Is doing what you love selfish?
When I was little, that’s what I used to think – that it was impossible to enjoy something and make a career out of it. In my mind, doing work you hated was part of being grown-up.
Now that I’m an adult, though, I thankfully have a different perspective.
But I realize many people still think they can’t do meaningful work and get paid good money for it — they think they have to pick one.
Or worse, they think it would be selfish to do what they would love to do. In the “real world”, they’re told, you can’t wake up excited for the day ahead.
No way. There’s no money in that.
When you reach adulthood, it’s time to enter the rat race. You have to give up on your fairytale dreams and start climbing the corporate ladder so you can have money to pay for an expensive house and car to impress coworkers you don’t care about — so you can keep working at a job you hate.
Am I the only one who hates that picture? Okay, good.
A different perspective
For years, I’ve been told to make myself “marketable”.
According to other people, that was always the most important thing I needed to be. It didn’t matter that I was on the road to being miserable with my life. That was a minor detail.
Not only that, but the people who advised me never considered the possibility that going after what really interested me could also lead to enormous success.
Now, I know those people meant well — I really do. Maybe they were pressured as teens too. Who knows.
To me, the bottom line is this — being happy is much, much more important than having a brilliant career that you hate. Doing what you love matters.
I’ve read so many stories of people who woke up in their 40s or 50s and realized they were well-off financially but utterly dead inside — they hated what their life had become.
They hated the fact that they never had time to be with their families, travel, or follow the dreams they had when they were teens.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any part of that lifestyle. You have talents no one else has — use them.
Remember — you were put on this earth for a reason.
Whether we know it or not, we’re all counting on each other to use our talents to change the world.
The impact one person can have
Imagine what would have happened if Thomas Edison hadn’t followed his passions. Just look at the power of one person following what he really wanted.
It’s incredible.
As I type this, I am benefiting from just one of Edison’s many inventions — the lightbulb. I don’t know what I’d do without it.
I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had to stumble around with candles every evening because no one had followed their talents and passions in life to create something that has revolutionized the world. Because yes, doing what you love can change the world.
And Edison is just one example of that.
The fact is, I was born more than 150 years after Edison was, yet I’ll benefit from his inventions for the rest of my life.
And so will millions and millions of other people.
Go where your talents lead you
Of course, you don’t have to be a great inventor to make a difference.
I think that’s what makes creativity so beautiful — each person is different, and each person has strengths that can change the world.
But remember this — the talents you have, no matter what they are, could change your life and the lives of those around you.
There is nothing selfish about going after what you really want to do. On the contrary — don’t hold back. The world needs what you dream of doing.
Final thoughts
So, no, doing what you love isn’t selfish. You don’t exist to make as much money as possible at the expense of your happiness and passions. I’m convinced of that.
You don’t just need money — you need to feed your creativity.
Humans were born to create. You were born to create. No matter what your talents and dreams are, don’t be afraid to share them with the world — be afraid not to.
By all means, sing in the shower, paint beautiful paintings or start writing a new book at 3 a.m. when the inspiration strikes.
There is nothing more beautiful than someone who is happy with their life because they’re going after what they really want – rather than what other people tell them they want.
Fueling your talents leads to breakthroughs and new creations the world needs, especially in dark times.
