Put love at the centre of your life, NOT discipline
Artwork by Oksana Boiko
Sometimes I think we’ve been told the wrong story about what it takes to build something meaningful. Everywhere we look, people shout about discipline: wake up early, grind harder, sacrifice more. And I get it, discipline matters. It can get you out of bed when you don’t feel like moving, it can carry you through deadlines when the inspiration isn’t there. But I’ve realized something: it's not the centre. It can’t be.
Love is the centre.
If you don’t love what you’re creating, no amount of discipline will save you. You can force yourself to clock in at a nine-to-five with discipline. You can force yourself to push through endless tasks in your own business with discipline. But forcing doesn’t mean thriving, it just means enduring. And I don’t want to spend my life enduring.
When you love what you do, you don’t have to drag yourself to it, it calls you. Even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired, there’s a joy woven through the struggle. It feels like tending to a fire instead of carrying a burden.
Love changes the way the work feels. Suddenly the late nights aren’t punishment, they’re devotion. The risks aren’t terrifying, they’re exhilarating. The setbacks don’t break you, they teach you. And in those rare, magical moments when everything clicks, you’re reminded exactly why you chose this path in the first place.
I think the world needs more of those people who work from love. Not just businesses that function, but businesses that radiate something real. Not just creators who produce, but creators whose work carries warmth, connection, humanity. That kind of work builds community. That kind of work grows in ways discipline alone never could.
And maybe that’s the reminder I want to leave behind for anyone who comes across these words in the future, especially if you’re someone trying to make something out of nothing. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of hustle culture, to believe the only way forward is to grind yourself into dust. But please don’t forget why you started. You didn’t begin this journey just to be exhausted. You began because something lit up inside you, something you loved.
Hold onto that. Protect it. Build from it. Because love doesn’t just keep you going it transforms the whole journey. It makes the difficult parts bearable and the small victories unforgettable. It’s what turns work into life and life into meaning.
So if you’re going to try and I hope you do, don’t just centre discipline. Centre love. Because when you love what you’re creating, even the hardest days will still feel worth it. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll even feel beautiful.
Best wishes,
Cosmos Creatives
