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My father dropped out of high school to help support his family. He served in the military and started his own business. Except for Sundays, he worked his ass o
by edw519 13y ago
My father dropped out of high school to help support his family. He served in the military and started his own business. Except for Sundays, he worked his ass off 12 hours every day of his life until he died.
My mother could have been anything, but never got the chance. Instead, she raised us so that we could become what she never could.
My grandmother had nothing. When she was 13, she had to drop out of school to care for 7 other children. She ate her first egg as an adult. She never travelled more than 50 miles from home her entire life.
My grandfather was the smartest man I ever knew but never went to school a single day in his life. Instead he did mind-numbing factory work and stimulated himself with books, musical instruments, languages, and people whenever he had energy after work. He died prematurely from industrial causes.
I, on the other hand, was born at the perfect time. I got to go to college and now I'm a computer programmer immersed in thousands of opportunities of the biggest technological change in human history. I am limited only by my own imagination in building almost anything I want. And I make more money than any of my ancestors every dreamed possible. I'm probably the first out of 100 generations of my family who actually gets to do what I want and love it.
It that doesn't motivate someone, I don't know what would.
- wellboy 13y agoAlmost same story for me. My parents are probably upper middle class and I do what I think returns the most dollars per dollar they have invested in my education.
- j45 13y agoThat is an incredibly well defined "why". Everyone should find theirs and remember it often.
- netcraft 13y agoThis really resonates with me. I've often said that its crazy how I have the ability to literally create something from nothing, something worth potentially millions if not billions of dollars, investing nothing more than time. And I have access to almost all of the information I need to be able to do it, for free. I can't think of any other profession where so much is possible; I just wish I could have an idea of what to do with it. I don't have an issue with being motivated - my problem is deciding what is worth putting my mind to.
- kevutu 13y ago"its crazy how I have the ability to literally create something from nothing, something worth potentially millions if not billions of dollars" i get that too, but it doesn't sustain me for long.Do you like meditate on this or remind yourself constantly...how do you keep it in your mind.
- mynewwork 13y agoThe same set of circumstances could arguably destroy motivation as well. Your life is already better than any of your ancestors, why stay past 5pm? You already make a lot of money, why bother with a side project or startup on nights and weekends? Sometimes I think motivation is fairly disconnected from circumstances of life.
- swayvil 13y agoPressure like that, I would feel a great temptation to say fuckit. I think it's implicit. A big fuckit lurks.