Do What You Love or Hustle and Grind?
We are probably all familiar with the feeling of going to a job day after day, that we really don’t like. (I was going to use the word “hate”, but as I used to tell my boys when they were younger, hate is such a strong and unpleasant word.)
That unpleasant job most definitely affects how you feel emotionally and quite often, how you feel physically. I am no scientist, but I am fairly certain that there have been studies that would reveal results that might confirm my statements.
There is a saying that I have heard many times in my life, referring to a job, that goes something like this: “Everyone has to take a bite of a shit sandwich.” It seems that in order to make your way in this world, you have to do something for (sometimes not very much) pay that is as unpleasant as eating shit. (Something that I have never done for the record, although I have had some jobs that I truly disliked very much; hate being such a strong and unpleasant word.)
I feel that as we are evolving and becoming more self aware, (some would say “waking up”) that there is a movement towards doing more of what you love to do, and maybe a little less of what you are told you have to do.
It is a slow moving potential shift, but I feel that is making it’s way slowly but surely into our conscious awareness.
“Hustle and grind” is still a part of our vocabulary but so is “do what you love, love what you do.”
I am very lucky to be able to do what I love, and love what I do, but that is also a relatively new thing. I have been doing what I love to do for a decade now, and there has been plenty of hard work, along with lots of studying, learning, scrimping and scrambling to make ends meet. There has also been a huge amount of trust and faith. Trust and faith in what you may ask? Myself, or rather, my inner knowing combined with God/Source. This is not about religion, or prayer, it’s about leaving old ideas and ways behind and stepping into self empowerment. Prayer comes in handy, but that is a whole other ball of wax to be visited another time.
This is about spending quality time with yourself, looking deep within at what stirs and moves you. It’s about letting go of what others may have told you you were good at, (or not) and stepping into the unknown a bit. It’s about taking some risks. It’s about trust. And faith.
Much can be said about the experiences of taking a bite out of that shit sandwich, and I am not saying that learning from all of that is not important, I am simply commenting on the possibility of that being an old paradigm belief.
I actually feel better emotionally, mentally and physically when I am working, doing what I love. It hit home the other day when I was feeling very out of sorts, and could not seem to shake the feeling, even after looking within at what potential external events were and had been triggering me. I had a phone client, and after her Akashic Record reading/Intuitive healing session ended I felt so blooming good. It was not an ego thing, it was a deep, inner feeling of well being and peace. It came from my work. I went into the appointment with deep gratitude for the opportunity to offer what I love to do, and ended it with the same feeling: Gratitude. I am grateful to be able to do this work that I love.
I get the same feeling when I am creating art, or channeling a message. I love to work with my Intuitive reading cards. I love this work, and because of that, I feel GOOD.
I also rest, exercise and relax when I need to.
The work I do is not 9-5, and sometimes it requires that I stay fully and completely in trust and faith that all will work out. But here’s the thing: So far it has. I am still here, my practice is growing, I am ready to learn more, and I am exploring new ways to create art. I’ve been doing this almost exclusively for a decade, and I am still here. I am doing things now (creating art, among other things) that I was not doing 5 years ago.
Hustle and grind? No, not so much, although I would say yes to a devotion to learning, and being comfortable with stepping into unknown territory. And yes to working hard to get there but without the “hustle and grind” mentality. Has it been easy? No, not always, but that has also been part of the fun, and it continues to help strengthen my own sense of self, and what I am capable of.
Love what you do; do what you love. It’s good for the soul, it’s also good for the mind and body. I believe in that.
