What if money were no object?
What if you did what you loved doing, regardless of whether or not it paid you money?
Alan Watts asked this question of his students when they asked him what they ought to be doing with their lives.
Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You will be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is, to go on doing things you don’t like doing… which is stupid! — Alan Watts, What if Money Were No Object?
Sometimes when you bring this up with people, they respond that not everyone has the option to do what they love.
Not everyone can afford to treat money as no object.
“Ask the poor what they think of this advice” is often the retort you hear from people.
And truthfully this idea may be unrealistic for many.
It wouldn’t be surprising.
It also wouldn’t necessarily negate the advice because so much of Buddhist thought (like that of Watts) is tempered with the principle, Do what works for you.
If this advice is bad for you, leave it.
If it’s good, take it. Or figure out why you haven’t taken it yet and work on that.
So the misfit idea of the day…
What if you did focus on doing what you love? What would that be and how would your life be different than it is now? Would it be better? Worse? Better in some ways, worse in others? Something else entirely?
Is this good advice for you? Have you followed it, if so?
Not, “Is this bit of advice useful and applicable to everyone?”
But, “Is it applicable to me? Is it good advice for me? If so, am I taking it or ignoring it? Why?”
Give it some thought and feel free to share anything you life here. We won’t judge, and we’d love to hear your ideas.
Until next time…
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