‎The bad news is that you’re falling through space, nothing to hold on to, no parachute. The good news is that there is no ground.

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Life doesn’t really have a purpose other than experience and what ever you say matters to you… This may be many things… and this may be similar to what I said yesterday – but one this it certainly isn’t is a job.

If you have the pleasure of turning your chosen passion or purpose into your day job – then I hope you’ll agree with me. Because now even your day job isn’t really a job at all!

A Zen Poet said, “A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both.”

So go, live life and love life… but don’t treat whatever purpose you’ve chosen like a bad day job. It may not be easy but it doesnt have to be hard work…

Enjoy!

Update: Just found this post over at Mind the Beginner which seems relevant.

Why? Because I say so.. Because its what I’m drawn to do.

No matter the person there is something good there, something beautiful…
In their darkest moment when they do their worst to me… I will remember who they are.
I may get angry or upset.. but in the end I will try to see it from their side..
A friend used to refer to this as ‘Leadership creating leadership’ – seeking to inspire everyone and see everyone as a leader.

If some part of my life isn’t working its often because I’m failing to see the good in something or someone..

This isn’t to say you have to pick just one thing…I have a few of these. Many of the important things in my life fit into this framework. They’re not something someone told me to do, or something I have to do… they are just what I say my life is for. I’ve posted this quote before but I think it fits this post so here it is again:

This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw

What’s your job in life? What are you passionate about? What do you say you life is for?

Don’t think about what you can do or what you think is possible…
What do you want to do? What do you want your life to be about?

Now go!

Update: Be sure to check out the next post

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as the mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw

Everyone can be taught to sculpt: Michelangelo would have had to be taught how not to. So it is with the great programmers

- Alan Perlis

Found here: http://norvig.com/21-days.html

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

- Harold Whitman