There was no graphic which fit with this topic, so have some exoplanets!
The other day, this quote or inspirational drivel came across my desk:
The secret of good living is not to do what one likes, but to like what one has to do. ~James M. Barrie
Really? Like what I have to do? Sometimes I have to do laundry. I don’t necessarily like it, but I also don’t hate it. It’s just something that has to be done. Same with doing the dishes or vacuuming. I don’t necessarily like doing those things, but I have to do it in order to keep a neat and tidy place.
Liking what you do is half the battle to having a good and successful life. If you do what you like, if you manage to be one of those lucky or privileged enough to get a job in a field you really like, then you’re full steam ahead. But if you’ve got a crumby job, and you have to do it, there’s no amount of philosophical bullshit that will make you like it. Especially if it’s a crappy job, if the manager is sort of a bully, if your co-workers are all boring and listless. None of that will help you with liking your job. And that doesn’t even cover pay wage. Poor, minimum wages don’t make one feel empowered. “Wow! I work at a minimum job, and I feel empowered to make the $10.00 an hour in order to just get by.” That’s what the minimum around here is. It gets even worse in places that are lower, or, as I’ve seen in many places, no minimum wage at all.
I’m not gonna turn my life into some Disney Princess film (though, I’m pretty confident I could pass as a decent Disney Princess, beard and all) and sing every time I have to do a load of laundry or clean my bathroom. There’s no fucking birds landing on my balcony as I dust my living room. And even if there were, my only response would be to shoo them all away before they shit on my balcony. Funny how birds don’t take into consideration that they’d be more accepted if they didn’t shit all over everything.
But really, I’m sorry to the original author who tried in vain to make a philosophical, and inspirational comment, and have it fall flat. Because as far as I’m concerned I’d rather do what I like than like what I have to do. I’d rather write and have all my creative ideas flow onto paper (both physical and digital). As it is, the things I often have to do are completely draining on me at times. So no offense, dubious inspirational quote, but I’m going to call bullshit on you.
And to end off this topic, here’s a picture of a smiling Arctic Fox.
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