The beauty in the torture
June 26, 2013.
Jerry Seinfeld sits for an interview with Howard Stern. Stern asks about his routine - how Jerry constantly observes, constantly hunts for material, constantly thinks about comedy.
Jerry gave an answer. Fuming with surprise, Howard Stern was like - "That's being at work 24 hours a day," Stern says. "It's neurotic."
Jerry's response is perfect: "Making jokes is not work. It's a gift."
Then he drops this wisdom bomb:
“Your blessing in life is when you find the torture you’re comfortable with.”
That line stopped me cold when I first heard it. Because it captures something profound about purpose that most people miss: What looks like torture to others feels like home to you.
I'm 21 years young now. Looking back, from getting my first twitter account suspended by spamming affiliate links to scaling my ghostwriting biz and building oog (a caveman side project), one thing has remained constant: my love for building. For creating. For solving problems that matter to me.
But for people who haven't seen the chaos running through my brains and veins that made this obsession possible, this dedication looks like madness. Torture.
They see chaos, I see patterns. They see frustration, I see puzzles. They see work, I see art. That's the gift of being consumed by your purpose.
Your torture should feel beautiful to YOU.
Not comfortable in the sense of easy, but comfortable in the sense of right. In the sense of home.
When you find that torture, that obsession that others see as work but you see as a gift, protect it. Nurture it. Lean into it.
Because that beautiful torture isn't just what you do.
It's who you are.
- Ikramul 💙