The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

mind to it, he could accomplish anything. In the end,
though, he realized the secret of success is that sometimes
getting everything you want doesn’t always make you
happy.
The second story is the opposite of the first. Instead of
the self-made path, you have a determined one. Whatever
will be, will be. Life happens in spite of what we want. You
have no control over anything, and in the end, you will look
back on your life and understand there could have been no
other way. But where is the adventure in that—in having
everything scripted out for you? And what of the countless
stories of those on their deathbeds, confessing regret? Even
when we talk in terms of “destiny” and “fate,” we want to
believe we have some control over our lives. There must be
another way.
The first path says you can be whatever you want; the
second says you have no choice. But perhaps there is a third
way. What if there was more to your purpose than getting
what you wanted? What if there were some things you
couldn’t control, but how you reacted to those situations
made a difference? Is there a purpose to your life, or are we
all just bouncing around in a chaotic universe? Everyone
from religious scholars to scientists and career counselors
has pondered these questions. So let’s look at them
pragmatically.
Here’s what we know. A lot of people are unhappy with
their jobs, where they spend a significant amount of time. A
recent poll found that only 13 percent of the world’s