Zuckerberg to Harvard students: Eureka moment is a lie, go find a purpose
I know what you are thinking. You are right.
Newton's third law of motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
That's why I always like to hear the opposite view:
Want to have a bit of fun this weekend?
Look at those people who wear "goals" on their lips all the time. Take a good look at them.
In case you forget, goals usually have numbers in them, without them, goals would not be "SMART", would it?
Now try to come up with people who espouse vision, mission, dream, purpose, ikigai, and what not...
Yes, its all written in words that are fuzzy and super broad that can mean anything!
Can you spot a pattern?
Don't force it.
You'll spot it when you spot it.
And not a moment too soon!
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeletePurpose cannot be found in the external environment.
As the emo-king once said "Boredom is the root of all evil - the despairing refusal to be oneself." Construction of one's identity and purpose and understanding how one is situated in one's worldview cannot be taught; it is formed from the tumultuous and ever-morphing deconstruction and reconstruction of the self. I doubt that inner fire can be taught.
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteWe invent work to escape the strain of having to think
Role models are there to inspire us to dig WITHIN to find our own paths.
Those who try to parrot their role models usually end up frustrated or losing their own identities.
There is only one Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg.
Just like there is only one Unintelligent Nerd.
What do most people do? They prefer to be part of legion.
Asked why they have chosen this path or goal, well, all my peers are doing the same mah!
I have a fuzzy purpose.
ReplyDeleteTo let people see the purpose, I start with non-negotiable actions and deliverables.
The goals are dots. If they connect it, they see the lines, and the pictures form by the lines might be different, they. Need not the dots anymore because they are drawing their own pictures.
If they dun see the dots and the lines, then pass a template for them to fill it in step by step.
80% rule. 20% champions. Funny thing is easier to reach the 20% and not the 80%
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteThe fuzzier the better!
Hey! That's a great analogy!!!
Like those drawing and colouring books when we were in kindergatens ;)
The dots have numbering to aid us to connect the dots into a complete picture.
And colouring books have numberings to aid us to use what colours to fill each sections.
Its all coming back to me now :)
Then as we grow up, we try to paint or draw as realistic as possible to the objects we are portraying.
Advanced artists will slowly veer towards stylised or impressionist versions of the objects.
We can still "guess" what's the object although they don't look anything like reality at all.
The super advanced artits will move towards abstract art where only peers can understand what they try to portray.
The ordinary people will go, "I catch no ball what drawing him?" LOL!
Can't blame them. Abstract art is to portray emotions and feelings on canvas. And that's too far removed from the "precision" of numbering of dots and colouring books...
:)
I think that it's better to let nature take its course. It's more realistic.
ReplyDeleteBen
Ben,
DeleteGoals are usually the contrived and "artificial" constructs.
The space fillers.
To know our ikigai or purpose in life, that's not something one can "magically" come up overnight.
Like you have said, it has to come naturally and from within. The "catalyst" varies from person to person though.
When pressed what's their purpose in life is, those without one will simply go for the space fillers:
1. Achieve $X amount in Y years.
2. Get married by X year.
3. Have your first baby by Y year.
4. Own a continental car.
5. Escape HDB heartlands and stay in private property.
Its copy paste. Numbers and item may change; format remains the same.
Can't go wrong to follow the herd mah!
"Follow the nerd" is not the way as per my prespective. I think that it's better to follow the inner feel which represents one's real preference.
ReplyDeleteBen
Ben,
DeleteAye.
There's diversity at this watering-hole.
Some prefer the blending in of legion as in a colony.
Some prefer the closer interactions of a pack.
Some much prefer the company of the solitary one.
We can see these behaviours quite evidently in our little financial blogging community ;)
SMOL,
ReplyDeleteI believe that you have already found your purpose in life. Life is simple. Enjoy it to the fullest.
Brn
Ben,
DeleteYup. That I have ;)
Without a North Star to guide me, I wouldn't be able to say outloud on my blog's masthead:
Why stand when you can sit? And why sit when you can lie down?
醉生梦死
:)
P.S. I think you would know it's heavily influenced by Taoism philosophy ;)
Yeah, why be in the rat race when you can just watch and have fun? Haha.
DeleteRainbow girl,
DeleteYou stay pretty and sweet always ;)
SMOL
ReplyDeleteLet me join in the fun.
Most purpose is to be happy. According to the Newton 3rd Law on opposite reaction is means to be happy means you will need to be sad. So what option do we have next? Referring to your pendulum narrative, we can choose to stay in the middle. However, that's not enjoying and experience life isn't it? So what option is left? I like to use Nike slogan?- "Just do it" Whether it turns out to be happiness or sadness? Just do it and experience and accept what life gives you back. Life worth experience is a life worth living.
Blursotong King,
DeleteAll the goals and cravings for power, money, fame, sexual gratifications, etc...
Something is not right if and when we have achieved them, we are still not happy... The hole in our hearts is still not filled...
