by Derek Sivers
What would you do then, if you didn’t need the money and didn’t need the attention?
No matter what you tell the world or tell yourself, your actions reveal your real values. Your actions show you what you actually want.
By using a title without doing the work, you fool yourself into thinking that future success is assured — thinking, “This is who I am!” But that premature sense of satisfaction can keep you from doing the hard work necessary. Stop fooling yourself. Be honest about what’s past and what’s present. Retiring outdated titles lets you admit what you’re really doing now
Whatever you decide, you need to optimize for that goal, and be willing to let go of the others.
Maybe the most important thing to you is learning, or creating, or giving. Maybe it’s how many people’s lives you can influence. Maybe it’s how deeply you can influence just a few people’s lives. Once you realize what you really want and admit it, you need to pursue it.
Be careful when you say you like or dislike something, because you could change your mind soon.
Old opinions shouldn’t define who we are in the future.