“You may be exhausted with work, even kill yourself,but unless your work is interwoven with love, it is useless.” -Mother Teresa-
Do you love what you do? I didn’t ask if you were comfortable do what you do. Or if you mind doing what you do. I asked if your heart beats fast when you do what you do. I asked if secretly after three or four days into vacation you find yourself wanting to get back to what you do. Now some might say that is a little obsessive. You might say but Dewey ” I work to live not live to work” I understand the importance of balance in life, but I also understand the importance of making a stand for something, and the importance of leaving a legacy behind. I was a restaurant manager before my wife and I started our own business. You have to understand I was obsessed with food. Everything about it, from the raw ingredients all the way to where the porcelain was sourced to make our plates. I have a chefs heart, I still find myself some mornings waking up and thinking what might be in season at the market that I could make for dinner that night, all before I have my coffee! The thing that got me out of the restaurant business was thinking about the dining room on any given night. I would walk around and you could literally see life happening all around you. For example at table 23 you would have an Mr & Mrs Jennings celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, a couple booths down I would be delivering a special desert plate with an engagement ring on it to a young couple. Out in the middle of the dining room I would have a bereavement dinner next to a little boys fifth birthday. Over in the bar at our “mafia” table I would have business men with their suits, top button buttoned and a perfect windsor knot, while 2o feet away at the bar watched the game and drinking a beer is two guys with their ties loosened celebrating the big sale. It was my job first as a line cook and then as a sous chef and ultimately as a Front of house manager to make sure all these peoples experience where great. I made sure the food was executed properly and hot when it came out and that the service was warm and prompt. I got to facilitate alot of lives, but I never got to change them. I loved food, but I didn’t feel what I was doing was contributing to anything. So I left and now my heart beats fast everyday. But I love it. I think thats the thing with starting a business, if you approach everything you do and every task with love and a humble heart, that automatically shifts the focus off the fear alot of people have when they go out on a limb starting a new business or new career. The fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of what people might think of you, all of that goes out the window when you keep focused on the lives you can touch by doing what you do, not because it’s your job or business but because you love, everything else will take care of it’s self.
She got it right. One other factor though, to love work one also needs to feel it is making a difference to someone as well, as opposed to serving someone.
I believe this applies more to people who’re working for someone. The someone may have a target as in profits but for those working for the someone there’re these certain intangibles that need to kick in.