Are you being self-indulgent when you go after your dream?

Recently in the Follow Your Passion discussions, a reader posed a question: If a person has a talent that could be of great benefit to people and the world isn't that person obligated to do what he or she can for humanity, rather than following a path that is personally fulfilling, but of benefit to few? In other words, shouldn't people do what they can to help the world rather than simply aiming to please themselves?

Well, yes and no. And isn't it possible for all of us to do both?

First of all I hope when somebody develops a great talent they've done so because they wanted to, not because they were commanded to by their parents, or because they felt bound to do so by convention or for some other reason. If they've developed a talent because they wanted to, then in using it they serve both the community and themselves. A win-win situation, to use a cliché.

Secondly, I really hope that someone who is studying brain surgery, for example, to satisfy the wishes of another, realizes before too many years go by the implications of following such a difficult and time-consuming course of study, especially when it doesn't interest them very much - and bails out! I don't think any of us really want a brilliant but half-hearted brain surgeon poking around inside our skulls.

It makes sense that people who are happy and content with their work will just naturally do a better job. When you care about the work you do you care about the results you get. That said, I am well aware there are plenty of people out there working in jobs for which they don't necessarily have any tender feelings and doing great work. And why not? Most people want to hold on to their jobs.

In such a situation you face a different challenge: when you are not doing work you love you have to learn to love the work you are doing. Yes, perhaps "love" is too strong a word - tolerate and accept might be closer to the mark. In any case, this is easier said than done and takes effort and persistence on the part of the worker. But I digress.

Is it possible to do something you love - as a hobby, as paid work, or as a volunteer - and give something to humanity at the same time? Yes. And when I say humanity I don't necessarily mean the whole world or even a nation. If you love your job selling newspapers on the corner and do so with a cheerful smile and with pride, you touch people.

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