"Do what you love. Love what you do"
Dr Gabriele Sauberer
European Business Consultancy
International Network for Terminology
TermNet Business Ltd / TermNet Americas
European Diversity Management Forum
Dr. Gabriele Sauberer, Secretary General, Termnet Austria shares her success mantra with Modlingua. Dr. Gabriele has been one of the major authorities in Terminology Management with an international repute. At Termnet Austria, the pioneer center for Terminology Management and Research, she regularly organizes Terminology school and European Standards Certification in Terminology.
Dr. Gabriele has been a longtime friend of Modlingua and the Indian Translators Association. On her success mantra, she proudly says, “Do what you love. Love what you do".
Yes, I do consider myself a successful person. And I do believe that if we want to become successful in life, we first need to clearly define what success means for ourselves. It makes a big difference if we measure our success in dollars or euros, in status symbols or power – or in other values such as independence, self-esteem, joy or well-being.
It´s not always easy to find and follow our personal ways to success. What I learned from the very beginning of my live and what I want to share with you is the simple truth of “Do what you love – and love what you do”. Then you will be strong enough and brave enough to get successful – even against all odds.
When I studied Russian and other Eastern European Languages in the 1980/1990 ties, combined with an interdisciplinary bundle of studies (communication and political science, cultural studies, psychology, business and law), I was told that this would lead to nothing, being much too broad, too general.
When I left behind years of scientific research at the University of Vienna to start a postgraduate course on European project management and business, I was told that an academic career or at least a position as civil servant in an Austrian ministry would have been much better and easier to pay my bills.
And when I started to transform TermNet, the International Network for Terminology, into a learning organisation with innovative products and services, to become completely independent from public funding, I was told that nobody can make a living from terminology.
In all these cases, I knew that my choice and decision was the right thing for me, meeting my interests and my personality, feeding my soul and saving me from soul-destroying work.
So my “secret” of success as entrepreneur and private person is simple, but not easy: Listen to your heart, do what you love – and love what you do. That´s the only advice I can give you to become successful in life.
