In a free world with no restrictions, you can do whatever you want within the confines of the law.

So what do you think you do?

Do you do what you love, or do you decide to make money? Or can you do both?

OPTION 1: CHOOSING MONEY

You choose to take the route that makes you money. 

You see people driving nice cars, living in fancy houses, and going on nice vacations, and you didn’t come from much, so you think that’s the route you should go. How can I make the most money to one day retire and do nothing? Maybe I can hit the lottery and retire sooner. I’ll be happy once I can finally do whatever I want with my dad with no limitations.

Something within you despises the idea of taking the job where you sit in a cubicle and talk about how to make more money or the different developments the company is making to impact its customers. They claim it’s for good when your security depends on the bottom line.

You decide to play it safe and take the safe job that allows you to buy a house in a safe neighborhood. You make good money, but every day, you wonder if there’s something else out there. 

The years go by, and you continue to wonder when you’ll find that joy you once had as a kid. The joy you had for sports growing up. The pleasure in playing outdoors, singing, and being a part of something bigger than yourself.

You wonder what would’ve happened if you would’ve decided to stick with your heart 5 years ago. 

The more and more money you make, the more and more money you want, and the less and less joy you have for what you do. The money brings you in, and it keeps you in. 

Your heart is begging to be heard.

Like a neglected dog, it soon learns that its effort to be heard is useless. The desire for money and external joy has overridden its voice, so it quiets down. Luckily, it never stops.

You have taken the money and built a safe life for yourself.

Without the money, who have you become? What have you learned? And what have you sacrificed? 

Someone who can accumulate money? Are you happy? Are you enjoying your life? 

What could’ve been if you made that leap of faith 30 years ago?

Others see the money you make, the trips you go on, and the car you drive, and they think you’re happy. Underneath the glamorous life you’ve built, you know you’ve carved out a hollow shell devoid of true love. 

You lead others to believe the life you’ve built is full of happiness and joy, and so others follow suit. You leave a wake of greed, and a greedy generation ensues.

OPTION 2: CHOOSING WHAT YOU LOVE

The other option is to choose what you love. 

Your heart tells you to play for your hometown school, sing, have an unlimited life adventure, build a business, and follow your dreams.

You tell people about your dreams, and some people think you’re crazy. Deep down, they’re jealous they didn’t have that idea or dared to follow through. They have too many bills to pay, so it doesn’t make sense.

Everyone around you urges you to play it safe, for they have been burned. They’re trying to protect you. In your heart, there seems to be no other option.

Other people continue to inspire you and love your ideas. They think of ideas to help you along your journey. You meet people doing the same thing, and you find joy in going out on a limb where nobody has gone before.

As you follow your heart, you learn new skills and meet new people. Maybe your love changes, but when you reflect on your journey, you realize you have accumulated invaluable life experiences you’ll never forget. You have learned to embrace discomfort, and even discomfort feels comfortable now. 

To avoid that discomfort feels wrong because your initial decision to go against the comfort of the world has led to a world of unlimited possibilities, and you crave the feeling of exploring what’s next. 

With one decision to embrace the unknown, you step into the unlimited. 

You have overcome the world you can see and embraced the world of what’s next.

When you pursue your heart or God’s will, you find happiness in addition to money because you love what you do, you’re excited to push through hard times, and you constantly love the process of learning. This leads to you being good at what you do, which leads to earning more money. 

Money isn’t the reason for doing it, but luckily, in addition to having a life full of adventure, you have made some money to pay for your life. Along this journey, because of the joy you’ve cultivated for yourself, others have become inspired by your joy, courage, and heart. They see your heart and desire to have that same heart. 

Leading a life of courage leaves a wake of courage in its path.

Along this journey, you never know what will happen. There could be ups and downs, but you know in your heart that you wouldn’t want to do anything else. It feels right. You love the lows because you know they provide the path for the highs, and every low feels higher than the last. It’s a continual upward spiral.

You follow your heart and build a life of happiness, exploration, and wonder. You make money doing what you love because you love what you do. The money is not the reason; it’s the byproduct of chasing a life of pure joy. 

TWO FORMS OF DISCOMFORT

There are two forms of discomfort. 

There is physical discomfort, such as when you eat too much cake or when you watch someone embarrass themselves on a live social media call.  

Then, there’s that feeling of regret. We regret not having stood up for someone wronged at the coffee shop or not following our desire to learn piano as a kid. What if we would’ve stuck with it? Where would I be now? 

What’s the difference between the two? 

The first fades with time. It’s a visceral reaction that has no depth. Temporary discomfort feels unavoidable and torturous, but it fades within moments. Often, we make decisions based on this visceral reaction, thinking that this is the discomfort that matters.

The second never fades away. It’s a gnawing feeling that pervades our experience. Behind the curtain, we know we should’ve done that thing, but we didn’t. I should’ve spoken at my best friend’s rehearsal dinner, pursued music earlier in my career, or done this or that. Often, we distract ourselves from this discomfort with worldly desires. It’s too easy to be distracted today, with technological stimulation lurking at every corner.

The second is the one that we avoid, but the one that never fades. We can distract ourselves all we want, but in reality, it’s the one that matters. 

This is our heart’s discomfort, and it is your heart’s desire. To embark on this journey is the journey of a lifetime, the journey of the Alchemist or the Prodigal Son.

TO LET GO OF WHAT IS FOR WHAT’S NEXT

This journey can be embarked upon at any moment. It’s never too soon, nor is it too late. In every moment, we have the chance to choose our heart. 

To let go of the world means you let go of immediate, temporary, and fleeting comfort and happiness in pursuit of pure joy and eternal bliss. 

It’s a constant battle that not even Jesus could escape. Even in the wilderness, Satan tempted Him to hold power over the world. He could’ve had the whole earthly kingdom but chose God’s eternal kingdom instead. 

Why would someone with the power to control the whole world decide to sacrifice His life?

He knew the difference between those discomforts—the one that is temporary and the one that is forever.

To choose your heart is to choose a joy that never fades. It’s a never-ending battle that begins with the tiniest step today. 

Embrace your heart, and see what kind of life God has in store for you.