I've been trying a lot of hobbies over the last year. Ranging from electronics to writing articles to my newest one: business ventures. I highly recommend trying out as many things as you can. It helped me find my strengths and now my future is slightly more focused.
About a month ago I organized, with a friend, a concert where we donated the proceeds to charity. I made a monetary loss in the concert but learned a lot, most importantly it gave me the confidence to start my own non-profit company. More info about that company can be found here.
And now I believe I'm doing something that I want to continue for the rest of my life.
The problem for me, however, is that I've grown up in a family of scientists.
I remember the first time my dad took me to his lab, I was looking at my coloring books under the microscope. Since then I've always wanted to work on cutting edge research in a small university town.
I don't know, I guess I'll have to compromise.
I hate compromising.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
My First Company
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2 comments:
Good luck with your company, Zayd.
It's not about hating compromises. The problem lies with starting life, as most do, by unthinkingly compromising on most things and then spending their lives trying to regain control of some parts as their need for their birthrights becomes apparent.
The way I found useful - and it's only a personal route that has worked for me - is to start with the premise that you are your own person and have 'unlimited' rights, except for those that you lost by the accident of birth itself (such as when, where, and to whom you were born).
Of course, as you grow, you'll have to compromise: to parental pressures, institutional rules, national laws, and to that self-created monster called society. That's when You decide, yes … YOU, what you are willing to trade off (perhaps even temporarily) and where you will or will not give in, strategizing after weighing the pros and cons.
You'll soon be surprised to find that the Really Important Stuff (for you) in the vast majority of cases need not be given up at all. The first thing: you'll need to shed is the fear of non-conformity. The second thing: Bear in mind that all progress in the world, big or small, is brought about by people who believed in the essence of this shayr:
ہم كو مِٹا سكے . یہ زمانے میں دم نہیں
ہم سے زمانہ خود ہے . زمانے سے ہم نہیں
Five dicta that helped me were:
1. "Remember your humanity and forget the rest!" (Bertrand Russell)
2. "You need to decide early if you want to make money or you want to make sense." (Buckminster Fuller)
3. "You can accomplish remarkable things if you do not care who gets the credit." (Variations attributed to several people.)
4. "Question everything, including this statement." (Bertrand Russell)
5. "Never trust anyone over 40!" (Abbie Hoffman)
Just a warning about #5: I am nearly 70 ;-)
Thank you so much for the eloquent advice.
You caught me right in the middle of finals and I was at a loss of how to express my gratitude, in limited time, and so I put it off.
I feel that you have hit the nail on the head. I've still been at a blank whenever I attempt to think about my future. Thank you for making me realize that I do not have to chart every little thing out what I'm going to do. I'll take what matters and principles are important to me and apply them to every decision I have to make. I now feel that this will be the best way for me to guide my life.
I've always attempted to minimize the effect society has had on my aspirations and I will continue to do so with a rejuvenated sense pf rebellion :)
Once again, thank you for your advice. You may have significantly altered my life path.
Zayd
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