Pondering: Doing What I Love

"...the gap between what they do and what they really want." - Amy Bloom



A long-time friend of my family asked me on May 26, 2013 what I hope to get out of this year in the United States. I gave her a response, but the real answer to that question is: a dream.

I already know what my Word of the Year is for 2014 - DREAM.

(My current WOTY is working out well; my family and I have made great strides towards a more peaceful life. We already had peace, I just couldn't see it until after our semi-disastrous camping trip.)

I want to write. To be a writer. Essays and a children's novel are my ultimate goals. I enjoy blogging as well. Here there is no pressure. My content is purely for my own joy. (And to have a place where I can laugh as I look at myself.) If this was the last day of my life, would I end it with writing?

Yes, if I could. One last letter to my children.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
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Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." Steve Jobs

Gretchen Rubin's ideas on how to Manage Your Day-to-Day (excellent post) boils down to "What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while." There is power in daily activities, no matter how small.

To lessen the disconnect between the wants and the dos, I will find something today to feed our souls. My first thought is my children's laughter. Joy.