“If you go to Stanford University, you’re in the rare position of privilege that you’ll pretty much get to choose what you do in life, and that puts you in less than 1% of the world. I always like to say to people like the folks in this room, ‘You have no excuse in life not to do things that you’re passionate about’. There are a lot of people that will never get to, and so if you’re doing something that you’re not passionate about you’re flunking a cosmic IQ test. And you could learn that IQ test now, or you can learn it when you’re 40 and miserable in a job you don’t like. But in the end, you know what your passion is, and when people and forces in the world try to prevent you from pursuing it turn off the noise and the hype and believe yourself, because so few people do.” – Mike Maples, Maples Investments
Mike Maples said that in a presentation to Stanford students in January 2008. There are a handful of schools that you could substitute for “Stanford University” in that quote, and something hit me quite powerfully when I heard Mike’s talk:
I go to one of those universities.
MIT puts me in that “rare position of privilege”, and I’ll always be grateful to the admissions officer that found it in his or her heart to let me in. The quote reminded me of another MIT story:
There’s a great lesson at about 0:45. All of us who have been given this gift to choose what we do in life don’t owe it to ourselves to do what we’re passionate about.
We owe it to everyone who won’t ever have that chance.
It’s up to us to follow our passions, so that someday years from now we can tell the story about the time we had a choice to make, and we chose to ignore the “noise and the hype” and believe ourselves. Believe the voice that whispers about passion while the talking heads shout conventional wisdom. And someone will hear that story while they’re young, and despite never having this gift to go to MIT or Stanford or wherever they will choose to follow their passion too. And who knows what will come of that.
Follow your passion people.
[...] Original post by billallred.net [...]
good point. But how do you know your passion? I want to change the world, alleviate the poverty, but I dont have the capabilities yet. How to choose something along your dream and also doable is challenging.
I would like to read more from you
btw: In your first sentence, should it be 1:45 instead of 0:45?
Thanks for the note. I did mean 0:45, I like that whole conversation.
I’ve been living my dream for the last three years as well. I seriously feel so lucky to work for Harvard. It’s kinda funny, but I was told when I started that it’s easier to get into school at Harvard than to get a job here! It makes me really grateful that of all the talented people who have applied and worked here I am one of those few… Plus the experience that I’m getting here in indispensable. That’s one reason why I’m putting another one of my dreams on hold for a little while. I can’t give up this opportunity yet! Thanks for the reminder!