That's why goals are frequently space fillers. Something to keep us "occupied" until we have figured out what we want to do with our lives ;)
When we have found our "hearts", we can be "still" :)
无为.
SMOL,
DeleteWell said. I think that yiu have attained the highest level of spiritudiness. I can sense that you are a person with free mind. You are like the legendary "Linghu Chong" with the open-hearted mind of "Xiao Aw Jiang Hu".
I think that life should be treated in such a manner. One should take things with ease and disregard all the hassle of worries that come with the problems. It's easily said than done. Life seems to be full of worries. Ppl tend to like to compete with one another on many many things like finance, jobs, marriage etc.
Won't it be much better if all such issues are treated like easy flow of water? I think that there is some meaning in which ppl are also called "Fan Ren". Ppl come to this world to worry about things.
In my view, I adopt free will mind approach. Treat all issues with ease and be happy every day.
This is how life should be lived. Be positive always regardless of what happen.
Ben
Ben,
DeleteHighest level of spiritualism I dare not say as its still early days...
But I can say I've moved my feet across the threshold ;)
明月照古亭
SMOL,
DeleteWell said. Life is full of happiness on the assumption of taking and enjoying every moment in a slow and relaxing momentum. I personally advocate such approach.
I look forward to more insights from on this aspect.
Ben
Hi Blursotong King,
ReplyDeleteNothing beats on one to be happy. I think that this is the most impt thing to take note. Be happy. Once life is gone, there is nothing. $ means nothing at all.
Ben
temperament,
ReplyDeleteThere is a danger if we get trapped by semantics.
First of all, do share what's the difference between peace and joy versus happiness?
That's why astute Buddhists don't use language to describe what can't be expressed by words ;)
An easy way to find out is look at the mirror.
What do we see?
Don't say we are happy, at peace, or have joy.
EXUDE it!
P.S. Those who have read the Good Book will know why you say Peace and Joy - that's because these 2 words appear frequently in the translated text :)
If the translator had used Serenity and Jubilation, you would have said Serenity and Jubilation will be more worthwhile to pursue ;)
LOL!
Of course you know why Peace and Joy were chosen over Serenity and Jubilation. Wink.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteOne question.
Are you peaceful and joyful now?
temperament,
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what matter doesn't it?
You call it Peace and Joy; I call it Happiness :)
I've experienced the WRATH of angry Christians and Buddhists.
I've comforted depressed and distraught Chrisitians and Buddhists.
I've been in the company of serence and peaceful people who are a joy to be with! There and then, it does not matter what labels they call themselves anymore ;)
temperament,
ReplyDeleteYou may be getting yourself into a knot...
First you have to decide whether its a debate on lexicon or spirituality.
1) If its semantics, then you may want to ask yourself (or find out) what's the difference between:
a) Peace and Serenity
b) Joy and Jubilation
Once you have the answer, the Happiness question will answer by itself ;)
2) If its a question on spirituality, what's with the hangup with "labelling"?
During my Alpha course, I like it very much when the group leader "gently" reminded his deputy not to use "us Catholics, them Christians"... We are ALL Christians.
That's why he is the group leader!
Wink.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteOK. Now you are on thin ice... LOL!
You mean Peace and Joy are for Christians only?
Of course you don't mean that!
I guess I'm the wrong person to answer you as you've repeatedly failed to grasp my hints :)
You may want to discuss with a Christian theologian instead ;)
The English bible is translated from Hebrew and Greek texts. What if the original Hebrew or Greek words were closer to the English word Happiness?
I'll give you an example that may help.
The commandment - Thou shall not kill.
If the translation had been - Thou shall not murder.
Which version is clearer to you?
A person reading literally to the "letter of the law" may interpret "kill" as not killing ALL living animals. Not wrong right? The good book says so!
Luckily, most shepherds who read to grasp "the spirit of the law" will instantly understand that "kill" here meant "murder".
Murder is used with human beings only. We don't say we murder a cow. We say we kill a cow ;)
Don't ask me why the good book chose to use "kill" instead of "murder"??? LOL!
A Christian theologian can share with you more instances where the translation of certain words and texts may have different interpretations by different shepherds - hence you get 1001 denominations ;)
temperament,
ReplyDeleteLOL! Yes, let's stop here.
I had fun!
If you free, jio me out for kopi. My treat!
In private, I can take the gloves off and really challenge you for I thought the goal for Christians (if there ever was one in the first place) was to be "Christ-like" ;)
SMOL, you are a wise man.
ReplyDeleteTT,
DeleteThank you :)
Nah! I prefer to think of myself as a pretty face!
Blond, blue eyes and the works! LOL!
I'm quite flexible. I speak Singlish and BBC England.
Talking to the man sitting in the Comfort Delgro bus (Clapham omnibus), I'll banter in one way.
Debating with the gentleman who knows his Hansard, I'll parley in another way ;)
Nice to have someone in the legal fraternity visiting my humble watering-hole.
Cheers mate!