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I promise I am not violating the forum rules. The pertinent discussion in this article happens before and distinctly separate from any religious pitch. It is more on the interaction between hobby and career.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/mobile/article/kevindeyoung/should-you-look-for-a-job-you-are-passionate-about

Thoughts? I am not certain I agree.

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I think the article covered all the bases. I love woodworking, but I couldn't imagine doing it as a FULL time job. Part time small shop on the side, absolutely. But what are the chances of that?

I would also like to be a charter captain to a fishing boat. But I can't imagine doing that all the time either. And that would require a full time presence to understand the patterns. Especially with these Lake Michigan salmon.

I am getting into structural engineering. I am not extremely passionate about it, as I have not dreamed about it since I was little. But I am interested beyond believe of the practice.

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I don't think I completely agree either.

 

Reality says that most people end up in "careers" when they are young and don't really know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.  They get jobs or go to college with no (or very little) real life experience and are ill-equipped to make those decisions.

 

In my case, I took a temporary job right out of the Military and have now been there 23 years.  And, I'm here to tell you, it aint cause I love the job.  Frankly, after a couple years in, I was making a wage where I couldn't quit and start over.  I learned to "live" on that wage..  Now, all these years later, I have one more child at home with a couple years left in High School.  The wife and I agree that after he's done, all bets are off.  If I want to quit, I can.  I'll still need to work but, we've severely reduced our "outgo" so that I can go back to work doing something I enjoy at a lower wage rather than a job I hate for a higher wage.

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Reality says that most people end up in "careers" when they are young and don't really know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.  They get jobs or go to college with no (or very little) real life experience and are ill-equipped to make those decisions.

 

I have to totally agree!  We ask kids to make big decisions off of tid bits of theory (school), and rarely any hands on experience in a field.  Every time a school system kills an elective, they are starving another opportunity for a kid to learn an actual skill, and gain a real life experience....I digress, that's a different post, on a different forum.

 

I have to say, I like my job.  I have liked every job I have had since I was 14 though, so maybe I am just weird...  

 

I don't think there is a job that I would love.  I love my wife, I love my children, I don't know that I could love work, and I don't think that is a bad thing.  To me, you are investing way too much emotionally into work if you actually "love it".  I am not a shrink, but I would suspect those who truly love their work, are doing so because they don't have something better to love (filling a void).  I think that level of passion and emotion should be reserved for people, not a series of tasks.  Then again, maybe I am just over analyzing the use of the word "love".  It means something different to everyone.

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Not sure if it fits in here. I work at a pretty physically demanding place right now. Happens to be a major retailer distribution center. Any given day I move over 5-7000 boxes by hand. Bending over to pick up off a pallet, put on a pallet, reaching up in trailers to get freight out, and building the freight back into trailers. This is not my ideal job, but it pays well.

 

What really sets the job apart is the people I work with. If I did not work with the group of people I do, this job would not be as fun to wake up at 4:00AM to go to, and come home at 7:00PM.

 

How big of a difference do your co-workers make for you to enjoy your job? For me, it is huge.

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I took a job in woodworking to pay for my JD. By the time I graduated I decided to stick with woodworking. I cant say I love woodworking but I dont regret the choice either. I have no problem getting up at 3:30 am every morning and walking my butt out to the shop with a cup of coffee to start my day. At noon Im done for the day and if I want to take a nap and go back to work I can.  I can work until 9pm and not feel like im at a job. I think if had to punch a time clock woodworking I would hate it.

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Not sure if it fits in here. I work at a pretty physically demanding place right now. Happens to be a major retailer distribution center. Any given day I move over 5-7000 boxes by hand. Bending over to pick up off a pallet, put on a pallet, reaching up in trailers to get freight out, and building the freight back into trailers. This is not my ideal job, but it pays well.

 

What really sets the job apart is the people I work with. If I did not work with the group of people I do, this job would not be as fun to wake up at 4:00AM to go to, and come home at 7:00PM.

