Work life balance expert Jim Bird (www.worklifebalance.com) says we hear all the time how important it is to have jobs we love.  Yet most people he know don't love their work.  They either accept it or tolerate it.  And that's okay, Bird says.  He points out that while it's not necessary to be passionate about your job, you should be passionate about how well you do the job.  Why?  Because that's what you do for yourself.

Lacking passion for your job doesn't necessarily mean you're living your life less well than the individual who is passionate about work.  Your passion may surface in regard to other areas of your life.  Bird offers these suggestions for generating more ardor for living: write the essay or book that's been in the back of your mind; take a class in a subject that engrosses you; teach a class in the subject that engrosses you; cook dinner that will make your friends swoon; go to your favorite sporting event; let the people you're closest to know how much you adore them.

The key is to set aside time for doing whatever it is you love to do.  The first stop is deciding you're going to do it.  The important second step, Bird says, is to go for it. 

(March 2009 Newsletter, page 2)