We call work “work” for a reason, right? It’s WORK! Whether you like your job or not, it’s a drag sometimes…especially if you feel like the essence of who you are gets lost in translation.

What if you injected a little more YOU into your work?

A friend of mine has a 5-year-old son named Max. I stayed with Max’s family here in Seattle while I was looking for a place to live. After dinner one night, Max’s dad said “Listen to this.” as he searched his iPhone for a specific song.

Next thing I knew, Max was singing along to “Seasons of Love” from Broadway mega-hit Rent.

This is one of my all time FAVORITE SONGS! I could barely contain my joy at hearing a 5-year-old sing it like he meant it. (Max is a pretty cool kid to begin with; this just sealed the deal.)

Turns out that Max’s kindergarten teacher is a pianist and former performer. He brings his love of music and theater into the classroom every day and uses it as a tool to make him better at his job. I’m not suggesting that he doesn’t already love teaching; but what an amazing way to make every day more fun…for his students and for himself.

What special talent can you bring to your work? How can you use it to love the work you do and make you even better at it?