Do you love what you do for a living? or do you wake up angry just because is Monday and you have to go to work? Many people are in second place, doing things that they don’t want to do, just because, otherwise, they wouldn’t receive a paycheck at the end of the month. Don’t get me wrong, we all need to eat and a place where to live, of course.

I love what I do for a living, I’m a Full-stack developer but also a Frontend developer but also a Backend developer but maybe also a Software Engineer, that is a lot of also. The thing is, that depending on the region of the world and the stack you know, you could be called one of the previous titles. Because what they all have in common is "Code" and depending on your stack, knowing as stack the programming languages you know, frameworks, libraries, etc. You should have one or another title.

As you hear, being a programmer (that is another way to call us, in general) has too many bifurcations or branches or specialties. And that can give the sensation of being too complex or difficult. And the reality is that IT IS! What? did you expect that I said something like “No, being a programmer is so easy” or “No, you can learn to program in one hour” as many Youtube videos say.

The reality is, that being a programmer is the best thing that ever happens to me, I love being a programmer, and writing code bring me joy and calm, in a certain way writing code has become a part of me.

And I know. You probably are thinking “what is this guy talking about?” a moment ago he was preaching that programming is complex and difficult to learn. And it’s true. Hear me out a little more, while I try to explain myself.

Probably if you are listening to me, you know something about this industry and probably you had seen a lot of video tutorials on Youtube about learning a specific programing language or framework or library or something that will help in your carrier path as a developer. Or probably, you had seen platforms like Coursera, Platzi, Edx, etc. that offer courses with a modality of subscription-base, in which they preach, they could help you become a developer in no time. And the truth is, that I agree with them. That’s how I become a developer!

BUT, it has a trick! The first time you see code it’s really difficult to understand what the expositor is trying to teach you and maybe you can get a little frustrated. And when you think you finally get it, something new comes into the picture or maybe something that was not explained until that moment, and you have to start again. This situation can be a deterrent for many people, seeing the never-ending learning of programming, and the thing is my friends, that is true.

Imagine you are in one of those big libraries where there are books everywhere, so you start reading with the hope that when you finish you’ll be ready for the job. And, when you think that you have finished reading it all, you find out that, that’s the first floor and there are 50 more. And every year a new floor is added.

Yeap! that’s programming, never-ending learning, which can be considered a curse or a blessing. I think it has a little of both.

Do you remember how I started talking? because I think that is the key to it all. If you love what you do, it shouldn’t be a problem with any of what I mentioned before. For me, for you to become a programmer you have to love what you do, and you have to enjoy writing code, it shouldn’t be a burden to get at to speed with the new technologies or find a bug and dedicate it 3, 4 or 8 hours until you get with the solution, and enjoy the satisfaction of being able to solve it.

Don’t get me wrong. Being a programmer is fantastic! it has so many benefits like knowing people from different parts of the world, being able to work from anywhere(as long as you have a stable internet connection, of course), really good salaries, and so many other benefits. But, it also requires a lot of commitment, and the capacity to learn other idioms and speak them, this one it’s kinda a must for people in Latino America. Being able to adapt to the situations at work and having good communication is key.

To sum up, if you want to be a developer you have to love what we do and I think this also works for any job out there. I can tell you that when you love what you do, as I do, it’s easier to get up every morning and sit or go to work, it isn’t something that weighs on your shoulders, it’s something that you find gratifying and you are eager to do.

In conclusion, do what you love for a living. I do. I find happiness doing my work, creating stuff with my code, solving a problem, implementing an optimized solution, learning new things, etc. For me, the word “Work” doesn’t mean doing something, a labor, an action, etc. to get rewarded at the end of a stipulated time. For me, the word “Work” found another meaning, something gratifying, something that I like to do. I hope you feel the same.