“Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes.” – Robert Frost, “Two Tramps in Mud Time”

A mentor of mine once remarked that if we knew what it was that G!D wanted us to do, we would be happy doing it, no matter what it was. Robert Frost wrote this piece, set during the Great Depression, about two homeless men who approach him while chopping wood, and offer to do the work for him so as to earn a little pay. The problem is, Frost is really having a great time chopping the wood himself! He agrees that their need trumps his enjoyment for the moment, but loves those tasks that marry avocation and vocation.

My work life has been blessed by one key thing: I’ve always done work I was interested in and that could make a difference in the world. From theatre to Rolfing to men’s work to corporate coaching to my rabbinic studies to my budding maple beverage business, I’ve never done something just for the money. Yet, I’ve always had enough, and often more than enough. I learned this lesson from my father, who passed up going to veterinary school in order to go into the construction business, because he was told he’d make more money. Several times in his life, he told me it was the only real regret he had. Everyone who saw  his love of animals knew he would have been a great vet! I learned early on, from his regret, to always do what I had a passion for. And thankfully, the money has flowed alongside the passion.

As Mark Twain wrote, “The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.”

How can you spend more of your time at the work that gives you joy, that even G!D wants you to do?

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Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. One of the most popular and critically respected American poets of the twentieth century, Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry, the Congressional Gold Medal, and was named Poet Laureate of Vermont.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.