You See What You Look For

I remember seeing

when I was much younger. For whatever reason this resonated with me and I was thinking about it this morning and how to unveils something deeper about life.

We see what we look for, figuratively and literally.

In my own personal life, I tend to be extremely fixated on any one topic at any given time. I understand that I am an extreme case for a lot of things, but I would venture to say many on this site tend to be fixated on their chosen career. Our spare time is spent discussing, learning about, and debating our chosen career paths (including the ever persistent temptation to shave my head and become a Buddhist monk).

I noticed my own outlook on life is very contradictory and depends on how I feel any given day. Sometimes I'm so focused on my own problems, issues, and frustrations that I miss the moonwalking bear right in front of me. I miss the opportunities to be grateful for my (objectively easy and good) life. I'm physically healthy, have savings and income, live in a very safe part of town, drive a reliable and comfortable car, have discretionary income for spending on luxuries (not buying myself a Patek, but I can enjoy a nice meal and not worry about washing dishes in the back).

I think this is something people should realize in their own lives as well. Getting an MBA from NYU/ Michigan and not Stanford GSB or HBS will not kill you. NYU and Michigan are damn good schools. Getting dinged from GS TMT and working at BoA will not kill your career. Don't lose sight of the moonwalking bear because you're so fixated on the passing problems around you.