Let's start with this: I am not very good at doing what I love. Among other things, I love to sing and I love to play guitar, but I am not extraordinarily talented at either. If I was to pursue a career in music, there is a very small likelihood that I would find myself winning Grammys or conquering Top 40 charts. I lack both the stage charisma and particular kind of talent that bears stars like Taylor Swift.
Some people are able to make careers out of being artists, magicians, app designers, novelists and musicians because they have an incredible talent for doing those respective jobs. There is a natural competitiveness within people, and those who have a drive and focus that exceeds others are the ones who are able to succeed. It isn’t about the talent as much as it’s about how to make your talent appeal to other people.
Our way of life is dependent on people being passionate about the jobs that they do – I can’t imagine the man who drives the garbage truck woke up one day and decided that his life’s greatest purpose was disposing of other people’s trash, but he’s getting up every day and doing his job well. I think we sometimes forget that this work ethic (along with everyone else’s) really does make the world go round. We associate success and happiness with doing the things that we’ve dreamed of doing since we were little kids, but realistically not all of us can be President of the United States or Neil Armstrong. That’s a very simple fact of life. However, we can decide to have passion in everything that we do – and through that we can grow to love our jobs and our lives as a whole.
I love to travel and I love to read, and if I spent my entire life traveling and reading I would probably be pretty dissatisfied. Why is this? Because it would give me no sense of purpose, no reason to get up in the morning and fight the good fight. Am I forcing myself to be unhappy? Absolutely not. I’m learning to love what I do, whatever that may be, instead of expecting to find fulfillment in only one kind of future. No, I’m not giving up my dreams of writing a novel and somehow changing the world, but I’m opening my mind up to all the places that could take me. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I have an innate belief that there is a lot of power in our dreams and our work ethic. If you love something enough, give it everything you have. If that doesn’t work out, understand that it isn’t the end of the road. Failure should never invalidate your excitement about anything.
Sometimes you’re going to be bar tending when you’d rather be directing small budget indie films in California, and it would be a waste of time to perceive your inability to be a director as a slow descent into defeat. Above all else, it should never discourage you from loving and appreciating other people’s successes doing similar jobs. Understand that the world will demand everything of you and it will not always compensate you for your efforts. Work hard enough in anything you attempt that you eventually start loving what you do and where you are.
This sense of purpose will take you farther than you could ever imagine. More importantly, it will teach you and the people around you that your life and your achievements are only limited by your own mentality. If you don't like it, figure out how to make it work for you.
And yeah, you might not end up directing the next Sundance Film Festival nominee, but that doesn't mean you won't be doing something equally as cool. Good things really do come to those who wait (and work their asses off.)
