I was having a conversation the other day with a friend of mine who was lamenting that passion doesn’t put food on the table and that doing what you love for a living might merely be a myth. I of course, disagreed, but nonetheless, it did made me think for a bit about my own situation.
I love what I’m doing – writing this blog, organizing fun projects and thinking of new ways to push the envelope for artists out there – but the truth is that it isn’t easy – and I won’t sugarcoat it. I say this because there are so many nitty gritty details that will drown out whatever it is that you love, if you let it. And doing this for four years has not exactly put a lot of food on my table, which is why I have other jobs to tide me over. I’m grateful for any sponsorships that I get, and I am ever so thrilled to get an email from a reader who breathlessly tell me about how they are so happy after they visit the blog.
There’s a bit of disconnect there – wouldn’t it be great if happiness is a tradable currency? What if I gave you 5 smiles in exchange for that muffin? If only it were that easy! I’ve racked up lots of smiles from running Pikaland, and if it happiness was a standard currency, then I’d be rich! But alas, the world doesn’t work that way.
But here’s the thing – I’ve had jobs that sapped the energy out of me, but my pockets were full. And right now, though I love my job(s), my pockets aren’t quite as full as they were before. I thought it would be a difficult adjustment, but it turns out it’s not that hard. I traded things that I thought made me happy, for things and experiences that did, and my sanity thanks me for it.
So while I’m treading that fine line between making my passion work for me and pushing through the hard bits, I know that I’m doing what I love. Because let’s face it – if I don’t love what I do, I would have given up on this mad path a long time ago. And to me that is passion – the drive that pushes you to go forward as you reach for the (seemingly) never-ending finish line, or that oft-promised pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
And while my passion doesn’t quite put food on my table for now, there’s a churning in my belly that tells me that the day will come when my table will be full – and it will be surrounded by people whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with. It will filled with the fruits of our labor, and most importantly, we will be joyful in the knowledge that we have made a difference in our community.
What about you? Are you doing what you love?
