It's Not Just One Thing

It's not just one thing. I recently heard that quote from Bob Myers, the former GM of the Golden State Warriors. I think that's one thing that needs to be said with my generation. It's not just one thing. People pride themselves on one thing. They envision their goal to be that one thing. Everyone has to go through that one thing to realize that the one thing isn't just one. But many.

The overblown but truthful concept of Ikigai in Western culture has never been more prevalent than before. It's not just one thing. I need to constantly remind myself of that. If it was just one thing, then everyone would be struggling. And we see that. Don't fall into the trap of that one thing. You'll fall into a bottomless pit of searching for that one thing when, in reality, there have been multiple things right in front of you.

How did you stumble across the multiple things in your life? Well. Curiosity? I think that's your best bet. That's been my best bet. I've been told from all my readings it's my best bet. Fuck it. I guess it is the right bet.

What is my multitude of things? Well, I'm starting to compile it. Family. Coding. YouTube. Meaningful interactions with humans. Learning to love. I was listening to founders, and this quote resonated with me:

Be happy while you're living because you're a long time dead.

A recipe to not be happy is to become obsessed with that one goal. That's it. It's not a matter of one thing. But a matter of that one goal. Because once you reach that goal, the mountain top is barren. If you're lucky, you'll have a couple of supporters with you there.

But eventually, those supporters will leave the top, leaving you just there. And you'll feel empty.