Light of Many Lamps – Response to Georgeena

After Georgeena read the short story by Thomas Carlyle, she discusses the importance of finding truly fulfilling work that electrifies the soul. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many people as they simply work to pay the bills with little left over. She uses the analogy that unfulfilling work is similar to a machine that has been left on, arguing that people are becoming increasingly depressed due to lack of purpose. Often times, when people are unsatisfied with their work situation, they will bring that stress back home, poisoning their home atmosphere as well. Carlyle argues that individuals need work to give their lives purpose and meaning.

I personally believe that passion is found in the dance between our greatest fear and our deepest desire. This follows the old saying, “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” The world needs more people to follow what lights their hearts on fire; this is where the cherished and prized creations are born. This is where the rest of world gets to experience and enjoy the fruits of an individual’s talent. Without people brave enough to follow their passions, the world would be robbed of creations such as The Mona Lisa, the IPhone, Michelangelo’s David, and many more masterpieces and technologies that supplement our lives.

Passion allows us to enter a “flow” state in which we are truly present and at ease with our true sense of self. It is a peak performance state where all sense of time is lost and we are completely engrossed in the task at hand. These are the moments that we seek to find in our work, but they can only be found when we are following our passion. Often times, people choose a career simply because they think it will have a decent salary or they have a slight interest in the topic. However, many people fail to consider all the aspects that come with achieving that specific career goal. François de La Rochefoucauld warns, “Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are who already possess it” (Watson, 1951: p.10). People do not take into consideration the sacrifices that the career may require such as the enormous time and energy commitment. For example, many doctors did not fully grasp the time commitment that the career would demand, resulting in missed family BBQs and children’s soccer practices. It is crucial to ensure that it is your passion, or else you may miss out on life’s most cherished moments. Work takes up at least one third of our time in life, so we had better make sure that it brings us joy, happiness, and fulfillment.

Thank you Georgeena for your thoughtful reflections. Looking forward to reading more blog posts!

Christina

Reference

Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.