This week's quote reads, "Do what you love, love what you do."
And my first reaction was, "Huh, nice if you can manage it." Because very few people love *everything* they do. Even if we are fortunate enough to have a vocation - and I have two, as a minister and as a writer, so I count myself doubly blessed - there will still be times in our lives which we have to spend doing things we don't love.
For example, in my case, I loathe both housework and cooking. But I also know that if I want to live in a clean, tidy and welcoming home (which I do) some housework has to be done, in order to make that happen. And I need to eat!
But I understand what the author of the quote means. It is our approach to what we do which makes a difference to how happy we are (or aren't). If I dust or hoover with a bad mental attitude (this is so boring, I wish I could do something else, why can't I afford a cleaner?) it will inevitably make me unhappy. But if I adopt Pollyanna's attitude and try to find something to be glad about in it (the house is going to look lovely when I'm done, and I'll be able to sit down and enjoy it) the time will subjectively go more quickly and I'll derive some satisfaction from a job well done.
It reminds me of the old story of the Medieval traveller who came to a town where workmen were building a cathedral. He spoke to some of the workers about what they were doing, asking them why they were doing it. The first answered that he was doing it for the money; the second answered that he was doing it to support his wife and family, but the third turned to him with a beaming smile and said, "I'm building a cathedral to the glory of God."
