The Art of Work

Life is not a support system for your work; your work is a support system for your life.

a world full of distractions, this is what we are inclined not to do. We would rather buy a book, sign up for a seminar, or attend a conference to instruct us. Take this step. Follow that program. Adhere to these six principles. But such experiences are poor substitutes for the “fathomless mystery” of life, as Buechner put it. We have been raised to believe that anything is possible, that our potential is unlimited, and that we are entitled to our dreams. But maybe finding your calling is not quite so simple.

calling is what you have when you look back at your life and make sense of what it’s been trying to teach you all along.

Before you begin your life’s work, you need to prepare. Chances come to us all, but only those who are ready recognize them. You don’t need some big plan. You just need to be a little dissatisfied.

This is what storytellers call the “inciting incident,” the moment when everything changes and the tale of an average person living an average life becomes one of mythic proportions.

The gift that Garrett’s dad gave him wasn’t protection from pain or suffering, as much as Eric would have liked to provide such things. It was helping Garrett see that what makes a life extraordinary aren’t the chances we get, but what we do with them.6

Sometimes the route to our purpose is a chaotic experience, and how we respond matters more than what happens to us.