do what you love Page 26 of 81

“For many years I lived with a guarded heart. I did not know how to extend love and compassion to myself. In my fortieth year that began changing. As I grew to love all of who I am, life started changing in beautiful and mysterious ways. My heart softened and I began to see through different eyes.”

This is the introduction to the beautifully simple and inspiring little book of wisdom, When I loved myself enough, by Kim McMillen. In it, Kim shares her tips for living in peace and joy and by the end her message is clear: our time on earth is limited, we are never alone, and the key to loving others is to first love ourselves.

It’s great advice, yet many of us don’t know what it means to love ourselves – to really, truly love ourselves. Instead of nurturing ourselves we compare ourselves to others, tell ourselves that we’re not good enough and complain that we don’t look or sound the way we’d like to. Often we don’t believe that we’re actually worth loving. The reality is that we are more than good enough, we’re all perfect in our own unique way and we’re definitely worth loving!

Feeling worthy requires us to see ourselves with fresh eyes of self-awareness. Rather than looking outwards and seeking approval from the rest of the world, we need to spend more time being quiet, looking inwards and listening to the only voice that really matters – our loving, caring, nurturing inner voice.

(more…)

 

From my 2002 photo album

Fifteen years ago someone took a chance on me, a recent graduate living in Japan in my early twenties. I found myself as Employee Number Five in a tiny start up company that would grow to hundreds of staff in the space of three years. We were the FIFA World Cup Accommodation Bureau for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and a case of being ‘in the right place at the right time’ saw me in charge of all the accommodation for all the professional teams playing in one of the biggest sporting events on earth. And if that weren’t enough, a few months later I was also given responsibility for all the ticketing in one of the World Cup venues. Looking back it was complete madness.

Yesterday saw Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Twelve years before, at the 2002 World Cup Final, I had been sat in the stadium cheering for Brazil (as England were long gone). This time I was sat at home with my baby asleep on the rug in front of me, a world away from the craziness of the 2002 tournament 12 years before. And it made me think of this…

You are not a sum of the job titles you have had, or the companies you have worked for. Having experiences is so important, but having exactly the right experience is not always necessary. When I found myself, at the age of 25, with a staff of 20, three mobile phones and ticketing responsibility for a stadium of 50,000 seats, it wasn’t because I had done that job before. It was because I was cheeky, keen, willing to learn,  and up for anything. It was because I took a deep breath and asked a friend of a friend to introduce me to the guy who eventually gave me my job. It was because I knew I wanted to be part of something amazing, and I went after it.

So many things have come out of that experience. In fact, without it I would have had a completely different career path, not to mention never having met the mother of my god-daughter (who was the friend-of-a-friend who got me the job and then offered me her spare room until I found somewhere to live).

Sometimes jobs can be exciting. Sometimes they are dull. Sometimes they stretch us. Sometimes they are mind-numbingly simple. But there is something to be taken from each and every one of them, whether that is learning some new skill, meeting someone who will be important in your life, or even discovering what you DON’T want to feel like at work.

However you feel about your job right now, think about how you can make the most of the situation you are in to learn something, try something, or build one more connection before, perhaps, you move on. And if you love your job, take a moment to think about all the twists and turns, the steps and the bold moves that got you there. What a journey!

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

Our small (and perfectly formed!) team is growing by the day… I’m delighted to introduce you to the newest member of the Do What You Love family, Henry Titley. Henry will be taking on the role of Business Analyst here at DWYL HQ. He’s at a pivotal point in his life when his decisions and subsequent actions will dictate the path he follows and the person he’ll become. We’re thrilled that he has chosen to join us and we’re excited about working with him to elevate the company and his life to new heights! – MR K

On top of the world: Henry is thrilled to be part of the Do What You Love team

Never happier than when he’s out exploring mountains, oceans or even the local countryside, Henry loves a challenge. He’s in his element when he’s lacing up his walking boots, strapping on his skis or jumping on his bike to discover somewhere new. He says: “Nothing beats an adventure; whether it’s alone or with friends or family, adventures are what make life so exciting.

Out-going and open-minded, Henry thrives on trying new things. He enjoys new experiences, learning new skills, listening to other people’s points of view and researching places he’s never been to before. When he’s not seeing the world he can be found in his back garden, map or book in hand, dreaming about his next crazy expedition and planning how he’ll make it a reality.

“I left a good job in the city after 15 years because I wanted every day of my life to be enjoyable, not just my days off. I realised that I was never going to achieve all the things that I wanted to in life by sitting behind a desk, working for big corporations. It was time for a change.

After hearing all about Beth and Paul’s adventures abroad and their philosophy of living a life of doing what you love, the opportunity to work with them was far to good to miss. I’m so happy to be involved in something that excites me and that I believe in so passionately. And what’s more, it doesn’t involve commuting on crowded tube trains or sitting in an air-conditioned office!

Over the years I’ve come to realise that there is a point to everything; decisions matter, what you do today shapes your tomorrow and above all every day is yours to be enjoyed. For me being part of Do What You Love, which helps people to achieve whatever they want to in life, is as worthwhile as it gets.”

