I, too, bought the book mentioned in Penelope Trunk’s post when I was fresh out of college, but ignored what it said to pursue a bunch of different careers.  And I’m not sorry about that – I’ve worked at some pretty interesting jobs, and I wouldn’t trade my education and experience for anything. 

What do you think about the statement to do what you are?  Since childhood I’ve been a writer and am lucky enough to get paid for it in my adult life. Whether I’ve been paid or not, writing satisfies a need deep inside of me to communicate and bond with others through shared experiences. I don’t always love the job, though.  As with all jobs, there is a pressure to perform, there is donkeywork (filing, calendars to keep, and bookkeeping), and there is a third party to please.  Writer’s block is a luxury.  Even if you can’t think of a thing to write you have to plow through, all the while hoping that something useful and well written is created.

I’ve had jobs I loved for the process (bookbinder, designer), jobs that I loved for the satisfaction derived from the work (writing), and jobs I disliked (not naming those – burning bridges and all that). All I know for certain is that if you are working in a profession that doesn’t meet your intrinsic intellectual, ethical and moral standards, you will never be happy, have a tremendous amount of stress, and possibly a shortened lifespan. 

So, maybe it’s not about doing what you are or what you love.  Maybe it’s about doing work that supports who you are and what you believe.  For me, it’s writing.  For my friend, it’s owning a bike shop.  For another friend and her husband, it’s organic farming.  Perhaps to love the work that you do, it has to be personal.