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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Should I Do What I Love?: Or Do What I Do - So I Can Do What I Love on the Side? by Katy McColl



Synopsis on Amazon: Should I Do What I Love?: Or Do What I Do - So I Can Do What I Love on the Side?

This book addresses the age old question of "what should I do with my life." OK, it's not an age-old question really. Not too many generations ago people were just hoping to have something to do to earn a living, and were not so preoccupied with their personal happiness. In fact, a conversation with my brother-in-law several years ago revealed that he had the same opinion. "I don't really enjoy what I do, but it doesn't matter. My job provides a living for my family."

Yet, I can't help but ask the question still, and I am not alone in my generation. Money is out there, and for those who don't have money there is credit (for a while anyway). We are more concerned with creating a path for life-long personal happiness, and part of that happiness involves our profession in life. Now the question is whether that profession should just earn the money with which to seek happiness, or that profession should provide happiness, contentment, etc.

I am surprised that I actually finished this book. For one, I was not in the target audience of 20-something feminine individuals who wanted to pursue careers in the arts, but were concerned about the lack of earning potential/opportunity in their field of interest. Katy McColl was in this demographic, and wrote with an artistic lack of professionalism that I generally don't enjoy. And yet the question was posed well, and from my position of personal interest I couldn't put it down.

I generally don't like to give a synopsis, and I never give away the ending, except for this time. In the end the message I got was that if your situation permits it (you can live relatively cheaply) chase your true dream. Do what will make you happy. If you can't live on peanut butter for a while, then it is OK to do what you do just for the money, as long as you put your energy after-hours into what you love so you don't lose your dream and burn out. I feel OK about putting this out there because I am guessing that this book is one of those where 10 people could read it and give 10 different opinions about the intended theme.


Date Completed: 8/26/08
Rating: 3.5

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