Are You A True Amateur In All That You Do?

Like many words over the years, the word amateur has been redefined over the years and lost a little of its original meaning. The English word comes from the Latin word “amore”, which, as we all know I am sure, means, “to love”. Thus originally and in its truest form the word, “amateur” is simply someone who does something, simply “for the love of it”.

Unfortunately these days, we define it a little more broadly, and as someone who does something, but not paid for it, therefore they and their work by implication, must be inferior to that of the paid professional.

The reasoning being that if someone is willing to pay for your services, you must be really good. Whereas an amateur must be less skilled or less talented, other wise he/she too could charge for their services. Of course, if you have ever hired many of theses so-called professionals, you will know the latter is often not true and that in fact many so-called amateurs have it all over the so-called professionals with their skills some times.

But that still doesn’t stop us mentally, at least, as down grading the amateurs does it?

However it is the true amateur, the one who does things for love and not for money, who is the real professional, isn’t it?

If you are doing it for money, then near enough is good enough most of the time isn’t it?

Whereas, if you are doing something for love, even your best is often not good enough in your own eyes is it? And you keep at it until you really do think you can do no better, don’t you?

So today and everyday, when you go about your own special talent in life, even if you are a paid professional, please do all your work as an amateur. A loving, albeit unpaid, amateur, in the true sense of the word. Okay?