathroom -- and I'm really, really good at it. I can turn a moldy, dingy bathroom into a thing of beauty, and enjoy the process.

I believe that there is, however, a difference between simply being really good at something and loving something and being really good at it.

So tonight, I offer you videos of people who (to my eye) are obviously in their bliss -- and the magic that results when people do what they love -- may you spend the day doing only that which delights, inspires, and fulfills you.





Posted byPortlyDyke at 11:55 PM  

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5 comments:

J. Goff said... January 20, 2008 at 11:20 AM  

OMG. William Tell Overture on the harmonica. BRILLIANT!

Thanks for this, PD!

J. Goff said... January 20, 2008 at 11:30 AM  

WOW! Just watched the other two, and WOW. JUST WOW!

KJ said... January 20, 2008 at 2:17 PM  

Bravo! This is so life affirming and a fabulous reminder to follow your "bliss", which will in turn, benefit others, as well.

KJ

The Cunning Runt said... January 20, 2008 at 11:12 PM  

What wonderful gifts! Thanks for connecting us with this joyful celebration of life. It comes at a time when it means a lot to me.

Vanessa said... January 23, 2008 at 8:56 PM  

Oh My God. Opera guy has literally reduced me to a blubbering heap.

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