Finding Your Thing

Originally published June 3rd, 2024

How many people have found Their Thing?

It’s tragically rare. An uncommon treasure. Rare even today, with our speed-of-light pockets, when so many have shallow worst-cases and infinite ceilings if they could just align outer + inner and find THE THING they’re meant to do.

And imagine how vanishingly few found it back then? Imagine seeking Your Thing as a potato scraps immigrant in Boston in 1913, or the ninth child of sooty charcoal burners, south England 1827, or as a Dutch plowman in 1535, or (God forbid) a sore-ankled slave in Gaul or Peru or the Hittite Empire in 1100 BC.

That could have happened to any of us. But since you’re reading this, it didn’t. Which means we all have better odds to find our Thing than the billions of billions who came before. And I don’t claim it’s easy because it’s not. And still most people today might never find that thing (and there is way more to life than finding your thing, caveat caveat caveat caveat). But I resolutely believe that if one day you notice an ineffable swirl of excitement in your chest that spreads to your limbs, and you feel it every time you do a certain thing, to the point that each cell in your body bursts with utter aliveness as you do that thing, and you feel foolish trying to explain it to others because you’ll sound like someone acquaintances describe as “Yeah…a little much”, then you must must MUST follow that thing, and change your life circumstances and future plans as much as you’re able (caveat caveat) in order to chase that thing with every ounce your earthly body can muster.

And then, as you chase, live as if all your ancestors are living through you. Because if you’ve truly found your thing, they will be.