Well, being 22 I must say that a few of these I had realized a long time ago. The theme of this post seems to be that living somewhat of a nomadic lifestyle and traveling is what we should all be doing. Similar to how drug users and people who don't have 100% faith in what they are doing attempt to bring people in with them, this author is trying to convince us all to be free wielding travelers in a time when we have no commitments. Sort of a validation by mass usage. Not all of us have an extra $1000 lying around to just leave everything on a whim (and some simply do not want to). While I would like to travel someday, it is simply not in the cards now.
One most important things that I have taken notice to in the past few years or so is that your life path is exactly what you want to make it. Early on in the school systems we are led to believe that your life will go as follows: School => Find High Salary Job => Retirement => Death. They train you to become reliant on the system and think that your goal should be to exit schooling with a high paying salary and if you don't you are screwed. You will be miserable and lonely forever. They never suggest once that you can stray off that path and most never question it.
Another realization that I have come across lately is that it is easy to become caught up in idealism. It's nice to dream up what you see for your future and forget where you are now. Steve Jobs spoke in his 05 Stanford commencement speech of connecting the dot's in hindsight and not realizing the impact that some previous events had at the time. The important thing to realize is not that we should look back in hindsight and connect the dots rather, focus on the creation of the dots themselves. You are in control and your future is not some mystical set-in-stone experience that you will have a great epiphany over sometime in the future while reflecting. So rather than hope that everything will work itself out, find out what you want and be the one to create the dots, not connect them. I could go on more but it's time I go create my reality rather than ramble about potentials.
Another thing they fail to tell you is that there isn't necessarily a tradeoff between success and fun. When I started college, the idea of majoring and working in "engineering" appalled me -- grind away my youth in a cubicle, then retire just as family obligations and gradually declining health take the fun out of travel? No, thanks. So I took a B.S. in math (rebellious, no?), and the two jobs I've had since then have been as a lone software developer and pseudo-engineer for companies with things to do overseas. Not that I knew it would turn out this way, but I like the result -- occasional several-week trips to places I wouldn't have thought to visit, on an expense account, and thrown in with a group of locals who I already have some connection with.
From what I gather, it's easy for engineers to spend a career like this if they want to. School advisors tell you to make yourself valuable, but they emphasize it with a stick -- if you don't, you'll be poor -- instead of a carrot -- you can cash in on your own value anytime. As PG mentioned in one of his essays, success is easier to tap if you stay upwind of it.
(Incidentally, I'm going back to grad school soon -- being a pseudo-engineer isn't as upwind as I'd like. That's one get-out-of-a-rut-free card with pretty low risk.)
I agree. Maybe I neglected to put the emphasis on the point I was trying to make which is that they attempt to scare you into believing if you stray off the beaten path you will be screwed.
One most important things that I have taken notice to in the past few years or so is that your life path is exactly what you want to make it. Early on in the school systems we are led to believe that your life will go as follows: School => Find High Salary Job => Retirement => Death. They train you to become reliant on the system and think that your goal should be to exit schooling with a high paying salary and if you don't you are screwed. You will be miserable and lonely forever. They never suggest once that you can stray off that path and most never question it.
Another realization that I have come across lately is that it is easy to become caught up in idealism. It's nice to dream up what you see for your future and forget where you are now. Steve Jobs spoke in his 05 Stanford commencement speech of connecting the dot's in hindsight and not realizing the impact that some previous events had at the time. The important thing to realize is not that we should look back in hindsight and connect the dots rather, focus on the creation of the dots themselves. You are in control and your future is not some mystical set-in-stone experience that you will have a great epiphany over sometime in the future while reflecting. So rather than hope that everything will work itself out, find out what you want and be the one to create the dots, not connect them. I could go on more but it's time I go create my reality rather than ramble about potentials.