 

How big of a difference do your co-workers make for you to enjoy your job? For me, it is huge.

Interaction with others is important for me and work is so much sweeter when you get on well with the team.

 

It's a hard one really. I never thought that deeply about stuff when I was younger. I kinda always knew I would head into the family business and work hard and hopefully provide a living for me and my family. 

 

One thing is true of all jobs, there are very few beds of roses, there are ups and downs, curve balls that catch you out. Whatever you choose and for whatever reason, give it your best. 

 

On the original article perhaps for some people the passion with the job can be harmful in the long term, for others it can give them the edge. Gotta find your own way.

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Not sure if it fits in here. I work at a pretty physically demanding place right now. Happens to be a major retailer distribution center. Any given day I move over 5-7000 boxes by hand. Bending over to pick up off a pallet, put on a pallet, reaching up in trailers to get freight out, and building the freight back into trailers. This is not my ideal job, but it pays well.

 

What really sets the job apart is the people I work with. If I did not work with the group of people I do, this job would not be as fun to wake up at 4:00AM to go to, and come home at 7:00PM.

 

How big of a difference do your co-workers make for you to enjoy your job? For me, it is huge.

 

A good group of people to work with will make any job enjoyable. I could have a dream job/career, but if I work with a bunch of jerks...I would hate that job.

 

Being able to have a great, close-knit work "family" has a big impact for how much I value my career, and how passionate I am about my efforts there. That's a benefit that doesn't show on the paycheck.

 

 

As for woodworking.....I love having an outlet for myself which so perfectly blends nature, engineering, danger, creativity, beauty, and craftsmanship in one single activty that demands my complete focus while engaged. I'll be touching steel to wood whether I get paid or not....if that's not love for the craft, I don't know what is.

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I think it's different for people entering the working world now than when I started.  Because there are fewer positions with pensions and actual retirement plans, I think it more important than ever a person choose to have their work be something that is fulfilling.  The likelihood is that you'll be doing it for the rest of your life. That may seem like a negative thing, but it really is a very positive thing.  Too often we work in positions that provide us with what my father called "golden handcuffs".  We get used to an income from a job we don't care about and then we're "stuck" because we fear losing everything.  When you're starting out, you have nothing and therefore nothing to fear losing.  Anything you pick will eventually generate an income.  It may not make you rich, but being rich is not really an end goal that goes toward a fulfilling life.  Being content and at peace with yourself is what makes for a good life.  So, choose wisely and follow your dreams.  Just be prepared to work those dreams.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've actually read the book he references and I'm torn. The author makes a fantastically logical argument that "Following your passion" can lead to disaster and one should follow what they are good at and become passionate about it or become fulfilled by it.

 

However, I think the whole deal underestimates the ability to infuse one's passion into what one does. For example, I love teaching, but I am an architect. I have found a way to spend most of my day teaching in one fashion or another. I would not have been able to do that without gaining mastery of a job that I thought I loved (more than teaching).

 

The argument is that passion is derived from mastery. I disagree. For me, being a designer didn't lead to teaching. I have sat next to tens and tens of designers, and I am the only one passionate about teaching, while we all shared a mastery of design. By his logic, I should be passionate about design, not teaching.

 

So, to the point at hand. I think that one has to decide priorities. The author seems to be operating on the premise that business success or monetary success is what one should build a career on. THAT is the choice one needs to decide, and frankly, constantly be reevaluating. 

 

I like the phrase mentioned earlier "golden handcuffs". I know many folks here have said to themselves that they have the skills to do their hobby (in this case woodworking) for a living, but they would have to walk away from their steady paychecks and benefits. That is an incredibly tough call to make. I try to find ways to merge my passions of teaching and woodworking into my day job. I choose not to isolate those worlds, but to merge them.

 

For my $.02, I say it's not an either-or question, but more how can one influence the other.

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