Who am I and what do I love to do? Well, isn’t this the twenty million dollar question! A more appropriate question might be “Who was I and what did I love to do?”
As you search to find yourself, and what it is you love to do, you may find the task harder than you thought it would be. Try to think about your childhood. Can you remember what thrilled you as a child? Like many people you’ve probably forgotten what brought try joy and excitment to your essence.
Children instinctively just “know” what they love. We quickly forget what makes us happy as we grow into adults. External influences eventually diminish the thought of actually “doing what we love to do.”
When I was a child I vaguely remember wanting to be a stewardess, a mother of 8 (don’t know why it had to be 8, sounds rather ambitious in today’s world), and a musician.
Well, didn’t every little girl who grew up in my world want to be a stewardess? It seemed so. Or, could it have been a clue to what really was the essence of me? Maybe I longed to travel and this was what society offered at the time.
I did have a musical inclination. I seemed to learn to play clarinet fast, and was quite good for a beginner. Never got past the beginning, victim of circumstances, but that’s another long story. I could pick a tune on the piano by ear and dreamed of being able to sit down and flawlessly play the most beautiful of compositions. But, that didn’t happen.
The mom thing? Don’t know where that came from. Maybe the caring side of me. Maybe just that period most little girls go through where they emulate their mother and “play house.” Who knows?
But, I did grow up to be the mother of four. I quickly learned that 8 was really ambitious. Some days, I don’t know how I survive the four. I’m far from super mom status, but I guess I don’t do too bad.
I’ve found recently, through self searching and pondering, that the question of “who am I?” becomes increasingly difficult with age and life’s interference. Yes, life interference can be very damaging to our happiness. Our experiences tend to mold us into the person we are today. By the way, that isn’t necessarily who we were meant to be.
Have you ever longed to be able to do something you are passionate about and truly loved as a child. Maybe it’s some form of art; painting, drawing, crafting, dancing, or singing. Maybe you enjoyed building things or, taking things apart and putting them back together. Or, were you the mathematical genius in the class? Did you love to play school and teach real or imaginary children?
Childhood is innocence. As children we accept our true essence without question and pursue it daily in our real and imaginary play. It is life and life’s external influences that re-route us away from what we love to do. We are too quickly discouraged from the pursuit of happiness.
It is apparent in many happy, successful, adults that there is often a common denominator. Most extremely successful people really love doing what they do. They live their work. They strive to be better and better at it. They never dread going to work and are always thinking about new ways to improve. They simply love the work. They “live to work” not “work to live.”
America’s most famous billionaire, Malcolm Forbes, reflected this same belief, that you should do what you love to do to be successful, in several of his statements:
“Success follows doing what you want to do. There is no other way to be successful.”
“When what we are is what we want to be, that’s happiness.”
“The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living at doing what they most enjoy.”
These quotes from Malcolm Forbes pretty much sum up the importance of doing what you love to do. Everyone should pursue what they love to do. Then work at doing what they love. You may say “It’s too late.”
It’s never too late to rediscover your childhood passions. It’s certainly never too late to start getting some satisfaction and enjoyment out of life. If only for your own pleasure, you should pursue what you love to do.
Whatever it is you feel you would love to do, go for it. Take an art, singing, dancing, literature, accounting, computer, home decorating ,or mechanic class. Invest in yourself and your happiness. You may find that through pursuing what you love, you will find your best work. Share your knowledge, passion, or talent with others. You will see yourself become confident and successful at what you love to do.
I found that my favorite thing to do is to simply be a housewife and mother. Maybe it’s not “just being a mom.” Rather, it’s doing the things required to be a housewife and mom. It’s not a glamorous career. But, it does require quite a few skills. Moms are usually very talented in more than a few areas; art, organization, accounting, negotiating, and decorating are just a few that come to mind.
My favorite task is saving money. A family of six makes saving money pretty much a requirement of my job but, I’ve found that I Love IT! I get great satisfaction in getting the most for my money, getting things for free, and managing a household on a very limited income. So, in order to expand on my happiness, I decided to share my knowledge with others. I actually have fun sharing my ideas and money saving tips. And, I enjoy researching and finding more money saving tips for myself and others.
Sometimes, it seems like I can’t pull myself away from my work. That’s because I love it so much. I love it, I am passionate about it, and I believe in it! Enthusiasm is contagious. If I can get others excited about saving money, then I am happy.
I don’t like the way things are lookin’ for family finances today. It’s discouraging to see so many families in financial trouble. Maybe, I’ll help change that! Maybe you can change something too!
Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become, and remain, debt free. Publisher of Simple Debt Free Living at http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com – A self-help plan, ideas, and resources for household budget planning, debt management, frugal living, and work at home ideas.
