Ultimately, one has to find one’s purpose. The purpose is the mentor.
I wouldn’t say I liked working at IBM, I felt like a tiny cog in a massive machine, I instinctively disliked the cubical culture, still find it stifling and claustrophobic. But I learned much from everyone and everything that happened to me, and that has been a blessing. So I can still hear my first boss explaining that despite wanting to do and learn everything in the world, one can not drink the whole ocean.
So I tried my best to learn as much as I could from everyone I could. I learned from all my failures and successes, and from friends and (perceived) foes, from media and the Internet, and from books, boy did I love reading! Still do. With all the learnings and mental models that resulted in, the question of what to do, and if I was doing it right, these continued on.
A mutually curated circle of collaborators had somehow come together. From the years of building and imagining, failing and restarting, a network had begun to form. Still small, but potent. Very useful in shaping one’s thoughts, and getting feedback on models and builds.
Then something unexpected happened. When I suddenly discovered my true purpose on the planet, something else entirely became a guiding light. Something that began to shine and pointed a way forward. The world is seen through the lens of darkness, of not knowing what is what, of who is who, and of where lies the dangers. The world is seen through a fog of fear and uncertainty. And seen through such a lens, one needs help deciding what to do and where to go. Here, social groups and ties, and networks become important.
But when that light dawns, that spark that burns all of this down, the path forward through the same darkness is lit up inside. The way forward constantly reveals itself, indeed, the purpose becomes the very driver and takes you along for the ride. How fast and impactful the ride will be, will depend only on how much you let go. Once the purpose is clear, and one has a clear set of values, what difference does it make in how one gets there?
Clarity and Adaptability. These become mentors and compatriots in this journey to achieving one’s true Purpose.
