The 20% Knowledge I Obtained from “Finding Your Elements”
“Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity.”
What am I good at?
What do I enjoy doing?
Who do I want to be?
All of these questions periodically came up while undergoing the educational system. But it came up more incessantly post-graduate life.
Why is that?
I believe it’s because I had more time to reflect on these questions. Now I think back, obtaining an education is a fascinating phenomenon. On one end, it taught me most of the learning techniques, but on the other, it hindered me from learning and being curious about myself.
When I came across Robinson and Aronica’s “Finding Your Element,” I thought this book was a good starting point to discover my answers.
At first glance, “element” seems like helping me to find my talent and passion. However, after reading through various stories in the book, I think “finding my element” is more about finding my possibilities and potential to fulfill my inner and outer worlds.
There are two outstanding pieces of advice I obtained from the authors:
1. “Don’t stress about using your ‘element’ to create wealth.”¹
Before, when I thought about my possibilities, I always wanted to see how they could bring me monetization. Yet, this mindset has a substantial impact on restricting finding what is suitable for me.
I learned that creating wealth is often a byproduct of finding suitable possibilities, but the essence of such a discovery path is about fulfilling a life worth living.
The element could remain minimal. Or the element could have a tremendous impact on the general public. Regardless of its influence, it helps us define the meaning, remarks, and legacy of coming to the world once.
2. “If you never try, how would you know your possibilities?”¹
There are several stories the authors narrated that inspired me to think up my own “what-if” stories.
What if Mozart did not have a musical family, or his family could not afford him to play the instrument? Would he still be recognized as the most famous pianist? Would he still be able to find his potential in the music world?
Even with the opportunity to interact with the piano, what if his complacency discourages him from practicing?
In the end, I found that societal-defined “successful” individuals often have these two common traits: opportunity and self-effort. Without the external opportunities to interact with the piano, Mozart might have held his musical talent to himself. Without his internal effort to engage in numerous hours of practice, he might not have expanded further on his musical potential.
While reading halfway through the book, I questioned, “What if opportunity never comes?” After finishing the book, one quote emerged:
“Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity.”
When we thought there were no opportunities, it was often a signal that we needed more learning to see things differently. With the newly trained “eyes,” we could have invented or discovered our opportunity.
This mindset strongly correlates with Kiyosaki’s statement, “There’s no risky investment; there are only risky investors.”² Because some investors are not prepared to understand the investment and what it could bring to them (both risks and rewards), it could lead to an unhappy yet predictable path. But if they know what the investment means to them, they only have to decide whether to exploit the opportunity.
When we spot opportunities, we should not shy away from it. Instead, we should do something about it because only action would tell us the result.
We won’t know what we don’t know. Thus, we want to expand our perspective to fill in the gaps. And the same, we won’t know if we are good at something if we never tried. Therefore, constantly trying is our best prototype to eliminate or expand on the answers relating to the three questions I mentioned above.
At last, while reflecting on my previous experiences and learnings, it might seem that the best time to do something was ten years ago, but the right time is always now.
References
- Robinson, Ken and Aronica, Lou. Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life. Penguin Books, 2014.
- Kiyosaki, Robert T. Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not! Plata Publishing, 2015.
