We have all heard the advice of a parent “do what you love” when choosing a career or selecting a profession. However, there is something not quite fitting in the phrase. This article shows why and how to move from doing what you love towards loving what you do.
The assumption under the “do what you love” advice
We all know what activity means. However, it is not as easy to define love. Although most people have experienced love in their lives, there is no clear definition for love. At the same time, it is easy to see that love is not something you do; it is the way you are. As a result, if you try to do what you love, you essentially use the activity to make you loving and happy.
If you think about it, the “do-what-you-love” approach is not sustainable. You cannot perform an activity endlessly. At some point, you want to take a break, which also means you will take a break from being happy. In a way, it also sounds silly to use activity to be loving when love is just your doing. You may use a person or some activity to “unlock” your love but what you unlock is already inside you.
It is within your power to be loving. In other words, love is not about the activity you do or the person you are with; love is about you. It is an important part to understand if you want to be the master of your emotions. On the contrary, if you prefer to be driven by your surroundings, you are free to follow that path. In the end, it is your choice to be a self-propelled machine or a push-propelled machine.
Why “love what you do” is a better advice
If you decide to take your life into your own hands, it does not make sense to focus on doing what you love. On the contrary, you would aim to love what you do. Although these two phrases may sound about the same, there is a fundamental difference between them. And that is freedom. If you love what you do, no matter what the world throws at you, you will go through it lovingly and joyfully.
And yes, the world will not always work the way you plan. There will be problems, challenges, and uncomfortable situations along the way. If you only do what you love, these problems will most probably remain unsolved. Or if you solve them, you will be miserable because you would do something you do not love. On the other hand, if you love what you do, you can go through these challenges and still be loving.
How to love what you do
Whereas it is straightforward to understand why love-what-you-do is superior, it can take some work and persistence to get there. After all, there are things you like and things you do not like. You cannot just love every activity. Any effort towards that direction would be in vain.
As a result, it makes sense to focus on a few constants in your life. Things that are always around regardless of what you do. Instead of using an activity, person, or pet to unlock your love, you use something that is always with you, no matter where you go. This constant could be anything from a memory you have, a divine entity, to the air you are breathing.
Choose one thing in your life that is always with you and can make you loving whenever you connect and focus on it. You use that thing to unlock your love. It would be the “key” to your love “house”. At the start, because you like to lock your love house, you would use the key a lot. It will take some practice and awareness.
The more you use the key, the more you understand that only you can access your love house. So, gradually you will start “leaving the door open”, and you begin to understand you no more need the key. You are slowly becoming an outpour of love because you can and because it makes you blissful. Then, you naturally love what you do, no matter what that is. Welcome to the magic of life.
Takeaway
- You may use a person or some activity to “unlock” your love but what you unlock is already inside you.
- If you love what you do, no matter what the world throws at you, you will go through it lovingly and joyfully.
- Choose one thing in your life that is always with you and can make you loving whenever you connect and focus on it. You use that thing to unlock your love
