**Boy was this one fun to re-read!  Mostly because I’ve finally made it happen – the work day is FILLED with things that strike at the heart of my passion.  No “almost there” or “not even close”.  And it feels WONDERFUL.

It shouldn’t baffle me.  It shouldn’t still be one of those moments that makes me step back and say, “Huh.  Still true.”

But it is.

At least, it has been again just recently.

If you find yourself needing to complete a task and that task is connected to a job or some other type of obligation for which you feel NO passion, it is serious toil to get it done.  Ten minutes feels like 2 hours and no matter how much progress you make, all you can think about is what still needs to be done.

But if you find yourself needing to complete a task that hits at the heart of your passion, the time flies by.  You don’t begrudge a single minute spent on the task because, even as you are striving to meet a deadline, your heart is being filled.  Your spirit is being fed.

There is a difference between toil and work.  One feels tedious and completely lacking in joy.  The other leaves you feeling accomplished and maybe even a little proud of yourself.

There is a difference between tired and worn out.  A day filled with doing what you love will leave you tired and smiling.  You might even spend a moment just reliving the moments before you fall asleep.  But worn out?  That’s bone weariness.  That’s the “thank God this day is over” reaction.

Confucius most often gets the credit for saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  (It’s also been attributed to Mark Twain at least a couple times in various things I’ve read!) So now the trick is figuring how to fill my work life with things I love and rid myself of the tedium.

Hmmmm . . .