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December 20, 2007
 In my post The Frustration of Trying to Make Money Online, item # 1 on my list was Focus on something you believe in and that you are passionate about. Said another way: Follow Your Heart.
I had lunch today with my friend Lee. Lee takes some of the photos that I use on this blog. When I use one of his photos, you can see his name in the "alt" text for the photo: hold your mouse still over a photo and if there's alternate text available it'll show up in a little caption that pops up. Lee's passion is photography. But he always puts it behind other things, saying once I achieve this or once I do that, then I'll concentrate on my photography. Like a lot of people, Lee continues to swim against the current of his heart like a salmon swimming upstream. He has such talent, and an eye for the unusual, that I'm sure he'd be successful if he would just jump into what he loves to do.
Why is it important to do what you love? Well just look around. Most people are like zombies, not dead, not alive, just somewhere in the middle: just getting by. A lot of people don't like their jobs and yet they leave their family and go to work each day. Why? Because that's what's expected. Like robots or clones they just march, march, march... go to work, go home, eat, watch TV, sleep, go to work, go home, eat, watch TV, sleep, go to work, go home, eat, watch TV, sleep, go to work, go home, eat, watch TV, sleep, go to work, go home, eat, watch TV, sleep... 40 or 50 years later, retire in debt and wonder where your life went.
Why is it important to do what you love? Well, just look around. Now this time, see what you usually overlook. Look for the person who really lives life. Look for the person who is doing what they love. Sometimes you ignore them because they make you uncomfortable. Sometimes you laugh at them because you think they're crazy: like the guy I saw on TV selling bowls he makes from old vinyl record albums that he melts. Sometimes you envy them: like musicians in a band that's actually making money (if your passion is music). These people are happy, full of joy, and living life.
Find what you're passionate about, and do it.
Why is it important to do what you love? If you don't like something, doing it everyday is going to get old pretty fast. Once that happens, your quality will suffer and you'll find it difficult to make a living doing it. Plus, you probably won't be very happy. Most people that stay in a job that they don't like are not very happy people. They're usually not very healthy, either physically or mentally. Their relationships with others, such as family usually suffer as well. We all know people who stay in a job because "it'd be crazy to quit now, I've been here for x number of years, I'd loose my benefits". Yet they choose to stay in a job they don't like, or even hate, to keep their benefits while loosing their life and becoming a zombie.
Why is it important to do what you love? Because when you do, you're "In the Zone". You're probably familiar with that term. When you're "In the Zone", you're on fire, you can do no wrong, you can accomplish great feats effortlessly, and your energy seems to be endless. You also infect others with your enthusiasm. I've used Rachael Ray as an example of this before, and I will again: she followed her heart.
I read on someone's blog (one of the guys in my blogroll I'm sure) a good way to find out what you're passionate about if you don't know. Pretend you have all the money you can spend, all the fancy cars you've dreamed about, and a few houses too. You've spent a few months at the beach and in the mountains and have no worries, all your bills and debts are paid off. You don't HAVE to do anything. Now, what do you want to do? Your answer is what you're passionate about. I hope it was something positive! Sure you can have more than one answer too!
Why is it important to do what you love? Because life's too short to be unhappy and you can't reach your potential when you're not enjoying life.
Until Next Time,
Fred
P.S. I know all the excuses. I don't have enough time, I don't have enough money, no one will ever believe in me, my family and friends will think I'm crazy. Whatever, whatever, whatever. Each day you have the choice to continue being a zombie or take a few steps towards becoming something more. Go. Do it. Get Started. That's an Order Private! (Let me hear a resounding "Sir, Yes Sir!").
About the Author
Fred Black is an experienced online business operator, programmer, web site developer, father, husband, musician, and songwriter. Visit his Internet Business Blog at: http://www.pqInternet.com.
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Posted by Fred on December 20, 2007 | Printer-Friendly
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