One of the more profound things Iâve heard recently came from a Mr. Rogers documentary. In a clip from his show, Mr. Rogers had just visited with a musician, and tells his audience that some people play music, and some people donât, and thatâs okay.
And then he said, âThe important thing is to find something you feel good about doing.â
That phrasing struck me. âSomething you feel good about doingâ. Most people would have phrased it as âsomething you enjoy doingâ. Or âsomething youâre good at doingâ. But Mr. Rogersâ subtly different phrasing leads to a profoundly different connotation. âSomething you feel good about doingâ may not be enjoyableâpeople who work in hospitals or in disaster zones might not enjoy much of their day, but they probably feel good about helping people. âSomething you feel good about doingâ may not be something youâre particularly good atâyou may be a terrible artist by any objective standard, but if you feel good about making your art, then itâs a worthwhile endeavor. Looking for âsomething you feel good about doingâ can help you find a truly satisfying life path.
That phrase is also helpful with daily decision-making. Too often, I can make choices based on âwhat feels good.â I put aside tasks that are too stressful or avoid activities that seem too difficult, in favor of mindlessly browsing the internet. And I enjoy myself. I feel good while Iâm doing that. But at the end of the day, I donât feel good about how I spent my time. However, reminding myself to do âsomething I feel good about doingâ can motivate me to accomplish those more difficult tasks. It can push me to do something outside of my comfort zone, to try something new that I might not be much good at. And maybe this is a blindingly obvious philosophy to everyone else. But Iâm grateful for the reminder.Â
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