Loving what you blog

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

-Ecclesiastes 2:24 (KJV)

The saddest thing that could happen to anyone is that you realize that you hate what you do.  Be it your profession, blogging, even something as mundane is reading and eating, once you hate what you do, it’s not fun anymore, it’s a JOB. Like what happened to WoW to some players. Penny Arcade humorously says it well.

It’s a shame when you realize that you hate what you do. It means you have lost not just the passion to do what you did, but also the determination to push on. Each post you make is like torture, and the only joy you find in making it is when you finally finish what you had to say. Sooner or later, you will give up, making silly and hateful excuses and blaming everyone and everything but yourself for giving up.

Can people hate what they do? Well, yes. I’ve heard people complaining about studies, their job, even about blogging. They’ve realized that it either doesn’t suit them or they hate the subject matter. Some even go so far as to blame other people for making their experience full of coldness and hate.

Going about with a giant chip on your shoulder does not make for good blogging experience. I will admit, being fueled by hate makes for popularity, but it doesn’t make for great posts. Hate has a great way of multiplying itself, becoming bigger than you could control.

If there was one thing I have promised myself (and most probably lived/blogged by), it’s to have fun with whatever I do. Be it trolling Jason Miao, screaming like a yaoi fangirl with a yaoi paddle when it comes to shows I like, making fun of certain drama whores and flamers, I have had a ton of fun doing it. Some would even say I enjoy doing it.

It all goes back to verse I have chosen for today’s article. I’d like you to pay attention to the last part of the first sentence.

and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.

What is so good about “making our soul enjoy good in our labor?” Or in this case, love what you do? For one thing, it makes the whole process easier. Thinking positive makes anything better. Another thing is this: it does not feel boring or like a chore to do. If you love what you do, it wouldn’t matter if the fate of the world lies in your hands; you’d do it not because you have to, but because you’d LOVE to.

The words of King Solomon rang true in his day, and it still rings true today. If one does not love what he or she does, he or she then hates what he or she does. King Solomon sums it up exactly in Ecclesiastes 2:17 (NIV):

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

There were times I poured out my bitterness and hate, and there were times I became hateful to validate a point. I did not enjoy those times, and when I look back, I wonder with curiosity what fueled me to do what I had done. But most of the time, I’ve never felt that this whole thing was a big burden.

So I guess what I’ve been trying to drive home is this: Love what you do. Positive thinking makes everything a bit easier and less stressful. Don’t be a Kaioshin, who flamed himself to oblivion. (Dude, seriously, you sow hate, you reap hate back, IN SPADES. And TWUCKS.)