Give Yourself To Your Craft

I recently heard a Professional MMA Fighter in an interview talk about giving himself to his craft.  This really resonated with me as I have recently made a commitment to writing more regularly.  The challenge is not getting distracted by the fear that I am wasting my time or the concern that I never get paid to do it.  Allowing that distraction would be a fundamental break with my own philosophy that one should invest time in things they are passionate about whether they get paid or not.  If you need money, that’s what jobs are for.

Interestingly enough, since making a commitment to more writing in the last couple of weeks, I’ve also been more willing to pick up extra shifts at my job.  It’s almost as if by giving myself permission to fall completely into my craft, it’s resulted in more energy for other parts of life.  It’s not as if I have the stamina to write all day or even a couple hours a day.  I write for about an hour everyday and sometimes I make it to 2 hours.  There’s definitely time for other things so it’s not an all encompassing endeavor but similar to earning money, exercise, diet, time with my wife, sleep etc. it’s something that I am realizing makes me feel complete.  But unlike those other things it’s not totally obvious why I should invest daily energy into it.  Afterall, how many aspiring writers ever make a career out of it?

Sharing my philosophy of personal ownership and personal growth and exploring different philosophies and approaches to life is something I’ve been endlessly curious about for the last 15 years.  I think I would liken it to the curiosity that some have to buy a telescope and star gaze out into the universe.  I don’t write and make videos to make money.  I write and make videos to make a difference.  In times past I’ve allowed myself to be distracted by the potential of making money.  I’ve also had a bad habit of allowing other people to judge my efforts as frivolous because there are no immediate financial rewards attached.  I am committed to not making these mistakes again.

One of the major positives of the internet era is the fact that you can share your ideas with the world.  Sharing ideas via blog posts, videos, or podcasts requires nothing but a smartphone and an internet connection.  As someone who is a minimalist by nature it is an endeavor that has always been attractive because of its incredibly low material cost.  When you combine that with the fact that helping people through communication is genuinely fulfilling to me, why wouldn’t I do it?

I may never be passionate about the security work that I do for income.  I may never receive a dollar for the writing and video making that I do because I want to encourage people to take personal ownership of their lives.  But do we exercise because it gives us money?  Do we try to eat healthy because we’re getting a paycheck for it?  Do we love our spouse because we’ll get a bonus check at the end of the year? Do we seek friendship because it lifts our income?  Obviously not. 

When I was a single man I realized that the only way I was going to be happy was to be myself totally.  I had to give myself to my authentic self.  I had to stop worrying about whether I had the right income, the right house, the right job, the right clothes, the right friend group to attract a mate.  I realized I could have all the ‘right’ things but to not feel the freedom to be myself would be a living hell.  I realized I had to fight to be myself and if I happened to meet a romantic partner along the way then so be it.  If I never found romance, at least I’m happy with who I am.  I think I have a similar mindset with writing and making videos:  I have to fight to be true to myself, my curiosity, my craft, and this work that I find truly fulfilling.  If I happen to be able to make an income to support myself along the way then so be it.  If not, fortunately there are plenty of jobs out there.