What a disservice this myth does to women like you and me and two glistening creative souls quoted below--Carla Blazek and Kirsten Oppe.

Here is my claim: you can do what you love, for a living or a part-time living or simply because you love it, and you will still suffer. You can do what you love and you will still hit same rough spots, doubts, and dark nights of soul that you would if you weren't doing what you love, they will just be different ones! I would even go so far as to claim that those of us who are living our dreams are more susceptible to doubt and dark nights because we are more aware and often, by listening and pursuing our passions, we increase our overall evolution--which can certainly increase our dissonance and discomfort! I would also add that if we think we won't have days in which we hate our dream, we are declaring we won't continue to evolve, because life conditions are what helps us change and grow.

Here is a juicy and liberating idea I'm meditating on these days: What if, instead of thinking I'm wrong, off track, or screwing up when I'm uncertain, afraid, lost, don't know what to do next or aren't enjoying some aspect of living my dream, I held interpretation that I am moving to a new level of development, that I am at my learning edge and learning edge is never comfortable. I'm not screwed up, I'm evolving! Just think back to a time before you learned something significant. Were you feeling all light and happy and comfortable? Or edgy, irritable, uncertain, worried, fretful?

What if losing our way is a good sign? (Now, I don't believe it always is and next time I'll share guidelines for discerning when lost is good and when lost is a swim in ole' river Denial or about biological or cognitive disconnects.)

Here's what Carla Blazek, creator of http://www.zenamoon.com, had to say about living her dream and potholes she's fallen into along way:

"I know that I once believed that following my dream meant happily ever after. Years ago, on Oprah, there was a woman who had followed her dream of making elaborate handmade dolls. Sitting in her beautiful antique-filled studio surrounded by mountains of lush gorgeous fabrics, with a look of serenity and bliss on her face, she said she was so in love with her work that 'every day was like Christmas morning.' For years, I carried that metaphor as my idea of what following my dream should feel like [Jennifer's note: notice word should, always a dead giveaway we are pushing ourselves out of our center and toward outside world's dictates]. I believed that if I, too, was skipping along my Divine path of expression and creativity, there would be no hardships, no fear, no struggles. If I was doing it right (whatever that means!), my days would be filled with vivid inspiration, crystal clear decision-making, fantastic feelings 'round clock and a big fat bankbook to boot.

WELL: Now I know this serene dollmaker was either fibbing -- to herself or to Oprah's producers -- or she'd been in business less than a year and was still in honeymoon phase. Falling in love with our work is like falling in love with a person. At first our world revolves around our beloved work. We eat, sleep, and breathe our work; talk about it incessantly. It is answer to our prayers! We feel so alive! How did we ever live without this? Moving through disillusionment has been a natural cycle in my relationship with my company zena moon. Some of my illusions lost so far include: I will always feel passionate about what I do When I follow my intuition, I will not make poor decisions or choices Because I operate in integrity, I do not need practical safeguards (i.e., legal) to protect me My fears will go away My dream(s) will not change Saying yes to business and customers is more important than saying no I have to do everything by myself

I gave birth to zena moon, and she has a life and energy all her own. I've learned it's incredibly important to LISTEN to how I feel in relationship to her. And to listen to what SHE is telling ME!

It all started with click of a mouse button and a credit card number. The next thing I knew I was sitting in a Broadway theatre in mid-town Manhattan watching my first play and having time of my life. As my eyes feasted on this spectacle, I wondered to myself, how could I do that, too?

Now, as I stand on an empty stage in my own hometown some three years later, anticipating week’s closing performance, I can’t help but smile. In my mind’s eye I can still see that frightened young woman driving white-knuckled and wide-eyed as her car carried her on a new adventure. During trip I kept asking myself, why am I doing this? What purpose could traveling alone, 600 miles to a city of millions of people possibly mean in grand poobah of universe? Has my mind finally left world of sane? What will I find? Let me tell you what I found.

I discovered my heart was a treasure chest overflowing with dreams, dreams I never even knew were there. I found possibilities impatiently aching to be realized; they seemed to be shouting, “It’s about time you finally showed up. Now let us out of here!” My state of mind before trip would have pushed away those dreams, forever ignored by fear. Now, after this wonderful adventure, I found myself straining to hear more of those voices, pushing me toward new adventures and new dreams. No longer would my mind dwell on voices of fear. Instead, in would ponder those voices of possibilities and attack them with a clear mind.