People pay me large sums of money to do what I love.
This is an affirmation I heard years ago and have often recited to myself. But I didn’t always believe it. Deep down, I really struggled with the notion that if I just did what I loved, the money would follow. Though I longed for it to be true, it was hard to believe wholeheartedly – no matter if I was gainfully employed or looking for a job.
See, when you’re sitting in a high rise office with a beautiful view, great benefits and a healthy paycheck, it’s hard to imagine leaving it all to explore the great {potentially unpaid} unknown. You get used to swallowing the bittersweet pill of doing something you’re good at in exchange for welcome stability.
Meanwhile, when you’re in a job you despise or are desperate to find work, it’s hard to imagine finding a job that feeds your bank account and feeds your soul. You’re willing to take anything at that point.
And then there’s the starving artist mentality – a trap I’ve fallen into far too many times. It goes something like this: “If I’m one of the lucky few who’s doing what I love, living artfully to make a living, I have to sacrifice. I must choose between living with meaning vs. living with money. I can’t have both.”
That’s messed up.
Through trial and error, through debt and wealth, I’ve realized those beliefs weren’t doing anyone any good. We can have both – joy and abundance. We deserve both. In fact, we need both to carry on. Some say financial hardship motivates them to think outside the box, stretches them to be “scrappy” and “resourceful.” True, but continually spinning our wheels is exhausting and drains us of our life force, dims the light within us.
When you’re compensated well for doing what you love, you not only get to do more of it, but you give back in big ways: you touch others with your talents, you inspire others to follow their passions, you contribute to the economy, you become a spokesperson for joy {sometimes without even realizing it!}, and you kick fear to the curb.
So, notice what lights you up from the inside out and trust that those passions – and the unique way you bring them into the world – have great value. You are worthy of all you can imagine. Believe it.
LOVE this art
& message,
my dear!
(& i see you
living it!)
xox
thank you so much for this – a great message at a great time for me. i'm currently struggling with this notion as well, and trying not to feel guilty for having left a guaranteed paycheck to pursue my artwork full time. i will reread this again and again…!
Thank you! I needed to hear this today.
You are so right! I need to borrow your mantra for awhile and really believe it.
Good timimg for me with this post! Thank you!
THANKS for this splash of cold water
to my overheated heart!
Standing under the shower of it
and letting it rinse me off.
So grateful for you:):):)
-Jennifer
I'm oh-so-glad this is resonating with you! Thanks for letting me know.
what a lovely message – just what i needed to hear today!
Thank you!
Love, violette
This is what I love so much about blogging, lovely people like you who inspire and send love out to us all. Many thanks.
xx
i need a house next door to you. or maybe within a few blocks so we can chat and conspire over morning coffee. i am just one this teetering point right now. the manifestation is right there.
FANTASTIC post – I am off to write this quote down in my journal. Very timely for me. Thank you!
MEATY post!
So poignant. So timely. This resonated with me big time!
Thanks for inspiring me.
~Amber
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