Making Your Own Path

I'm a sucker for graduation speeches (see here), so of course, I liked this one by Daniel Pink at Northwestern University this year.

His statement below resonated with me:

"The smartest, most interesting, most dynamic, most impactful people... lived to figure it out [...]  This might sound risky -- and, you know what?  It is.  It's really risky.  But the greater risk is to choose false certainty over genuine ambiguity.  The greater risk is to fear failure more than mediocrity.  The greater risk is to pursue a path only because it's the first path you decided to pursue."  

Ambiguity can be really uncomfortable.  Not to dwell into too many personal details, but I've been feeling ungrounded lately.  Not sure of what direction to head next.

Society general believes this state is bad.  We need to have a plan.  Be going "somewhere."  Have something to show for our hard work and "heads down" pursuit of a goal.

That's why listening to Daniel Pink was a breath of fresh air.  I might not have a plan, but as long as I'm not still on my first path, solely because it came first, then maybe I'm doing something right.  At the end of the day, I want to be an interesting person.  That's all. 

Therefore, maybe the right plan to achieve that is to really live.  to do.  to play.  to see.  to try.  to love.  (and all that other good stuff).