“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”  It’s a statement that I’ve heard quite often over my 55 years, and while I agree with the sentiment, the truth is another matter.

 

I love what I do, but there are still days when work is, well, work.  There are hard days, days when you’re tired, days when nothing seems to go right.  Doing what you love is important.  However, as it turns out, so is a solid work ethic, grit and determination.

 

The “do what you love” quote has been attributed to a host of famous people, ranging from Confucius to Mark Twain.  I should say that it has been misattributed to these two (according to Google), although it seems that both said something similar.

 

My point is that no matter who said it, there is both truth and fiction contained within.  I was reminded of this reality earlier this spring while hunting with one of my best friends, Steve Brown, in Florida.

During my time in the swamp with Steve, I learned a lot about turkey hunting, as I always do when hunting with him.  More importantly, I learned several great life lessons.  During a lull in the gobbling one morning, Brown told me how much he was enjoying his vacation before starting work.

 

Steve and I worked together for several years as partners in medical sales.  He’s as good a salesperson as I’ve ever seen, but he’s an even better turkey hunter.

 

It came as no surprise when he told me one day several years back that he was going to turn his lifetime dream of becoming an outfitter into a reality.  He made the decision and didn’t look back, and now he has a successful outfitting business to prove it.

 

Brown is the owner-operator of Brown & Company Outfitters (Facebook @Brown & Company Outfitters, Instagram @brownandcompanyoutfitters) and I don’t know anyone who loves or is better at what he does than Steve.

 

Why is this? My speculation, going back to the misattributed Confucius/Twain quote, is that his success directly correlates to his love of turkey hunting.

 

No one loves it more than Brown, and I’m certain that there are very few people who spend as much time hunting turkeys each season as Brown does.  However, since he became an outfitter, the bulk of those days are now spent guiding others and, as such, those days are now work.

 

Hunting turkeys is his passion and for the majority of each season it is also his job, and I’ve never seen him happier.  However, I did find it reassuring to know that he loves it even more when he’s turkey hunting on “vacation” with friends.

 

Recently, I heard what I think is a more accurate quote that captures the essence of loving what we do and doing what we love during an episode of the Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Podcast.  The podcast guest was legendary outdoorsman Flip Pallot.

 

Pallot has always gotten my “cool factor” vote when it comes to everything that he does from fly-fishing to turkey hunting, but his quote stuck with me and elevated that “cool factor” rating even higher.

 

During the episode, Pallot gave the following advice: “Do the things that your heart tells you to do.  In the long run, you’ll be so much happier for having done it.”

 

The quote goes to the heart (no pun intended) of the matter when it comes to pursuing your passions.  As it applies to work, when we do what we love for our living, there will still be hard days; however, when we listen to our heart, I do believe that we ultimately find more happiness.

 

As I said, I’ve never seen Steve happier than during his time as an outfitter.  He also seems more fulfilled.  Author Wendell Berry writes that “…good work involves much giving of honor.  It honors the place where it is done; it honors the art by which it is done; it honors the thing that it makes and the user of the made thing.”

 

How does that apply to turkey hunting?  In the truest sense for me, it is the honor aspect, the honoring of the land and the art and the creation.  I see that played out in Brown’s work as an outfitter, but also in his love for turkey hunting itself both at work with his clients and while on vacation hunting with his friends.

 

I can relate, though some will think it silly, as turkey hunting makes my heart sing.  Writing does as well.  It is in these “songs of the heart” that I believe we most often find true happiness and fulfillment.

 

At work, this happiness for me comes most often through the process of helping others.  Yes, I love what I do, and, yes, there are still times when work feels like work.  I agree with Pallot in that the times when I am happiest, either at work or at play, are the times when I have listened to my heart.

 

Until next time, here’s to the things that make our hearts sing, here’s to finding those things at work and at play, and here’s to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.