Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Russell Grant, the famous British astrologer, and observed him giving a talk to a large audience. What struck me was how completely at home he seemed while delivering his hour-long speech. Most public speakers show some evidence of nerves — a slight strain from the intensity of focused concentration or the buzz of adrenaline. With Russell, it was as if this was his natural environment; he was among old friends, and there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

This got me thinking about a video I’d recently watched of Esther Hicks channeling Abraham on the subject of generating a passive income. She said that when you are completely in alignment with your true self and doing what you love, you become synchronized with universal energy, and the money comes, effortlessly. This is at odds with many business models and even much self-help literature that stress the idea of pushing hard for what you want; you have to strive to reach that elusive goal, and you should always grow and progress. The general philosophy is no pain, no gain.

Even when I was studying photography many years ago, photographers had a similar philosophy. When someone nearly froze to death in an icy landscape or slipped into a cold river to get a perfect shot, we’d say, “You have to suffer for your art.” Watching Russell yesterday seemed to give credence to what Esther Hicks/Abraham was saying. So many people strain themselves trying to do something that doesn’t come naturally. We’ve all found ourselves in this situation at times; perhaps it’s a role that goes with a job, or we want to do something because our egos push us in that direction. Or perhaps our parents or other people encourage us to take a particular path. Sometimes financial necessities dictate a choice that isn’t really us.