Over the years I’ve watched as people start to make a business out
of their hobbies (or from things they do for recreation.) Some seem to
enjoy that life, but most really don’t. I’m reminded of a conversation
I had with a friend who was a great horse trainer. He always had three
of four horses on his place that belonged to someone else. One day I
asked him, “How much do you charge to ride these horses?” “Oh,” he
replied, “I never charge anyone for riding their horses.” I couldn’t
believe it. Here was a great trainer offering his services for free!

Immediately a business plan began to formulate in my mind. I could
see how many horses he’d have to ride, and how much he’d have to charge
for each one to make a tidy living. When I started to outline my
thoughts he shut me right down. “You know,” he said pensively. “There’s
a reason I don’t charge people for what I do.” He took a bite of jerky
and pushed his hat back on his head with his thumb as he shared with me
a nugget of wisdom I shall never forget: “When you start getting paid
for what you do for fun, it’s not fun anymore.”

How many of us love to ski? And we think, “Wouldn’t it be great
being a professional skier?” The answer is no. Because now we do it for
recreation and it’s fun. If we were under constant pressure to win
every time we went skiing, it would almost immediately cease to be fun.
Be careful what you wish for. Your dream job might not really be so
great at the end of the day.