I enjoy reading books about Silicon Valley and the culture that prevails there. Recently I finished reading Nudist on the Late Shift by author Po Bronson. Another interesting book Po wrote was What Should I Do with My Life? For those entrepreneurs amongst us there are parts that ring a bell particularly those of us starting out in a second career. Stories abound of individuals who have overcome fear and confusion to find a larger truth about their lives and, in doing so, have been transformed by the experience.
Some key highlights of the book to think over are below. Enjoy and thanks Po!
- Of our life we demand something deeper, or richer, or more substantive
- We will not have squandered our time here
- People who have unearthed their true calling fought with the seduction of money, intensity, and novelty, but overcame their allure
- attack on our freedom made life precious and weighty. People were reassessing what mattered to them
- Ordinary people – did not have available to them resources or character traits that gave them an uncommon advantage in pursuing a better life
- In hard times people usually changed the course of their life; in good times, they frequently only talked about change. Hard times forced them to overcome the doubts that normally give them pause.
- They spoke of fulfillment not happiness
- I became hyperaware of what mattered to me
- Very real stumbling blocks that prevent us from pursuing this question: not enough money, never enough time
- Many psychological stumbling blocks keep us from finding ourselves
- The quest for identity through ones labour – American phenomena
- Its so easy to let yourself be talked out of it
- Paradox of trying to make a “right” decision in the absence of experience
- Patience, long-term planning, resilience. Thats when you embrace your true identity, you will discover a productive power you never imagined having.
- I’d rather help than watch. I’d rather have a heart than a mind. I’d rather expose too much than too little. I’d rather say hello to strangers than be afraid of them. I’d rather know all of this about myself than have more money than I need. I’d rather have something to love than a way to impress you.
- They want to find work they are passionate about.
- We need to encourage people to find their sweet spot. Productivity explodes when people love what they do.
- The value in their companies came from the employees who were passionate about being there. The extra effort came from them. The new ideas come from them. They took it upon themselves to teach and lead others.
- Those who are lit by this passion will be the object of envy among their peers, and the subject of intense curiosity. They are the ones who, day by day, will rescue this drifting ship.
- turning point
- We are looking for an environment that nutures our soul
- Perhaps you identify yourself, by age, gender, race, where you live, number of kids you raise or your PROFESSION
- We are not identified by what we do – our identity is anchored in what we’ve had to overcome to get there
- pay attention and not sleepwalk through life
- Inevitably time will erode memory and I will be left with fading highlights, and then only fond feelings
- A calling is not something you know, its something you grow into, through trials and mistakes. Work should be like life-sometimes fun, sometimes moving, and defined by meaningful events.
- Freedom is the confidence that you can live within the means of something your passionate about. Failure’s hard, but success at the wrong thing can lock you in forever.
- Get your mind 80% of the way there, then go looking for a catalyst.