“Love and work . . . work and love, that’s all there is.”
– Sigmund Freud
I recently had to deal with a mum who asked me to coach her daughter for a scholarship entrance exam. This is something I do as part of my work as a professional tutor. However, when I assessed this particular child’s abilities, it was quite clear that she was not ready for the upcoming exam and neither would she be even if she had double or triple the preparation time. I politely refused to take on this student but it made me think of how most often people are engaged in study or work that goes against the grain of their natural talents or flow.
If you take a look at the enormously successful celebrities, they all have one thing in common. They do what comes naturally to them. Oprah Winfrey has this magnetic personality where she can connect with people so has evolved into this incredibly talented talk show host, Warren Buffet is patient and disciplined and has accumulated great wealth through his investing, Walt Disney had a creative mind and went on to make magical movies that has mesmerised audiences the world over, men like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Donald Trump rely on their connections, intuition and opportune moments to strike deals. Each one of them are stars in their own fields purely because they do what comes naturally to them.
When I was in Standard 8 in high school in South Africa, (equivalent of Year 10 today) we had to choose a subject set that would lead to our chosen career path. Ever since I placed big stones in my backyard to serve as “ students” whom I “taught” when I was merely knee-high, I always cherished the dream of becoming a teacher. I chose the general course that included the two languages, English and Afrikaans, as I wanted to be a language teacher. However, my principal at that time, Mr V Rama, pulled me out of my class and instructed me to sit in the “A” class which was the Science class as he reminded me “that you have the potential to be a doctor, what are you doing in this music class?” When I disclosed my childhood dream of being a teacher, he quickly retorted “anyone can be a teacher, you get to the Science class”.
If you know me well, no amount of money nor mana could entice me to become a doctor. When my own children got bruised or bloodied in childhood, I promptly ran in the opposite direction. I squirm at the sight of blood and needles and gag on the anti-septic smell of hospitals. Anyway, in those days, you obeyed your superiors and I sat meekly and dispassionately in that class until my father intervened by writing a letter to the principal to allow me to do what makes me happy.
I have been a teacher for the last 35 years and beyond any shadow of doubt, I have honestly loved every minute of it. I have blue ink running through my veins. I consider myself extremely lucky to be working in a field that comes naturally to me. They say if you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life. As for earning a doctor’s salary, I think my three tuition centres not only provides me with a tidy income but such an enviable flexibility in terms of lifestyle and being engaged in work that I would do for nothing. I wish my former principal could see how happy and blessed I am to have discovered and capitalised on the talents I was born with.
This is the secret to leading a good life: find your natural strengths which will lead you on the path of least resistance so that you will inevitably excel in your chosen field. When you expect a fish to climb a tree, you are setting yourself for a lot of frustration, disappointment and heartache.
It doesn’t matter how old you are. There is still time enough yet to learn, understand and know your unique gifts, your strengths, your talents and your abilities. Work becomes really meaningful when it expresses your strengths, ignites your passion and is aligned with your core values. Once your strengths, passions and values are present, work becomes deeply satisfying, personally fulfilling and fully energising – something that makes you jump out of bed each morning to kickstart the brand new day.
In most cases, people are stuck in day jobs to earn a living but how wonderful it would be if they could commit full-time to what sparks their joy which are usually their hobbies like coaching, woodwork, fashion, socialising, singing, cooking or sport. We are indeed blessed to be living in a time where talent is not solely recognised by academic ability like it was in the past. Nowadays, you can follow your dream in whatever field you choose. You don’t have to look much further than little nippers making millions with make-up tutorials on YouTube or cute dogs boasting and monetising their zillion Instagram followers.
Here’s hoping that you are one of the lucky ones to be in your “natural flow”. If you still feel that you are the square peg in the round hole, then maybe it is time to get out. As the inimitable Jim Rohn charmingly said: “if you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree.”
Have a super week, Folks.
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