Rumi’s words 'Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do' remind us that life is too precious to live stressed out or feel depressed because we are not doing what we love or living as our ‘real’ self.
When we are doing what we love in life, we are in alignment with our true self, which means we are doing what we most value. Taking care of our wellbeing and what makes us happy, is to live in a way that supports and nourishes our mind, body and spirit. As a result we experience wholeness and a sense of alignment with all aspects of our being, creating balanced energy and peace within.
Creating a Happy Life
Living our life as our authentic self inevitably creates a positive effect on our health, and facilitates our ability to create happy relationships and experience personal fulfillment. Sadly however, many people fill their days with doing things they don’t love. The pressures and demands of life drive people to make choices based on economics, social expectations and cultural norms, rather than on what fills them with passion and joy.
How many people do you know who talk about how unhappy they are in their job or, in their life in general?
In Japan ‘karoshi’ refers to a very real condition where people die from overwork. When our life is out of balance to the point where we are no longer doing what we enjoy, the negative consequences can be huge. Over 10,000 people per year die from this condition, brought on by stress and overwork. Statistics are even higher in the U.S.
Lissa Rankin MD, author of Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself, found scientific and medical proof that doing work you don’t enjoy will actually shorten your lifespan. However, spending time with close friends, enjoying laughter, investing in your relationships and generally doing what you really love are key factors that make a difference to a person’s health and level of joy and fulfilment in life.
A Few Facts About Stress
When we are stressed, our “fight or flight” physiological stress response is triggered in the body by the sympathetic nervous system, which then produces large amounts of adrenaline, cortisol and epinephrine in the body. These stress hormones elevate the heart rate, blood pressure and de-activate the body’s natural healing and self-repair system. As a result, it leads to poor health and dis-ease in the mind and body.
When we’re doing what we love, the ‘relaxation response’ is activated and the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing ‘feel good’ hormones, enabling the body to relax and do what it does best, heal itself. So the question is – if we are not living our life doing what we love, then why not?
Doing What You Love
Doing what you love can be as simple as laughing, dancing, listening to uplifting music, meditation, singing, playing with animals, taking a vacation, sleeping, doing your favourite hobby, exercising or pursuing a creative activity. Or it can be choosing a career or vocation that gives you great satisfaction because it matches your values and is moving you towards fulfilling your goals and dreams.
When we consciously choose to do what we most love in life, we are living in a way that fosters a spirit of gratitude and love for the person we are. We are better able to attract abundance into our life, such as good health in our mind and body, loving relationships, and a life that is enriched and fulfilling.
What matters most is that we make ‘doing what we love’ a priority and not something we do if we have time.
It also means to live life consciously and on purpose. If you are feeling drained, unmotivated, or stressed, it could mean that you are not doing what you truly love in life. Now is the time to check in with yourself, not tomorrow. If you are not ‘loving your life’, then it’s time to find out why and make some necessary changes.
Life is too precious to live without enjoying what you do or loving the real you. Rumi’s wise words ‘Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do’ are a poignant reminder to live life with love, and not waste time doing otherwise.
References
Lissa Rankin MD | lissarankin.com
Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself | GoodReads
Rebecca Novacek is an Intuitive Soul Coach, Energy Healer and Massage therapist who assists her clients to achieve healing, health and happiness through intuitive guidance sessions, Reiki and Swedish massages.
Her passion is to connect with people and learn more about what makes them distinctly unique. From an early age she has been able to see people on the inside or their soul, the truth of who they really are beyond the veil of their body, clothes, gender, background and culture.
Rebecca helps people understand, appreciate and use their unique gifts, talents and spiritual wisdom. In so doing, they can expand their soul growth for a more enriched life, improved health, happier relationships, and fulfilling careers.
Disclaimer: This Content has been developed from our generous global community and is intended for informational purposes only. This Content is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon. Further, the personal views and experiences published are expressly those of the author, and do not represent the views or endorsement of SoulAdvisor through the act of publication on our site.
