If you can’t do the thing you love… love the thing you do

Over a decade ago, I had two aging dogs. Some of you remember Bruno and Lucy—two of the great furry loves of my life. Their final years weren’t easy. I lined the house with accident pads, did ten loads of laundry a day (seriously), stayed up late soothing them, cooked special meals, and often slept on the dog bed with them to keep them calm during bouts of doggie dementia.

People urged me to put them down. And while the angels have said animals don’t judge life or death, it felt right to let them live until they were ready to go. Many times, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through. I know so many of you who care for loved ones—furry, finned, feathered, and human—have felt this and more.

But when I looked over and saw my aging wolf dog asleep in my arms, his big furry head resting against my heart with a soft, angelic grin on his face—I remembered exactly why I was doing it. Love kept me going.

On a lighter note, there comes a point in every new endeavor I undertake when I have to remember my loving “why“—usually right around the time overwhelm hits. I think, “What did I get myself into? I can’t do this!” I felt that way when I enrolled in a six-month aromatherapy class (with 180 homework assignments!), when I was filming my online programs, writing my first books, launching Etsy shops, and when I quit engineering to talk to angels.

I had to return to my loving whys. Why was I doing it?

Because I love essential oils and natural healing.

Because I dreamed of online education years before live streams and YouTube existed.

Because I had messages to share.

Because I craved a creative outlet.

In each case, reconnecting to the loving why re-inspired me, helped me remember to call on the universe for assistance and guidance, and receive it when it came. Overwhelm gave way to, “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”

So, when life feels uncomfortable, frustrating, or upsetting—dig deep and find your loving why to reconnect with your grace, guidance, and the goodness in your own heart.

Here are a few pointers ot assist…

1.  Flip the Complaint

If you know what you hate, it’s easy to find what you love. Just flip it:

• “I hate war… because I love peace.”
• “I hate division… because I love harmony.”
• “I hate feeling insecure… because I love the security of Divine love.”
• “I hate that my loved one is gone… because I love them so much. I love our connection. I love our conversations.”

Flipping the complaint brings your focus back to love—and as we know, energy flows where attention goes.

2. Focus on Why You Love What You Love

Go deeper. Why do you love peace? You might say, “Well, duh, doesn’t everyone?” Most do—but really tune in. How does peace feel? “I can breathe. I feel free. I’m calm. I can do what I love.” Feel into it.

Why do you love feeling connected with your dear ones? Let yourself feel it.
“It’s expansive. It’s joyful. It’s inspiring.”

The more you “tune in,” the more connection you’ll feel.

3. If You Find No Loving Why, Shift

If you dig deep and find no love beneath what you’re doing—maybe you’re just following old programming or doing something you think you should.

Often I see people sacrificing their well-being to make others comfortable. Some realize they do it out of genuine love. Others discover their motivation is guilt or a need to be understood.

If there’s no love in the motivation, it’s not serving your soul.

When I don’t feel good about something, I check in: “Is there a loving why?” If yes, I persevere—with new joy. If no, I shift—and ask Spirit to guide me to a more loving path.

In either case, finding the loving why frees you. It helps you feel the love that lives inside you, and live from that space—rooted in love, centered in love, and open to letting love flow. To paraphrase a popular song, “If you can’t do the thing you love… love the thing you do!”