Monday, December 17, 2012

Wise Words From A Wise Man


"Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success and is the key to being regarded honorably." —Jiro Ono, sushi master

If you know me, you know I'm a bit of a foodie. Not super hard core, but I love food and cooking and trying new things. So naturally, a documentary called Jiro Dreams Of Sushi would pique my interest. It's about an 85-year-old sushi master and his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, and I can't stop thinking about it. Such an interesting film.

The quote above really struck me, especially the "never complain" part. Because writing is hard, and it's easy to complain about all the work and often little reward. But the idea of coming to the page with love—with excitement for my work—is just the reminder I need right now.

I love my job. And I love the pursuit of improving at it. The next time I feel the urge to complain about it, I'm going to remember the words of this wise man.

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this today. MUCH needed!

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  2. I love my job too, though some part of me thinks I'd prefer to be writing full time. At the same time though, I know that whenever I'm on break from my "day job", I become a total slacker at all my creative stuff. So maybe my day job is a blessing I should not ever give up. :)

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    1. Speaking as someone who quit her job to pursue writing full time, I would have to say that's probably true. I am no more efficient/productive than I was when I had a 9-to-5. I just take longer walks with my dog. :P

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  3. I love this! Thanks for sharing this-- I so needed to hear it right now!

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  4. Love this! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  5. I like that quote. It makes me feel better about being a workaholic. :) I have to work on the never complaining thing too, though, because even though I like my work, it can be stressful sometimes.

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