Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 18: Freedom through Renunciation
Bhagavad Gita 18.48
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् ।
सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः ॥
sahajaṃ karma kaunteya sadoṣamapi na tyajet | sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnirivāvṛtāḥ ||
One should not give up the work one is born to, Arjuna, even if it is flawed. Every undertaking is clouded by some fault, as fire is by smoke.
Modern context
Do not give up the work you are born to, even if it is flawed. Every undertaking has some fault, as every fire has smoke. This is a realistic and freeing thought. Many people abandon good work because they notice its imperfections. But no work is pure. Every job, every relationship, every project has its smoke. The question is not whether there is smoke, but whether the fire is worth tending.