the cost of doing what you love

Mar 5, 2010

[“Successful”, which I sent out recently in the newsletter. You can get the signed print here etc.]

While writing the first draft of EVIL PLANS, I wrote about “The Hunger”– that primal drive we all have to do something meaningful with our lives.

The Hunger will give you everything. And it will take from you, everything. It will cost you your life, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.

What do I mean by “Everything”?

Well, pretty much what I said. Anything worth doing takes forever. And if time is all we have have, then QED, time is “Everything”.

Only you can decide if it’s worth it…

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Paul Montwill

14 years ago

The question is, Hugh, if The Hunger leads us to what we love doing or just leads us somewhere…

Often we work hard, do a lot, more that we can handle, often things we hate just to feed our hunger… but instead we just work to become successful and not to be HAPPY and fullfilled.

There are easier ways to do it. Start doing what you love in small portions… step by step.

So maybe the most important thing is WHO to feed the Hunger? Becoming successful doesn’t work anymore…

Paul Montwill

14 years ago

Reply to Paul Montwill

Should be HOW… sorry

Susan Wenger

14 years ago

Reply to Paul Montwill

I like “WHO to feed the hunger” better. Are you feeding it your best self, or people’s expectations of who you should be? If the latter, it will remain malnourished.

Paul Montwill

14 years ago

Reply to Susan Wenger

Susan, I like the way you added value to my spelling mistake 🙂 You are right, there is hunger (people’s expectiations) and the Hunger that Hugh writes about. In the last Rocky Sly also mentions about his Hunger to fight – one of the best part in the film.

Adrian Swinscoe

14 years ago

Hi Hugh,
Great post. Reminded me of a conversation I had with my father about rock climbing a number of years ago. Now, I am a climber and have been for about 10 years, but no-one in my family is into this sport. My Dad seeing how much I enjoyed it asked my about the risks and the anxiety that he sometimes felt when I went out climbing. I explained to him that whilst there are risks I was not in the habit of doing things beyond my capability so was acyively managing the risks. I did acknowledge that something could happen but that shouldn’t stop us doing what we love and, ultimately, its not tragic to die doing something we love.

Just got your book ‘Ignore Everybody’ and am looking forward to a good read.

Thanks again,

Adrian

Paul Montwill

14 years ago

Reply to Adrian Swinscoe

“Its not tragic to die doing something we love” – great title for a book 🙂

Editor

Hugh MacLeod

14 years ago

Reply to Paul Montwill

@, @

“Love is perilous.” Took me DECADES to learn that the hard way.

Paul Montwill

14 years ago

Reply to Hugh MacLeod

It is perilous but isn’t it worst to accept status quo and don’t fight for what we love doing?

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14 years ago

[…] too! Whatever needs to be done – I’m it, period. Hugh MacLeod sums it up best in this cartoon (you should really subscribe to his newsletter, and pick up a copy of his book “Ignore […]

ITEMS » the cost of doing what you love

14 years ago

[…] Hugh nails it yet again! If you want success you have to work at it…and great cartoon too […]

Alice Bachini-Smith

14 years ago

I can never decide if I agree with you on this one, or not.

On the one hand I think doing what you love IS life, if that’s the life you’re supposed to lead, so it doesn’t “cost you your life” (by definition.

On the other hand, I think living the kind of life you’re really talking about is about being on or near the edge, all the time, sometimes falling right off it and being dragged back, etc. So you can’t do that and have what most people consider to be “a life” – 2.4 kids, house in the burbs, pension & membership of the country club.

But is that really a life anyway?

(Trick question- it is for people whose path is meant to go that way. But not for those of us who feel like square pegs in round holes when we try it.)

Editor

Hugh MacLeod

14 years ago

Reply to Alice Bachini-Smith

Alice, I think St Paul got it just about right:

“Without Love, I am nothing.”

An easy concept to understand. Much harder to actually believe.

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14 years ago

[…] the cost of doing what you love | gapingvoid […]

joe

14 years ago

Kind of reminds me of something Jerry Seinfeld said the other day in a NYTimes interview which I bookmarked:

“Ideas are a terrible obligation. Who needs something else to take care of? I have kids. I’d rather nurture them than another idea.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/arts/television/28marriage.html

Also, just finished Steven Pressfield’s wonderful little book, The War of Art:
http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/0446691437

Puts all this into perspective:

“The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt, and humiliation.”

And that’s on a good day…

-jc

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14 years ago

[…] the cost of doing what you love | gapingvoid […]

ControlCalorie

14 years ago

I really like your artistic style! The lines are intricate yet creative! Just keep it up! I hope to see more of your work in the next days. because, I’ll be coming back to check your latest work! LOL. Keep it up!

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14 years ago

[…] the cost of doing what you love | gapingvoid […]

Mike O'Meara

14 years ago

how true…

Jamie claret

14 years ago

Very interesting. Felix Dennis, self made millionaire and prolific publisher writes that before you set off on the journey to become fabulously wealthy you need to decide if that is what you REALLY want. As he puts it, if you do, you will very likely lose you partner, your children and everything else.

As he puts it, wealth gives you one thig above everything else, time and choice.

I suppose it’s that fine balance.

My concern is that I started my business to create time and wealth, but now enjoy the process of business so much that I WANT to do it all the time

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