say? Life is to be lived at each moment. It cannot be “paused” waiting to be put on
“play” once again.
When I come to the understanding that I am alive, I must ask myself, “What will I
do in my years of consciousness? To slightly misappropriate the lyrics to one of Billie
Holiday’s (1) songs: “Me, myself and I; Have just one point of view; We’re
convinced; There’s no one else like you.” (2) I am alone and, more importantly, I am
unique: now what? The existential question is thus posed. What do I do with this life,
with my life? The normal response is, “I don’t know!” Then, using our DBA Method
(3) of selection, I narrow down my choices. When we leave university or some form
of training, we will have two or three alternatives. We must pick one and begin: it is
all about doing, about action. Let us say, I have gone to school and studied business. I
also like to talk with people. Why not try out a salesman’s position, for example?
Selling is very straightforward: you either love it or loathe it. It does not matter what
you sell. Thus, if it is right for you, you have the beginnings of a career. If it is not,
choose something else. But, you must stick with your first choice for at least two
years. Changing positions too early will not tell you anything about what you like and
will just be a waste of time – your time! Khaled Hosseini (b. 1965) the author of The
Kite Runner (ISBN 9 - 789 - 8674 - 756 - 57) leaves us with a thought:Qualities you need
to get through ... school: Discipline. Patience. Perseverance. A willingness to forgo
sleep. A penchant for sadomasochism (4). The ability to weather (5) crises of faith
and self-confidence. The acceptance of exhaustion as fact of life. An addiction to
caffeine a definite plus. Finally: an unfailing optimism that the end is in sight.
A closing thought: At birth, we should all see a sign, “The lazy need not continue.”
This is ultimately true. If you work at anything, anything, you will see success.
A great movie to watch is Florence Foster Jenkins (6) starring Meryl Streep (b. 1949).
The movie suggests that all is truly possible with drive, perseverance and, the last and
most important tranche, stick- to-itiveness.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about finding your career, your path. This can only
be achieved through trial and error, and hard work.