Tong Family

I’m going to do a series of posts that summarize the macro environment and the changing world around us. Now I know this will be controversial (and thank god this is not going to Twitter or Xwitter, you can figure out the pronunciation). Christmas is coming and I have to write my memo to Victor, so it is time to set the basic backdrop.

Of Grit and Purpose

I guess at the top level, I listened to Angela Duckworth talk about Grit. I had kind of thought this was another way to say just work hard, but actually, it’s pretty nuanced. The main point is that when you have a high purpose and the dedication to tack back and forth to get there, that is a really valuable quality. Of course, lots of people never get a chance to do this because well, you are just trying to have enough to eat and a place to live, so it’s a real luxury, but it made me realize that there are definitely big ideas that keep people going.

She points out that you can have more than one drive and also how these can be basic drives created by your first family relationships and I’m sure there is innate drive as well in there somewhere 🙂

As an example, it might be needing to be independent, if you feel trapped in early life. As she points out that drive can manifest itself in many ways. For instance, the drive to “hit your number” and not be dependent. Or learning new skills (everything from building a bike to figuring out how to install a light switch). Or being completely preoccupied when something breaks with making sure that it never happens again (like when your car has a flat and you find five fixes to keep it from ever happening again).

But as she says you can have more than one. As an example, if you just care about independence, you could just as easily live out in the woods in Montana. That doesn’t sound so bad.

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (4th century BCE) makes a useful distinctive hedonistic well-being (eat drink and be merry) and eudaimonic which is quite different. It has to do with virtuous living and having well purpose. There are versions of this both small (taking care of your parents when they are older or having deep relationships) and large like being part of great movements that change the world in the better in a fundamental way.

Have Fun Working with Great People to Change the World

About thirty years ago, I had a great conversation with Mike about why we were doing what we were doing. It’s funny how you can remember so precisely some moments, but I remember my office very precisely in the now “disappeared” Building 2 where I wrote those words on the whiteboard.

Like everything else that is pithy every word makes a difference and it’s not a bad purpose statement even all these days later. Having Fun is about independence and also the kind of relationships you have doing it. The Great People is about the sheer joy of knowing people way smarter than you and learning from them and hopefully being respected by them fo your contributions too. Finally, changing the world is making a real difference that you can look back on and say you had something to do with it.

Thanksgiving is not just about sales and food

So finally, for me at least, understanding what your purpose is and how you are moving forward is so much harder than for many, many people. I truly hope that I can help at least some of you think about your purpose and be thankful you are reading this 🙂