Why You’re Good at Things You Don’t Love — Taoist Wisdom on Career Fate

Should You Do What You’re Good At, Even If You Don’t Like It? A Taoist Perspective

A few days ago, I visited Shanghai and met with Margaret — a brilliant woman working as a marketing director at a listed company.

We originally spoke about children’s sound therapy. I explained that based on Taoist birth charts (BaZi), different children resonate better with different sound frequencies — ideally, natural ones.

But what stayed with me wasn’t that topic. It was two unexpected questions she asked me.

A thoughtful woman on a high-speed train gazing out the window, reflecting on the conflict between personal passion and practical talent.

🎨 “I’m Good at Something I Don’t Enjoy.”

Margaret told me she’s naturally gifted at interior decorating.

She’s been praised for tidying and organizing spaces since childhood. Her home — minimalist, bright, child-friendly — once went viral after a casual social media post.

But here’s the twist:

“I actually don’t enjoy decorating,” she said.
“I just hate clutter. So I do it well, but only because I want my life to be simple.”

Now, more and more people ask her for design tips. They assume she loves it.
But she doesn’t.

💃 “Why Don’t Men Compliment Me?”

Her second question made me pause.

Margaret is tall, pale-skinned — what most would call classically attractive in Shanghai.
But she says:

“Men rarely compliment me. Why is that?”

As a Taoist practitioner, I don’t usually think in this way. I observe energies, not appeal.

But she was sincere. So I responded gently:

“You have a great figure, but your wardrobe doesn’t emphasize your silhouette. It hides your strengths.”

She asked:

“Do I have to expose my legs just to be noticed? That’s not me.”

She prefers an intellectual style — graceful, thoughtful. And she doesn’t want to sacrifice that just to be “seen.”

🧭 When Skill, Passion, and Identity Conflict

As I rode the train back, her two questions echoed in my mind.

They reminded me of something I see often when reading people’s BaZi charts.

Sometimes I tell someone, “You’d make more money doing X.”
And they respond, “But I don’t like X. I want to do Y.”

Fair.

But here’s what I explain:

“If you’re asking me how to make money based on your energy structure, I’ll give you the true answer. Whether you like it — that’s another matter.”

I’ve seen people pursue industries they love… and fail for years.
While others make effortless gains in areas they never cared for.

One man once told me:

“You’re right. I’ve done this job for five years, and every new hire makes more than I do in six months.”

Another woman from France loved gold and was sensitive to price shifts. But her Five Elements were incompatible with metal investment.
She ignored the warning and bought at the second-highest peak. I don’t know how much she lost — but the pain was real.