#1341 - do what you love
I'm sure you've seen some variations of the "do what you love" invitation.
The more common version is usually attributed to the great wise master Confucius, "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life". Obviously, there is no proof that Confucius ever said something like that, but it looks good on social media.
Anyway, I always shudder when I hear this phrase.
Maybe, because what I love is precisely that: not working. I love walking, talking, reading, writing, and, above all, lazing around.
So, I'm not sure it is such a wise suggestion. Plus, it implies that people can choose their jobs, but that is not true in most parts of the world.
I feel that what really makes the difference is finding meaning in what you do. And the meaning may not be in the job itself.
Decades ago, I met a man at a big gathering. He was there with his family, and one of his children had cerebral palsy. The relationship they had was extraordinary to observe. I was a teenager, so I didn't have the opportunity to talk with him, but I overheard some conversations. I was a nosy teenager. So, I heard he worked as a mailman, and I thought it was quite a modest job. The guy looked brilliant, so I was expecting him to be a successful businessman or something like that.
While we were going home, my mom told me he was a successful businessman, but he decided to give up his career and become a mailman to spend more time with his son. That was what really mattered to him. His meaning.
That was a lesson I still remember.
It's not about doing what I love. It is about doing something that has meaning to me. And the source of meaning can be even outside the job itself.