A Bit Of Chin

What do you want?

A simple question to ask, but possibly one of the most complex question to answer. Some people are born knowing what their purpose in life is, yet others wander their who life unable to answer this question. I didn't know what I wanted, but I was encouraged by important people in my life to explore what I wanted. I work with these group of amazing people and they know what they want. You can see it when they talk and the amount of work they put out is 10x mine. There is nothing wrong with what I currently do, but the difference between them and me is that they would die for what they are doing. For the past year they have been asking me the question, "What do you want"? Every time they asked me, I responded with a half assed answer and they knew it. So last week I was encouraged to stop what I was doing and really explore what I wanted.

I have always avoided answering this question, because I didn't know where to start. I would always think about it when I was sleeping or walking around, but I always stopped when it became too aggravating. I wasn't born knowing what I wanted to do, but I have always felt every decision I have made helped me get a step towards the answer. So the first thing I did was list everything I loved growing up till now; things like cooking, drawing, family, and certain memories came up. This gave me a better understanding of who I was and what I loved. Then I decided to write about what I loved in my past jobs. I found that all the things I loved at my jobs were the same, like building an idea, creating relationships with people, or innovating. It started to get more clear. My want was something I have been doing all along, I just had to keep thinking about what I have always been doing.

So since then I have been reflecting on my life. Thought about my favorite memories growing up. I thought about the people I have admired and what they have done. I thought about why I was so fired up to work at certain times. Then today it finally hit me. The thing that I want to do is create the best experience a person can have ever. If it was in a company it wouldn't just be I want our users to have the best experience possible, but also the people I work with. I want them to enjoy what they are doing. I know my want and even though it seems a bit impossible, I get fired up over it and I know this is something I am willing to die for.

So now I ask you, What do you want?

In the past week I learned a lot of things through hurricane Sandy.

1) Don't tempt nature, no matter what nature always wins.
TV only shows you the footage, but you cannot experience the feeling of true fear. Like a genius I kept testing Sandy, every time I did it got worse. Within the first couple of hours I experienced winds that knock trees down and when it blew you couldn't breath. It made my heart raced so fast it felt like death was waiting. Water that went above my waist and almost pulled me in, and the Con Ed building exploding a block away. So don't play with nature it will demolish you, like a giant fighting an ant.

2) Wise people look for the good, while unwise people look to complain.
By wise I do not mean old, but people who really understand the value of life and unwise people who have yet to value life. Wise people would say things like, thank god it was only the power and that their friends and family were safe. While the unwise would say living without electricity was hell and continue to say it was a crime for the city to let them do so. There are people all over the world who don't have electricity or clean water, so don't complain about your first world problems. We have to take everyday as a blessing and look for the good around us.

3) When a disaster strikes it only makes us stronger.
This whole week I have seen and heard so many acts of kindness. Firemen, Policemen/women and paramedics rushing to help others during the hurricane. Restaurants, food trucks and groceries handing out free food. The MTA providing free rides around the city. People offering their homes as shelter to others, welcoming both friends and strangers. Stores offering their space to people to charge electronics. This wasn't the first time I experienced this in New York, but it was a sign that people really look to help and care for one another during a time of need.

4) Technology is embedded in our lives.
This week my friends, family, girlfriend and I traveled all over the city just to find a charge and Wifi. We never understood how much we use technology in our daily lives. The first day without phone and computer I felt restless and kept wanting to access the internet. But by the time everything was over I felt as if I have come to appreciate everything a bit more. I understood the importance of technology, but I found a deeper love for my notebook. I spent so much time with a pen and paper, I felt like my brain was more creative then it has been in the past couple of months. So I have decided I will turn of my electronics for at least an hour a week and just write and draw.

These were some of the things I experience during the week. I don't want to say I was happy it happened, because I am not. But I did come to appreciate more things in the past week.