Nothing will ever be perfect, so get used to it. You can always do better. But you will make yourself sick and depressed chasing perfection through life. And you will pain the people who support and work hard for you.
Look back on your accomplishments and accept that you did your best work. Wear a smile on your face and offer thanks to anyone who helped you out.
Do not settle for less than amazing work. But be careful striving for more than that.
Perfection may be the path to ruin.
Bring people together.
Build a home.
Separate culture from money.
Raise children.
End the culture wars.
Spend time well.
What in life is most important to you? What are your values? Can you spin them into goals that drive your life?
Self worth stems from purpose. Purpose stems from goals. Goals stem from values.
Wrap your goals into fortune cookie-sized mission statements. If you are not willing to tattoo these statements to your body, your goals are not developed well enough.
Live the change you want to see in the world. Live the change you want to see in your own life.
But first, know thyself.
It is important to admire and respect people. And humility is key. But raising someone on a pedestal creates a psychological distance between you, the person and the qualities you admire. You might not be getting smaller by making someone larger than life, but the proportion still applies. You are only making it more difficult for yourself to be the greatest person you can be.
Perceive individuals you respect and admire as human, as equals. Only then can you be that much closer to fitting in their proverbial shoes – and tailoring shoes of your own.
Everyone has fear, but no one needs to be afraid. Fear is a powerful tool if used wisely, one that can guide you to great discovery. We fear obstacles, the bumps in the road on the way to accomplishing our goals. But don’t be afraid. Use that fear to measure and appreciate the value of your potential success. The greater the fear, the greater the obstacles, the greater the feat, the greater the reward. Avoid the path of least resistance – it is deceptive and will get you nowhere. Choose the path of greatest resistance – it will guide you to your dreams.
Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
There is no such thing as a one man show. No single individual can truly bring about change or an impact on his or her own. One may be able to initiate alone, but it takes at least two to see things through. It requires resources, time and talent beyond our personal scope to really make a difference in this world.
Get over it. Stop focusing on what you can do. Focus on what we can do together. Find your place in the talent pool, surround yourself with disparate skill sets, and venture out to do good together. There is no “i” in “team.”
Frankly, the question is bullshit. We are guided to answer it with a profession, a title or a lifestyle.
“I want to be an artist.” “I want to be the president.” “I want to be a film director.” “I want to stay at home and raise my children.”
The problem? There’s far more to life than a title, many roads to travel, and too much time to do only one thing. Your answer will change. It has since you were born, it will continue to evolve until the day you die. My answer changed throughout my life from Locomotive Engineer to Meteorologist to Starship Captain to Video Game Designer to Film Producer to Technology CEO. I have been all over the map, with passion and curiosity. I am sure you have, too.
I understand the question. “What do you want to be?” It is a focusing mechanism, the answer of which can help guide you into the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Unfortunately, the question suggests that there is only one answer per person. It distinguishes between future (“what will you become”) and present (“what you are now”). And it prompts you to cite conventional societal roles or industries as a solution to your life problem. Woe is you if your job title is at the core of your eulogy.
I propose a new question:
“What is your purpose?”
Purpose is your mission in life, your agenda, the core principal that guides you when you wake up in the morning and drives you to make decisions. No matter the career or role you play, purpose underlies everything you say and do.
What would you die for?
I want to bring people together. That’s my purpose. And that purpose is far more noble and omnipresent than my resume or my title.
Be your goals instead.
We are raised to set goals and reach them. “Shoot for the moon and you could reach the stars.” The problem? Stars are really far away. Our nearest star Alpha Centauri is 4.37 light-years away (about 26,395,661,800,000 miles). “Reaching” your goal establishes a psychological distance between you and your objective, making it that much harder for you to accomplish.
Be your goal. Forget distance. Close the gap. Discard maps. Embody your mission. Speak the language. Do not hesitate. Plow all obstacles aside. You have what it takes.
Finish lines are illusions. Be who you want to be, no less, no later. Now.
Craig Ormiston 