Most people don't know what to do with their life, yet they want one that lasts forever.
More than the alternative, men suffer with lack of purpose in life. I am not saying that this curse is never visited upon the female gender, but this is really something for you guys. I don't mean 'purpose', like "The purpose of life", but rather vocational purpose. Most men feel the need to do something great, accomplish big things, make a difference; but many get stuck doing something they wouldn't want their high school history teacher doing. This isn't because they are incapable of better, rather they often can't choose where to focus their efforts, which is prompted by the fear of being miserable, choosing poorly, loosing potentially better opportunities, and winding up a failure.
Over the past years, I found myself plagued by this paralyzing mindset. I knew there was a huge potential in me somewhere, but I forgot where I last had it. As days flew by, I would subconsciously tell my self that I am too old to start this or not talented enough to pursue that. What was really going on was a massive episode of excuse-making. There were a good number of things that I wanted to accomplish: products to develop, consultancies to start, web business that would be the next big thing, but I was stuck thinking that if I started out doing one, then I would be barred from doing the others just for scarcity of days. Then I got married. I had to get out of this blue collar rut... but how?
One day, I got to thinking about some of the products I had dreamed of taking to market, and how successful they might be. The only thing stopping me was my ability to visually render what was in my head. After a couple sleepless night, I took the plunge and bought a software tool that is well-known in the field of engineering: Solidworks '07 Office Professional. After 7 months and nearly eight thousand dollars, I was the proud, certified owner of this immense tool whose potential I hardly knew. NASA, along with numerous private brands, whose names you see regularly at Wal-Mart, use this very software to design products which would strategically position their monstrous figures against opposing forces. I had this weapon in my hands, but was completely useless with it. "Why did I put so much cash into this dead weight?" I would ask myself, "I can't get rid of it." For lack of counting the cost, the 3D mechanical engineering platform lie dormant on my office shelf for a quarter of a decade. I didn't even completely install the program onto my computer (which would barely open the program, let alone run it).
Well, after loosing my job to a manager controlled by the Peter Principle, seventy-five resumes and applications, job offers long delayed, and all at the deepest point of the 2008 financial recession, I realized what I had: a capable mind, an expensive piece of software, and plenty of time to learn the engineer's tool box. My determination was to take this $8,000.00 box, being about the size of a paper-back novel, containing a single DVD disc, and recoup my losses. This was going to require huge dedication on my part if I was to turn this stagnant investment into a profitable venture.
That long-awaited job offer finally came, and within days of having set my direction. You wouldn't believe the rush of energy I experienced by having both a means of income and a greater direction set! I had nearly forgotten what a structured, focused life felt like. I would learn Solidworks at night, and work days. In a year or so, I would be able to sell my skills as a 3D CAD draftsman, and maybe even obtain a patent or two on my own products. Without any regret whatsoever, I would no longer think about opening that brew pub, starting a coffee shop, or installing cabinets; I had a greater goal in mind! The freedom of having set boundaries in life was almost over-whelming.
What I learned through much of this process was something that I knew before it began: When a man looses focus on the few things in front of him, he looses focus on everything, developing an almost ADHD approach; never staying on one thought for longer than a minute. Consequently, the male mind lives vicariously through video games and sporting events, which become the means of satisfying the urge to accomplish greatness, as if HD flat screen living was somehow veritably effective or fulfilling. While I never resorted to video games or football, I knew that I was not living to my full potential while not putting a tighter focus on what I could purposefully do at that very moment. This is the sad state of of so many American men, and lives truly wasted.
Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you might. If you are unsure of what to do, do whatever is closest to you, whatever you can do best, or whatever you find yourself doing instinctively. This may seem like living for the moment, but if you start with what is starting you in the face, while considering the end in mind, you will likely enjoy your work and be equally well rewarded.
More than the alternative, men suffer with lack of purpose in life. I am not saying that this curse is never visited upon the female gender, but this is really something for you guys. I don't mean 'purpose', like "The purpose of life", but rather vocational purpose. Most men feel the need to do something great, accomplish big things, make a difference; but many get stuck doing something they wouldn't want their high school history teacher doing. This isn't because they are incapable of better, rather they often can't choose where to focus their efforts, which is prompted by the fear of being miserable, choosing poorly, loosing potentially better opportunities, and winding up a failure.
Over the past years, I found myself plagued by this paralyzing mindset. I knew there was a huge potential in me somewhere, but I forgot where I last had it. As days flew by, I would subconsciously tell my self that I am too old to start this or not talented enough to pursue that. What was really going on was a massive episode of excuse-making. There were a good number of things that I wanted to accomplish: products to develop, consultancies to start, web business that would be the next big thing, but I was stuck thinking that if I started out doing one, then I would be barred from doing the others just for scarcity of days. Then I got married. I had to get out of this blue collar rut... but how?
One day, I got to thinking about some of the products I had dreamed of taking to market, and how successful they might be. The only thing stopping me was my ability to visually render what was in my head. After a couple sleepless night, I took the plunge and bought a software tool that is well-known in the field of engineering: Solidworks '07 Office Professional. After 7 months and nearly eight thousand dollars, I was the proud, certified owner of this immense tool whose potential I hardly knew. NASA, along with numerous private brands, whose names you see regularly at Wal-Mart, use this very software to design products which would strategically position their monstrous figures against opposing forces. I had this weapon in my hands, but was completely useless with it. "Why did I put so much cash into this dead weight?" I would ask myself, "I can't get rid of it." For lack of counting the cost, the 3D mechanical engineering platform lie dormant on my office shelf for a quarter of a decade. I didn't even completely install the program onto my computer (which would barely open the program, let alone run it).
Well, after loosing my job to a manager controlled by the Peter Principle, seventy-five resumes and applications, job offers long delayed, and all at the deepest point of the 2008 financial recession, I realized what I had: a capable mind, an expensive piece of software, and plenty of time to learn the engineer's tool box. My determination was to take this $8,000.00 box, being about the size of a paper-back novel, containing a single DVD disc, and recoup my losses. This was going to require huge dedication on my part if I was to turn this stagnant investment into a profitable venture.
That long-awaited job offer finally came, and within days of having set my direction. You wouldn't believe the rush of energy I experienced by having both a means of income and a greater direction set! I had nearly forgotten what a structured, focused life felt like. I would learn Solidworks at night, and work days. In a year or so, I would be able to sell my skills as a 3D CAD draftsman, and maybe even obtain a patent or two on my own products. Without any regret whatsoever, I would no longer think about opening that brew pub, starting a coffee shop, or installing cabinets; I had a greater goal in mind! The freedom of having set boundaries in life was almost over-whelming.
What I learned through much of this process was something that I knew before it began: When a man looses focus on the few things in front of him, he looses focus on everything, developing an almost ADHD approach; never staying on one thought for longer than a minute. Consequently, the male mind lives vicariously through video games and sporting events, which become the means of satisfying the urge to accomplish greatness, as if HD flat screen living was somehow veritably effective or fulfilling. While I never resorted to video games or football, I knew that I was not living to my full potential while not putting a tighter focus on what I could purposefully do at that very moment. This is the sad state of of so many American men, and lives truly wasted.
Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you might. If you are unsure of what to do, do whatever is closest to you, whatever you can do best, or whatever you find yourself doing instinctively. This may seem like living for the moment, but if you start with what is starting you in the face, while considering the end in mind, you will likely enjoy your work and be equally well rewarded.
Carpe Diem!
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