WHERE IS THE LOVE?

The days have long gone when appreciation for one’s skills, as well as being happy, was the benchmark for deciding whether a profession is worthwhile or not. These days many career decisions are based mainly on how much money is involved whether it be sports, business or music. A valid criterion, but is it enough? Where are the days when we did things purely because we enjoyed it and felt good because we made a difference?

An ex-work colleague of mine used to say something that I find very remarkable and within the context of the present day, unusual. “I would work in IT doing what I do now even if I wasn’t ever paid for it”. Initially, I assumed he was repeating one of those lovely clichés that makes for excellent spin in the work environment, in the hope the boss catches wind of it, and you know the rest - a possible easy promotion. However, on close observation, I realised that he had a kind of enthusiasm towards problem-solving that was pretty much impossible to fake. It was ego-free, boundless and almost child-like. His attitude to his work was not at all a routine. He had, probably unwittingly, crafted his work to such a fine art to which I slowly became an aficionado, who would gladly have paid for his handiwork were there a way to put it on to canvas. It was simply beautiful.

Going off the cuff a little. Today, I made a decision to support Arsenal mainly because it dawned on me, whilst watching them play Portsmouth, that Thierry Henry was no longer with the team. Now, I have never previously supported any football teams because I arrived onto the English 'footie' scene a little late. I believed I had missed out on so much that my contemporaries, most probably, would have gone through and been able to relate with, that I didn’t think it was worth it. To me, supporting a winning club would have made me a glory hunter; a losing team and I would probably forever have been, at best, a hopeful. So I never bothered. Anyway, Thierry has drawn me to Arsenal mainly because of his love of the game and his dedication to his team, particularly during the Champions’ League of 2006, when Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the finals. I was struck by his doggedness to stick with the club in spite of other lucrative offers he could very well have gone for at the time [the tabloids do speak the truth sometimes]. His heart was involved in what he did and I believe his attitude towards his work speaks volumes of his character. This is one reason why I have so much respect for him. I love his love of the game. It too, is simply beautiful.

Due to their passions, both my ex-work colleague and Thierry have been able to draw fans, albeit, to varying degrees, but the point is that they certainly made a difference to me. By loving and enjoying their crafts, they have essentially become the very best in their fields. Now, whether this is a coincidence is a topic for another day. History says, however, that there is a very high correlation between enjoying what one does and excelling at it.

I am certainly not advocating jumping on the next bus that leads to Pro Bono land or getting involved in a scrap to sing for Simon Cowell at X-Factor because Music is our passion. Let’s not get silly. I am, however, strongly of the opinion that it is of vital importance that we have and develop a sense of gratification in whatever we lay our hands on to do and that this feeling should play just as much (if not more) a role as any other factor, including money, in determining where we spend a third of our lives.