Today I encountered this video: https://www.facebook.com/JayShettyIW/videos/1977663155881473/ that a friend shared. For those who would rather have a synopsis: The video talks about spending all of your energy on a job that supports your life that supports your job. Wearing the clothes to do the job and driving in the car that you have to work at the job to pay for. All these cycles. And then it exhorts you to go out and instead do the thing that you are passionate about. Face the adversity and overcome the challenges, it says, and you will become the next Ellen DeGeneres or Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey. And it implies that in becoming them, you can get rid of the clothes and the car and the house.
As I sit here in my T-shirt that says “Do more of what makes you happy” I absolutely believe in pursuing your passion, and facing the challenges, and finding the solutions to the dreams you want to achieve. I wholeheartedly believe that the things that make you deeply happy, and which don’t harm other people, are the things you are here to do.
Do more of that.
And, yet…
For every Oprah, I know of stories like the guy who owned a bicycle repair shop. He struggled with finding a second reliable bike mechanic, his apprentice stole from him, and he just couldn’t maintain the hours needed to be available for the bicycle commuters in this area. The shop is closed. What do I say to you about that reality? Is it better that he tried?
I honestly don’t know. I don’t know this man, and I don’t know what happened to him after the shop closed. I hope he was able to find another way to make his living. So many people have the skills to do something amazing but not the skills to manage other employees, or market effectively, or budget and plan, or a dozen other skills necessary to run a successful, thriving business.
And …
What if you don’t really have a single big passion? What if what makes you happy changes frequently and each new project is somewhat or even entirely different? What about those who have a half dozen that they rotate through with occasional side trips to explore something else for a while? This describes me far better than the single-minded creator that video described.
I think there is definitely a place in the world for those of us who choose to work a day job that is not an ideal dream. Maybe it’s not The Job, but is definitely something that fits in some ways. Like the introverted bar owner who is amazing at organizing events or the extrovert who is so great at being a barista they are up at 5 every day, despite being a night owl by nature. so maybe that is what you look for, a job that is some of what you love, not all of it.
There is also value in doing work you don’t really enjoy in order to have a place to stay, even a comfortable one, that has room for you to pursue your passions.There is value in working to be able to have a garage or a sewing room or a garden so you can also explore your creative side. I want to suggest that is a valid option for living life to the fullest, too.
I loved the sense of possibility and ambition the video gave me, and I think there is so much more to living life to it’s fullest than getting or creating the ideal job.
Wild Witch Wondering 