Do You Love What You Do?
Feb 16th, 2009 by Nut
I just finished reading Malcom Gladwell’s (who also wrote Blink and The Tipping Point) fantastic book about success, Outliers. It’s a great read and it’s filled with tons of really interesting nuggets of information, but there’s something he writes in the acknowledgements section that got me thinking, and I wanted to ask what other people thought about it.
Here is the quote:
My earliest memories of my father are of seeing him work at his desk and realizing that he was happy. I did not know it then, but that was one of the most precious gifts a father can give his child.
I thought that was really deep, especially after watching Revolution Road and how much DiCaprio’s character hated his job.
Do you love what you do? If not, does it matter to you what kind of example this sets for your kid?
Yes. At least 90% of the time. But I’m a student, so we’ll see how it is when I start working full-time in the fall!
Wow. I’ve been struggling with my day job for some time now. Much of the time I do not enjoy it, but I’m afraid to let the salary go at this point. While my children are always at the front of my mind, I hadn’t really thought about how I feel about my job might shape them. Much food for thought here. Thanks.
I enjoy what I do 9-to-5, but I don’t love it. BUT, my 9-to-5 bankrolls the things I do love to do. I actually think my lifestyle sets a good example to my kids. If you can make money doing what you love, great. If you can’t make money doing what you love (enough to live on), find something acceptable and do what you love in your freetime.
That’s a great concept FupDuck, and also a great example for your kids. It basically says, “Hey look, I’m responsible and providing for my family, but my work is not my life. It’s what allows me to enjoy the other passions in my life.”
I think that’s just as good a model to show kids.