Doing what you love is not enough

Although the Do What You Love mantra decorates my office wall, I now think it is time to be replaced.  

Because, happiness at work is not  just about us.

It is  important to be happy. Happiness is our true state. Not “ha, ha” happiness, but blissful joy. The feeling we experience when we truly perform, when we are in a state of flow, when we know that we deliver according to our purpose. That sort of happiness though, is about others. Without “others”, our purpose, is obsolete.

Enjoying work is a serious affair. It is a  high form of Service.

When we work, in fact we offer the fruits of our labour to someone or to a cause. When we enjoy what we do, our offer is invaluable. When what we do is not enjoyable, then what we offer is of much less value. 

Loving what you do, implies offering it with love. Offering it to serve, to support, to help, to teach, to develop, to sustain, to aid, to comfort, to heal.... It might not be a direct offer, but still it serves some sort of purpose. And if it serves a purpose, it definitely serves people. Therefore, the way to be happy at work, is not just to do what you love. 

But to love who you do it for.

By learning to think about the people who will benefit from what you do, you are a step closer to happiness at work. By breaking free from the “I” and setting sail for what makes “Us” happy, you unlock happiness at work once and for all. And at times, when work seems to be a drag, just the thought of what you can actually offer to anyone relying on your performance, just this thought should be enough to bring the joy back into work.