What Is Your First Love?

Yesterday, I was working on my website and realized that a significant piece of what I do was missing.  Then I started reflecting on two calls that I received this week. Both were invitations to play the piano for special occasions. In responding to the calls, it hit me. Music is my passion and I’m just getting back to the point where I love it again.

Have you ever starting getting paid for something you used to do for free? I’m talking about something you LOVED doing. Something you had fun doing. Then down the road, you stopped enjoying it. Getting paid sucked all the fun out of it. And you felt like your passion for that particular thing was gone. 

That’s not the case.

Passion involves a love/hate relationship. For instance, I love playing the piano. But when it became my job and then my business, I realized how much more I had to learn. I could sit for hours and play the piano at my home. But who will pay me to do that? No one. So I had to add other skills, like administration, communication and leadership. My learning curve was steep and this resulted in me doing less and less of what I love – music. It happens to self-employed people and small business owners all the time.

What did you love to do at one point in your life? Do you still love to do it? Or have administrative issues or marketing plans driven you to hate your passion with a passion? If that’s the case, go back to your first love. I did. Now, I see music with brand new eyes. Music is what I love to do. Marketing, administration and negotiation are what I have to do so that I can do what I love to do. 

What is your first love?