World Musings

What does it mean to find the love in what you do rather than do what you love? Finding the love in what you do goes beyond simply just doing what you love. Both are actually pointing to the same thing, it’s just that one goes a little deeper than the other. Finding the love in what you do isn’t about trying to love in something that you aren’t passionate about. Although, that is what I first thought when I heard the phrase.

First of all, we all know doing what you love is the action of being involved in an activity that you are passionate about. If some of us are really fortunate, we might be able to have occupations that we are passionate about. But this isn’t the case for most of us. It is assumed that what we do in our spare time or for a hobby is doing what we love. But to go deeper than that, you need to find the love in that activity or hobby. Simply “doing what you love” means you are mindlessly going about your activity without living in the moment. Living in the moment and becoming the moment is “finding the love in what you do“.

Finding the love in what you do is about the action itself and not the outcome of the action. For example, there might be people who are involved in running marathons for the sake of making the Olympics one day. They love to run and they do it so they can win and receive some attention or even financial gain from it. Going to the Olympics is the big “carrot” that is being held in front of someone that is a competitive marathon runner. So for the marathon runner, finding the love in what they do is about ignoring the “carrot”. Their passion is running, and running is the journey. This passion of running should just be about running. It should be about the action itself even if it means running non-competitively. Because if a person truly loves running, then they would do it on their own even if it isn’t to win a marathon.

You see, if the runner makes everything about going to the Olympics, then they are going to become “unhappy” if they don’t make it. The truth of the matter is, even if they do make it, ultimately they still won’t get what they actually want. They will expect the “end result” to bring them everlasting happiness. Even if they obtain fame and money from going to the Olympics, it is the human way of life to eventually become use to what they have obtained and become bored again. And then once again, become unhappy. So am I saying that the runner shouldn’t want to go to the Olympics or shouldn’t have a goal to go to the Olympics? No, not at all. What I am definitely saying is that the Olympics will take care of itself. If the runner can find the love in what he or she does, and they can truly emerge themselves in that activity and make each and every stride about the stride itself, then he or she will end up performing at their optimum level and beyond. Whether they go to the Olympics or not will take care of itself. Having the focus in doing what the runner is doing in the moment and finding the love in what they do, will bring about satisfaction. The journey itself is what brings happiness. If the runner is truly involved in the moment of what they are doing, then if the Olympics doesn’t come about as an end result, then that’s something that the runner as a person can live with. They know at that point, they gave it their best, and at least they went into it without any fear or doubt. The rest of it is beyond their control.

The marathon runner runs for the act of running itself. Finding the love in what they do is what it should be about. Making the Olympics or winning the marathon will take care of itself. So that should not even be in the mind of the runner. If they make, they make it. If they don’t, they don’t. Finding the love in what you do will bring about the optimum results without even thinking about it. And if it is good enough to get you into the Olympics, then fine. If it doesn’t, then knowing that you performed the best you could and that you truly lived within the moment, will bring about true satisfaction. So in short, don’t do something for the sake of the outcome. Whether it be for money or a promotion at work. Whatever it is you do, do it well, and make each and every movement about the movement. Because the journey and living within the moment of your activity is where the true happiness is. Whether it happens or not, the money or promotion will take care of itself. So get your mind off the money and find the love in what you do.