Do we really need to love what we do? Do we need to find bliss & joy in our professional career? How do you turn your hobby into your way of making a living? It could be that for some, these questions were easy to answer but for many others it is more difficult. Many individuals feel that they are left with no choice but to find any work that pays enough, without really pausing to take a moment to think about what suits them, to wonder what will make them happy. I always belonged to the group of people on the search. I was always looking to find my bliss and turn it into a way for me to make a living. There were certain times in my life, where I was able to choose how I wanted to make a salary (what a blessing!). During other times in my life, especially after I left my country and moved to Israel, I found myself having to work, without love, bliss or any real fulfilment. It was a matter of survival. Yet, I had a hobby, and I found bliss each time I engaged in that hobby. This is the story that I would like to share with you here.
To do what you love & to invest in your hobbies doesn’t necessarily mean that they must turn into a career. Loving to paint in your free time, doesn’t mean you have to become a painter. If you like to play soccer on the weekend it does not mean you must become a soccer player.
I always loved hosting events, but turning it into my profession, what an idea, right?
It is not true for everyone, but at least for me, I spent years of my life believing in this unspoken social “understanding” that your professional career life is separate from your hobbies and everything that truly gives you pleasure and joy. I agree that there cannot be one rule that apples to everyone, of course, and I knew that there were many artists, healers and professionals who are passionate for their work. I looked to these people for inspiration, to remind me that yes, I can live and support myself doing what I love. We can all build that bridge in our mind that connects that place of joy with work!
This bridge took me a while to create. I am very grateful for my past experiences, my education and the journey that I have taken to get to where I am today. In the past I would wonder what it was that I truly wanted to do? What exactly was I searching for? How it could be possible for me to attain enough financial return in order to make my dreams a reality?
For many years I used to live by myself in downtown Sao Paulo, in a super charming & colorful apartment. As a hobby (of course) I would invite friends over for dinner parties. Back then, it was really only just a hobby; I was still a student, working with environmental and social education. Very often I would purposefully gather together many different types of people (that’s the beauty of living in such a huge city, you are frequently exposed to diversity and differences). Often unexpected bonds would be created as very different people would meet and befriend each other. For a while, hosting friends for a dinner gathering and mixing together a diverse group of people, all in a 50m2 apartment, were some of the happiest moments of mine as a student.
Moving from Brazil to Israel did not alter my joy of hosting, if anything it only expanded. Since the very first years I spent living in Israel, I would often have dinner gatherings and parties with live music in my backyard. It was the most fun I had during my week, and I did it with love. On many Fridays my beloved partner, Dagan, would say to me: “would you like to invite some friends for dinner?”. Then, we’d send out an invitation, and it would catch on like wildfire. A “monster” was created, as Dagan would say. It was often, that a spontaneous gathering would take shape in an instant, and suddenly we would have quite a large amount of people coming to our house to celebrate together, and the size of the kitchen or the house was never a barrier.
At that time, I had massive responsibilities and an exhausting managerial position and the weekends or holidays were perfect moments to have my kitchen therapy; to clean my house, to bring flower arrangements and to cook and host for good friends. It was a way for me to escape the intensive office routine at my boring job and to do the things that brought moments of inspiration and happiness back into my life.
When my son turned 1 years old, I decided to quit my job at the office forever (read it out loud – F O R E V E R) – I used my maternity leave to do some soul searching and find out for myself what truly inspires me. I think that this is a process that is very common for many new moms. I wanted to feel fulfilled, I was not finding any personal satisfaction while working in a such stressful environment; I knew that this was definitely not my path.
While I consciously made this pause in my life the parties never stopped. I was constantly inviting friends for breakfast, lunch & dinners. While living in this moment of self-searching for my new direction professionally, the real “monster” was created. We were lucky to have the opportunity to move to a much larger house where I could suddenly produce & host house concerts, private events, home sales among many other gatherings.
I did it all as a hobby and I just couldn’t see that the answer was right before my eyes: my passion for the kitchen and hosting.
For many years I lived the philosophy of Heart of Hosting, without giving it a name. Sometimes the fish needs to jump out of the water to be able to see the water it is swimming in. I had to quit working and pause everything before I could truly see clearly that my life’s passion is hosting.
I still host events with the same passion and ease, although today I am much more aware of the extensive and detailed list that I must follow to deliver exceptional events. I understand and take into account the long hours of preparation, the investments, and the time spent standing on my feet in the kitchen. I joke sometimes that doing what you love can make you hate it. It’s important not to lose the beauty and joy of your hobby, instead of inspiring you and feeling fulfilled by it, it can do just the opposite and make you feel overwhelmed.
Each time, at the first moment that guests begin to arrive I see their faces light up with the feeling of welcoming.
It is my delight when they take part in the dishes I’ve prepared and it fill me with energy and happiness.
No matter how hard I had to work for the planning, producing and cooking of an event, in the end I make sure to consciously enjoy the efforts, to feel healed and blessed by my actions and intentions. I deeply believe that this is the ultimate sign that you’re in the right direction, the ability to still find pleasure even in extremely hard work.
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