Follow Your Heart

I have had the great fortune of seeing Yo-Yo Ma play the cello. What an amazing experience! He was fantastic! But what impressed me the most was how incredibly happy he seemed. He was smiling from ear to ear and making eye contact with the other musicians as they were playing. His happiness was contagious. There is no doubt that he loves what he does!

Have you ever noticed when someone is doing something they love? I saw it again just last night watching a basketball game. One of the players made a great shot and the look on his face afterward was of pure joy.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all do what we love? Unfortunately, we are often discouraged from following our heart. It’s true that some passions are easier to make a living with than others. For most of us, getting that college degree is a much smarter choice than running off to L.A. with our high school bandmates. But that doesn’t mean we should abandon our love of music all together. There are many ways to make a living in the music business.

A woman I met recently told me she had studied finance and worked for several years in the field, but what she really loved was art. She went back to school, got a Masters in Art History, and now runs a business selling art on-line. She is thrilled to finally be doing what she loves.

Zainab Salbi encourages people to “live your truth.” Her father was Saddam Hussein’s personal pilot. Zainab’s difficult childhood shaped her desire to help women who are affected by war. Despite the discouragement of many, she followed her heart and founded Women for Women International, which has raised over $100 million to help women survivors of war rebuild their lives.

Finding a way to do what you love isn’t always easy, but too many of us are discouraged from even trying. It’s not about just blindly following your passion. It’s about finding ways to incorporate what you love into what you do. Be creative. Explore as many options as possible in order to find a way to follow your heart.