I am really blessed in that I am in a profession where I absolutely love what I do for a living. The old adage "find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life" is certainly applicable to me. In fact, strange as it sounds I actually find many aspects of my career so enjoyable that in my spare time I perform those activities as a form of entertainment!
I am an avid video gamer who goes on gaming binges every once in a while playing the same game for hours on end. There are several reasons why I like to play video games, including interacting with intriguing story lines and character evolutions, the thrill of experiencing new environments and situations, and the sense of accomplishment in achieving victories and completing sagas.
Upon further self reflection I learned that I could experience many of those same positive aspects of gaming through Open Source coding. Solving complex design challenges provides mental exercise and satisfaction. I personally receive a thrill when I successfully integrate multiple software components together to accomplish the implementation of a functional system. As I write the code and the software evolves it is as if it were a novel unfolding before me. A creative canvas that I can test new ideas and theories on resulting in a unique body of work, much more valuable than a list of XBox360 or PS3 achievement medals!
The take away from this is that don't let other people decide for you what is enjoyable or not. Too often there is a stigma attached to intellectual achievement in society which in reality is a petty excuse for mediocrity. Focus on maintaining a positive attitude that will motivate you to maximize what you are capable of doing.
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental
attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with
the wrong mental attitude." Thomas Jefferson
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