 

On my happy list this month… lovely surprises! Earlier this week I received a box of gorgeously wrapped goodies from my sister, including a beautiful card and some craft supplies to inspire me to be creative. I was so touched by her random act of kindness. How can you surprise someone you love today?

Each month we share a free downloadable ‘Happy List’ as a place for you to capture the things – small and big – that have made you smile and feel inspired each day. Get yours here.

Wishing you a July filled with sunshine and joy,

Rachel

There comes a day when each of us decides to put fears and excuses aside. A day when we decide to listen to our heart – and follow it. And a day when we decide to take those first small steps towards making our wildest dreams come true.

Let today be that day for you.

The Great Diary Project – V&A Museum of Childhood

Dolls, daydreams and diaries… we all remember what it was like to be little. And this summer the Museum of Childhood in London is celebrating all those things and more with an inspiring showcase of story-themed exhibitions and displays designed to take us on a trip down memory lane.

One of the many highlights is ‘The Great Diary Project’ which features diaries from 1813 to 1996 and focuses on the lives of children at particular moments in history. From tales of bedbugs during the Napoleonic Wars to coded accounts of wild teenage behaviour during the Blitz, it’s a fascinating insight into how attitudes have changed over time and how peoples’ unique voices can be captured so beautifully in this very private kind of writing.

(more…)

The 2014 Global Talent Search is back and open for entries. This is an incredible opportunity for artists – be sure to check it out as it could just transform your career! We are proud to produce this on behalf of Lilla Rogers Studio, one of the top art agencies in the world. This is what Lilla Rogers has to say about this year’s competition…

Every year we get thousands of artists approaching us for representation, so last year we launched our Global Talent Search to find hot new talent – and the competition is back!

Make art? Got talent? Want one of the TOP agents in the world to represent … YOU?

The second annual Lilla Rogers Studio Global Talent Search is here! 

Somebody’s going to win. Why not you?

(more…)

 

Ever since Sienna’s arrival six months ago we have been overwhelmed by how many wonderful messages of congratulations we’ve received. Thank you.

Recently though, something has been cropping up in conversation that has really struck a chord with me. When people ask how old she is I answer accordingly, and then they’ll say: ‘So are you off work today?’ When I explain that both my wife and I work from home the response is always the same… ‘Oooh, you’re so lucky’.

I thought very little about this the first few times it happened. In fact I’d just smile and say ‘Yes’. However, after hearing the same response well over a dozen times now, I want to talk about this, because really  there is little or no luck involved in it at all.

Being at home with my daughter is a choice, enabled by the way we designed how we wanted to work when she came along. A year ago I made a conscious decision to leave a ‘secure’ yet underwhelming career as a Civil Engineer to start a new chapter in my life. Beth and I both made sacrifices to create this set up. It has taken a lot of hard work, and we have taken many risks, to make it possible.

Back when we first got engaged we sat down together and discussed what would make us happy in the coming years. At that point children were just hypothetical, but even so we knew that we’d want to play a major part of their lives from the very beginning – both of us, not just their mother. Back then, I wasn’t enjoying my career and I was also aware that being tied to much longer hours than a 9-to-5 job, with a long commute on top, would steal a big chunk of my time with any children we might have. Not long after a decision was made. I would hand my notice in and start working with DWYL.

Even though I hadn’t been enjoying my career for some time it was still a big decision to make. We would lose my salary and we would be more dependent upon DWYL offering family security. We were just about to get married too, and I knew that if a baby came along, then more than ever, we’d be living in each other’s pockets. Of course we had no idea how it would work out, we just hoped that our time in Japan living in a postage stamp of an apartment would stand us in good stead.

And of course for Beth, once we were working together, her company stopped being about just creating a business, and started being about creating our future.

Even though it was a little risky I knew the greater risk was spending time doing something I didn’t love whilst missing out on experiencing something transient – the early years of a precious child. And however tough it was, that decision is vindicated every time I watch Sienna make a new and exciting discovery – not on a video my wife has emailed to me, but with my own eyes, because I am there. And I am there to see her face light up with wonder because of a series of conscious decisions, sometimes difficult choices, sacrifices and planning. We haven’t got it all figured out yet – like anyone else spinning plates we get tired, of course we do. But we are getting there, and it is not because of luck.

The choice to live and work this way has also been very interesting for Beth. Anyone who works for themselves when they have their first child will know that there is an inevitable impact on your productivity. (Beth would say that is an understatement…) At the same time you get a fair bit of notice that a baby is on the way, so we did what we could to plan for it (and we’re grateful to our wonderful collaborators for their understanding and support as we did that). The reality has probably been even tougher than we imagined, but it has worth every single moment.

A good friend of mine always said there was no such thing as luck. It is when opportunity meets preparation. I tend to agree. Taking the time to design the life you want is always going to improve your chances of things actually working out the way you want them to.

How would you like your life to look? What opportunities can you seize and how can you prepare yourself for them today?

Mr K