Life's Work?

I’m currently reading A Ray of Light in The Himalayas about Takashi Miyahara, who dedicated half a century to building a hotel at 3900 meters in the Himalayas with a 360 degree view of mountain ranges including Mount Everest. That hotel is his life’s work.

Reading about him reminded me of others who could answer this question immediately. Warren Buffett has been building value and a community of investors who trust his philosophy for over 60 years. Arsène Wenger built Arsenal’s football for 22 years through wins and severe losses. David Attenborough has been documenting nature for seven decades.

A lot of us work hard but still feel unsure what the work is actually for. Life’s work requires finding something you believe in deeply enough to focus on relentlessly, the kind of belief that keeps you going through ups and downs even when things aren’t working.

The people who have it get so engaged in what they’re building that everything else becomes secondary, not because they’re forcing sacrifice but because they believe in it enough that other things don’t matter as much. When that belief lasts, it becomes life’s work.

What’s yours going to be? What will people remember you for?