Tell The World Who You Are
“The world will ask who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you.”
― Carl Jung
In this life, we have the luxury of being able to carve out our own destiny. We get to choose what we focus on, how we spend our time, and who we become. The difficulty in this is that there are millions of things we can focus on, thousands of ways we can waste our time, and hundreds of people we don’t wish to become. Choosing the direction you take your life is not easy. You may choose a path, move a few steps forward, and realize that the path isn’t for you and have to start from scratch. It’s daunting. Couple this with the way our society pushes us all down a cookie-cutter path makes any step out of the ordinary feel like you are breaking the rules.
So what are we to do?
Be curious. When you don’t know who you are or what you want to become don’t try and force things. Read books from different industries, talk to people, and explore where you would have never explored. This will expose you to a side of the world you may have never encountered, and open up paths you did not see before.
Take chances. We all have one life. It is better to attempt to summit the mountain of fulfillment than rest on the steep of mediocrity. Don’t be overzealous and end up out in front of your skis, but at least try.
Think. Most people approach life haphazardly, like a cat chasing a laser pointer. Set aside time to really understand what you want in life. Not what your parents, your friends, or strangers want from you. What you want. Write out your values, and discover who you are.
The most important thing is to do something. Once time is gone, it is gone.
“Life is a checkerboard, and the player opposite you is time. If you hesitate before moving, or neglect to move promptly, your men will be wiped off the board by time. You are playing against a partner who will not tolerate indecision!”
―
Elbert Hubbard