“It’s about people who dared to be honest with themselves”
- Po Bronson
Is there anyone here who has not asked any of these questions at any point?
1. Should I put my faith in mystical signs of destiny, or should my sense of a “right fit” be based on logical, practical reasons?
2. When should I accept my lot, make peace with my ambition, and stop stressing out?
3. Why do I feel guilty thinking about this?
4. Should I make money first, to fund my dream?
5. How do I tell the difference between a curiosity and a passion?
6. How do I weigh making myself a better person against external achievements?
7. When do I need to change that situation, and when is it ‘me’ that needs to change?
8. What should I tell my parents, who worry about me?
9. If I have a child, will my frustration over my work go away?
10. What will I feel like when I get there? (How will I know I’m there?)
Robert Frost had it easy, he only had to choose between two roads. Now we are faced with a myriad of options - to choose either road, stand petrified at the crossroad like Lot’s wife, take one road and backpedal if we don’t like it, choose to go back where we originally came from, take the first road then jump to the second road then jump back again to the first road, and so the confusing options go.
The beauty of this book is that there are no ready answers. It does not attempt to cut through the Gordian knot of any personal dissatisfaction or exorcise devils of anxiety or discontent. It merely tells one story after another, stories of real people that may well have been that of our neighbor’s, a colleague’s, our sibling’s, or that of our own little-big selves. Stories which remind us of past sorrows and past joys, and of possible happy futures that can be ours. Then we ask more questions, and in the process a glimmer of light shine through our personal convoluted maze of dilemmas.
Po explains that the stories are organized into eight sections: In the first section, the people interviewed are struggling with the essential paradox of trying to make a “right” decision in the absence of experience. In the second section, they’re overcoming traditional class notions of where they belong. In the third, they’re learning to resist temptations that have distracted them from their true aspirations. The people in section four have found ways to resolve that inherent conflict. In the fifth section, they’re getting to know themselves as people first, then struggling with what that means for their career mission. The people in the sixth section found their right place or environment, which led in turn to greater insight. The seventh section is the longest in the book. It recognizes that we make our choices with our family in mind. The people in the final section demonstrate the virtues of patience and persistence. Po stresses that he included the said part not to admonish the young and urgent, but to respect the Big Picture.
Socrates brandished that the unexamined life is not worth living. “What Should I Do With My Life?” amplifies the point that the examination of this life is no mean feat and the journey arduous and long, but yes, the answers will make this life worth living.
- Po Bronson
Is there anyone here who has not asked any of these questions at any point?
1. Should I put my faith in mystical signs of destiny, or should my sense of a “right fit” be based on logical, practical reasons?
2. When should I accept my lot, make peace with my ambition, and stop stressing out?
3. Why do I feel guilty thinking about this?
4. Should I make money first, to fund my dream?
5. How do I tell the difference between a curiosity and a passion?
6. How do I weigh making myself a better person against external achievements?
7. When do I need to change that situation, and when is it ‘me’ that needs to change?
8. What should I tell my parents, who worry about me?
9. If I have a child, will my frustration over my work go away?
10. What will I feel like when I get there? (How will I know I’m there?)
Robert Frost had it easy, he only had to choose between two roads. Now we are faced with a myriad of options - to choose either road, stand petrified at the crossroad like Lot’s wife, take one road and backpedal if we don’t like it, choose to go back where we originally came from, take the first road then jump to the second road then jump back again to the first road, and so the confusing options go.
The beauty of this book is that there are no ready answers. It does not attempt to cut through the Gordian knot of any personal dissatisfaction or exorcise devils of anxiety or discontent. It merely tells one story after another, stories of real people that may well have been that of our neighbor’s, a colleague’s, our sibling’s, or that of our own little-big selves. Stories which remind us of past sorrows and past joys, and of possible happy futures that can be ours. Then we ask more questions, and in the process a glimmer of light shine through our personal convoluted maze of dilemmas.
Po explains that the stories are organized into eight sections: In the first section, the people interviewed are struggling with the essential paradox of trying to make a “right” decision in the absence of experience. In the second section, they’re overcoming traditional class notions of where they belong. In the third, they’re learning to resist temptations that have distracted them from their true aspirations. The people in section four have found ways to resolve that inherent conflict. In the fifth section, they’re getting to know themselves as people first, then struggling with what that means for their career mission. The people in the sixth section found their right place or environment, which led in turn to greater insight. The seventh section is the longest in the book. It recognizes that we make our choices with our family in mind. The people in the final section demonstrate the virtues of patience and persistence. Po stresses that he included the said part not to admonish the young and urgent, but to respect the Big Picture.
Socrates brandished that the unexamined life is not worth living. “What Should I Do With My Life?” amplifies the point that the examination of this life is no mean feat and the journey arduous and long, but yes, the answers will make this life worth living.
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