How to dent the universe – Part 2

First, it was the Graduate Institute of International Affairs, University of Geneva, Switzerland, that didn’t open the doors. Finally, it was the study of economic analysis, public diplomacy and project management from the London School of Economics, that I thought would do the trick. Though progress has been slow it very satisfactory. The struggle continues.
   
My new purpose entered me into a checkered career as a writer and editor of a myriad of newspapers and magazines, ending as author, columnist, and blogger. I look back and see that I have always been interested in creativity and human performance. That’s why I watch sports, follow technology and business news. It is also how I approach work, always trying to emulate the work habits of Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates. All three pieces of the puzzle just fit passion, format and result. It took me decades of reading, asking the right questions and listening to men of experience. Wisdom comes from experience. So, you can either be like my acquaintance the chef who was born knowing. Or you are like me, drifting through life until I had found all the pieces. The individual pieces are small enough to cultivate from today. One: passion, what interests you can only be fulcrum of your purpose.
   
Look for a theme that runs through a large part of your life. I made an inventory of all hobbies and genres of media consumption. Human creativity ran through all from athletics to programming. Many people have noted that mastery increases passion. Just start by finding an interest that has been consistent for more than ten years. Work on such a conscientious interest, the odds are that you develop a deep passion for it.

That’s where your purpose lies. Two, result. What is your end game, is it money or just family comfort? Is it to put a dent in the universe and become a legendary contributor to human progress? There isn’t a universal answer, you have to find out for yourself.

For me, it is following the lines of the German statesman Otto von Bismarck, Mahatma Gandhi of India and the British statesman Winston Churchill. Three: Format, this deals with the type of work you are doing. For me it is writing, talking and organizing people. For you, it could be technology. It is just those three steps that will gain you your purpose. Purpose is not an academic exercise, you cannot experiment it. You have to experience it, it is from within.

CONCLUDED