Although often misused and taken out of context, love is possibly the single most powerful force in the known Universe. In the simplest term, love is about the connection of one thing to another. It’s a connection that you have in the best of times and in the toughest of times. I’ve come to the conclusion that this has to be to driving point behind the expression, “do what you love.”

When you do what you love, you are fully connected to the work. Your passion and artistry shines through it. You don’t have to try to do a good job; you do a good job because all you’ll accept is good job. Time seems to pass by without your realization of it. You seem to get lost in it, because you find yourself within it. Obstacles and challenges are ineffective at stopping you because you are functioning in what you love.

Some time ago, I made the conscious decision to walk away from my passion because things weren’t working out as I’d planned. I got a decent paying job and told myself to be content with it. It seems every day I had to motivate myself to return to the site. It wasn’t a bad job, but I knew that I was out of my element and I was constantly reminded of it. I felt as though I was selling out my true talent for the illusion of security.

By illusion of security, I mean that I wanted to believe that I somehow had a guarantee of certain benefits like a timely paycheck. I’ll admit, it did feel good getting paid on a regular basis, but there was no passion in what I was doing. The money was good, but it wasn’t providing me with fulfillment. My passion is to create and when I’m not functioning in the creative process, my spirit begins to wane. I became an unhappy and complaining person. I knew that I had to make adjustments, so I did. I got back to doing the things that inspire me.

There’s no magical ending here, but when I’m functioning in what I love, I’m living in my happily ever after. Sure, there are still challenges, but none that I’m unable to work through, because the love and passion for what I do provides me the strength to pull through. Therefore, I’m committed to putting my best foot forward into that which I feel is my Dharma. Dharma means purpose is life. It’s that to which you feel a connection. It’s what you love.

I close with the wise words of Joseph Campbell, “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.”

by: Eric L. Lipsey
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