THAT QUESTION that Gordon keeps asking....

This is in response to Duane's post further down the forum.... I moved it up here so it doesn't get "lost" in the clutter.... :)

> Thanks Dien! My current mission is to
> determine SPECIFICALLY which direction I
> want to go. TOO MANY options! As Gordon has
> been asking, WHAT DO YOU WANT??!!!

Gosh, I know what you mean! I've had the same kinds of questions myself....

I finished with academia, and the last 8 months or so have been an incredible learning process. I've intensively been studying business (through discussions as well as reading and doing).... But you know what? I've discovered (as you have) that it REALLY does boil down to what Gordon keeps saying.... WHAT DO YOU WANT?

It's not an easy question to answer.... It involves really knowing yourself well. In the process of answering this question, I've been learning about myself.... Fill in the blank.... DOING ________ makes me PASSIONATE!

I've discovered that certain things other people do, wouldn't make me happy to do them.... So I can see the financial opportunity, but it just doesn't "mesh" with my personality.

For example, one of the people I admire greatly is Joe Cossman. He made a lot of his money in getting the rights to and selling "novelty" items -- things like novelty shrunken heads. Now, I've realized that I wouldn't be happy doing that.... I've discovered that I like to do things which I feel are "substantial," which change people's lives or change humanity in some way.... (Yes, I know it sounds grandiose.) I've just discovered that this is an element of my personality.... It's what makes me passionate about something.

Here at Sowpub, I LOVE this forum. I believe we have the potential to change people's lives for the better, which is the kind of thing I love and which I can get passionate about. I also enjoy the nature of physics research (which I'm still doing on the side), since I love the idea of pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge.

These answers are all very specific to me and my personality.... I know everyone will have different answers to WHAT DO YOU WANT? I would perhaps extend the question to something like....

What kind of WORK would you like to DO which would you would be PASSIONATE about doing?

I think it's a VERY important question....

When Gordon talked about this, I must admit I didn't quite understand what he was talking about. Of course I know what I want to do -- so I thought. But I didn't really.... I didn't really understand what makes me (as a specific individual) passionate about doing something. Now, I've come MUCH closer to an answer.... And certainly what you probably "should" do is very much dependent on the answer to that question....

This is also the kind of thing Julie Jordan Scott talks about too.... FINDING YOUR PASSION!

> I can't wait to hear about your experiences
> in Silicon Valley! I do enjoy hearing about
> the latest developments. ( I was in IT a
> couple of months back and I am debating
> whether to return)

Yes, I didn't actually go to Silicon Valley (but I was in San Francisco in June 2000), but a couple of my friends were on holiday in Australia (where I'm based).... I'll write an IT post soon on some of the things I learned.... :)

- Dien