We contain multitudes
Our work can—should—be a mirror of that.
Your 20s are the training data. It’s your 30s that are eval. 40s are for deploying – @chrisalbon
That’s so dang true.
My 20s were spent doing a myraid of different jobs in different industries -construction, media, web design, social service. I was still figuring out stuff. It was only in early 30s that I pivoted to something I found purpose and meaning in - social impact. It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t jump around in my 20s in the commercial sector. I wanted something more meaningful, not just slaving away for a global corporation for mindless shareholder value. And so that fuelled the work for the next decade.
Now that I’m in my 40s, what’s meaningful and purposeful is starting to change again. When you’re young you wanted to change the world. I tried, I did (a little bit). Now I shift inwards, towards myself, and family. Towards doing what I enjoy, what the generalist in me had always wanted, that is to create. Towards being able to provide a good life for my wife, kid and parents, while having the freedom and flexibility to be more present to them all. Looking back, 30s feel like an eval for what life purpose felt like, and it sure ain’t simply trying to serve humanity and change the world for the better, even if it’s for altruist reasons. Any work I throw myself into must also serve and improve my life and the lives of those I love. Maybe it has to have a bit of everything - outwards, inwards, beside.
From changing the world.
To changing my world.
And changing the world of loved ones.
We contain multitudes. Our work can—should—be a mirror of that.