do what you love

Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life.

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it.

Except it’s not true.

Or, at least, it’s not true for everybody.

What we should be saying is, Love the job you’re in, and you will find your purpose.

Pope Francis tells us in Laudato Si’ that “We were created with a vocation to work. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment.” (no. 128).

Work is what we are created to do. We WANT to work. Work upholds our human dignity.

Every job that upholds the dignity of the worker is a job worth having.
Every job that exists for the purpose of bettering society is work worth doing.

I love the idea of finding something we love to do, of following God’s call in life, and I also understand that sometimes our call is to be exactly where we are, doing exactly what we are doing, because the people around us need exactly what we have to offer.

Sometimes what we love is our family and so we find a job that pays the bills.

Sometimes what those of us with generational wealth and safety nets need to recognize is that every worker in every job is doing meaningful work and we should treat them with the dignity they deserve by paying them a living wage.

** this is a much nicer version of the original post inspired in part by the people with generational wealth who tell their own children to take time to find a job they love while pulling pandemic money away from people who are simply trying to find a job that enables their family to live