Heck, I’m an inspirational speaker and even I know that this is simply not true. It is, in fact, a lie. A fib. Hyperbole.
You cannot do anything you want, that is if you want to be happy.
Let me explain…
I love the piano. I took lessons as a child and again, just a few years ago. I love it and I’m not very good at it. Piano playing, heck any musical instrument, just doesn’t come naturally or easily to me. It’s not in my bones.
If I took lessons five days a week, twelve months a year for ten years, I would be able to play but I’d never, ever be a truly great pianist. It is not what I was built for. It is not in my DNA. It is not where I can have the most positive impact. (Picture a pigeion telling everyone she’s a Peacock. You get the point.)
If you want to be truly happy, then you must do what you love.
If you want to be happy over the long term, then you must find your unique purpose,
your place of best and highest contribution, and you must commit your life to it.
We’re talking about utter devotion here!
That means that if you’re a real people person, then you’d best work in teams or collaborate with others. If things of beauty are what make you happy, then you’re going to need to incorporate beauty into your job description or business plan. If you’re in love with numbers then, for goodness sake, make sure that you get to work with them at least 80% of the time.
Yes, theoretically you can do anything you want, but why would you?
When the work we do doesn’t come naturally to us, it becomes very hard in very short order. Where is the glory in hard? Where is the personal satisfaction in hard? Where is the life fulfillment in hard?
Nowhere! It doesn’t exist. You’re not going to find it. End of story.
Hard is a distraction. Hard is your resistance. Hard is your unwillingness to embrace the truth of who you are. Hard is trying to prove something false about yourself instead of demonstrating something that is true and authentic.
According to HR Magazine, within three weeks of starting a new position, 84% of new hires are disappointed by their jobs, and their employers are disappointed with them. Three weeks, and everyone’s miserable. Oy.
And do you know why this happens? Fear and ignorance.
People take a job they’re not suited for either because a) they don’t have the self-awareness to actually know where they can make the most positive impact and/ or b) they don’t believe they can actually get paid to do what they love.
People hire someone who’s not suited for a job either because a) they base their decision on the skills and experience of an applicant, rather than on the innate qualities an individual must have in order to do the best job and/or b) they have the expectation that most hires won’t be A players (or even B) so it becomes a self-fulling situation.
What do YOU need to do?
Figure out what makes you happy
Discover what job(s) would allow you the opportunity to do that
Give yourself permission to love what you do and earn what you deserve
LASTLY, I’ll make this short and sweet… If you don’t absolutely love your work, if you don’t feel on purpose, and you know you’re not making a big enough difference, then CLICK HERE. If you do what you love, then you have an obligation to pass this on to someone who doesn’t.
What do you love to do? I’d love to hear your thoughts so please leave your comments below.
Please share in the comment section below — we’d love to learn from you.
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Nancy D. Solomon, MA Psych is the CEO and Founder of The Leadership Incubator where she helps leaders identify, address, and resolve people's problems before they become profit problems so everyone can focus on what they were hired to do-- INNOVATE AND DRIVE GROWTH.
Known as The Impact Expert, she is the main stage speaker, expert trainer, and veteran coach who helps leaders solve key issues related to leadership development, employee engagement, and advancing women.
Nancy has made a difference for such companies as Microsoft, Target, Acura, Westin, Nordstrom & ADP as well as with many passionate individuals.