My grandmother has worked harder her entire life than anyone I have ever met. Coming from nothing, she found a love for the restaurant industry, always feeling inspired by what she could create next in the kitchen, and what she could do to create a new experience for guests. Today she owns a historic property that has 15 lodging rooms, a pub, and a large venue space for events and weddings.

I have been working with her this summer, and we sat down one day and talked about working. She gets up every day at 5 am and works until 10 pm. No days off. People think she is crazy, or has missed out on life.

They are wrong.

She looked at me one day and told me she absolutely loves what she does. She wakes up every single day excited for what the day will bring, and ready to get to work. For her, it is not work, it is her passion. Have you ever woken up, genuinely excited for the day? Have you felt like you just cannot sleep anymore because you are wasting time you could be spending on what you love?

If not, your life is passing you by.

She asks me if I will want to take over the business some day, and I really do love the inn and all that she has accomplished with it. But I don't wake up every day excited to go to my shift.

However, when I have a day off, I get really excited, and not because I can sit and do nothing, but because I can work on my writing, my photography, my architecture portfolio, or learning new editing software for films.

During school, I would spend 16 hours a day in front of my computer screen, editing things, making small changes, feeling lost on where to take a project next. To some people, that sounds horrible, and they would rather do just about anything else. But I absolutely love every second of it.

I have been lucky to find such a love for something so early in my life, and it has helped me to understand my grandmother so much more.

A lot of people go their whole lives without feeling excitement or genuine joy every day doing their job. They have never found their passion. If this is you, it is okay. It can be really difficult, but my greatest advice to you above anything else is never stop looking until the morning comes where you wake up excited and cannot imagine spending another minute in bed. Wait for it, because you will never look at life the same once you find it.