有時候，你會不問原由地相信一個想法，好像考試取得好成績才有出路(其實只為了得到母親的認同)，好像女生要穿裙子和留長頭髮。又或者是中五那年考完會考，不知道是什麼時候被灌輸了會考後有太多空閒的時間，如果找不到暑期工就代表失敗，是一個廢人。但是問有多少公司會請一個沒有工作經驗的中五學生工作。

親愛的，怎麼了？究竟這9個月發生過什麼事？你經歷了什麼，達成了什麼？為什麼你都不寫東西了？為什麼時間彷彿停止，你的人生就和一年前那樣停滯不前。

James Altucher is one of few author/blogger that I like and follow. How can he write something so inspiring in so simple wording. The following is the quote from his blog that I would like to remember and apply.

1. About Happiness

Part of happiness is these two things:
- Possibility
- Growth

"Possibility" is doing things you never did before but you feel are "possible."
The mystery. It's why humans, above all other species can adapt to and seek out new environments. It makes us happy.

"Growth" is a sense that you are improving in things. You don't have to improve in ONE thing only. I used to think I'd go to college, find my ONE thing and then keep improving in it.

Instead, I had to find many things. And I still do. Combining the possible with growth is part of what makes me happy each day.

Find something you haven't done before and improve everyday to be happy.

2. About Passion

Try things so you can find the clues. Then the clues will lead you to your talents.
A little child doesn’t ask, “What’s my purpose?”
That would be an idiot question. A little child does what he or she loves. And does them obsessively. That’s how talent becomes skill.

If you love something but don’t have enough talent, find new ways to measure success in what you love.

Meaning and passion in life find me. THEY seek me out.

Instead of me trying to chase it, trying to intellectualize it. Trying to force it. Trying to “figure it out”.

5-6 years ago, when I studied in university and then started my first full time job, "What is the job I would like to work in" was the top question I asked myself all the time as people said  "Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life" and I was looking forward to this life. Now, I don't force myself to find my passion but just try to different new experience.

3. About Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs get rid of risk so they can have more control over their future.

But the key is not to fail. The key is to realize something is going to not work out very quickly, learn what you can, and then move on.

The ones who succeed. They have the arrogance to think they can just simply sit down and do it. Despite not having the skills. Despite being total amateurs. They simply sit down and DO IT.

He said this is key to becoming a good storyteller. Look at your product. And figure out how it's going to take someone from their life today to a better life tomorrow.

4. About Improvement

Focus is not about doing one thing. It's about doing many things that connect and combine in ways nobody ever thought of before.

Focus is about connecting the dots so that one vision emerges.

It makes me think of the occupation called "Slash" that people work on different fields but  all connect  to one theme. I want to have this kind of lives.

You have to love being incompetent in order to be competent.

A) Identify one thing you love that is really hard for you.
B) Do it
C) Repeat B a lot.

Competence simply means I am improving at something. Maybe being a better writer. Or businessperson. Or friend. Or idea person. Or parent. Or whatever.

5. About Going to College

James has been saying many times that don't send your kids to college and he can't find the value of studying in college. But when his daughter went to college, he wrote the following that makes me feel his love to daughter.

Maybe the thing about college is that a child is not yet ready to be an adult.

It's the last time they will ever hang out with people their own age. My closest friends are not my age. In college though, they were.

It's scary to be an adult. To survive. It's a jungle. College is still a walled safe city for kids just like you.

I would pay a lot to be a child again. To not make the mistakes of adulthood. To not have those fears.

6. About Learning

Micro-skills.

Any hard skill that is worth learning, is not ONE skill but many micro-skills that are independent of each other and have to be mastered individually in order to achieve true excellence.

I have been learning guitar for almost one year but still can't play a song smoothly. So maybe I need to break it down to different micro-skills to master it.

Every day there’s a new question. What can I possibly do to justify why I am alive? Every day a new answer to explore. Is this it?