Question of the Day

How can I bring value to other people?

Did Einstein or Newton think about that, or did they just get on with what interested them?

Did Michelangelo lie awake at night thinking about increasing his “network”, or did he just take up a brush and start painting?

It’s a shame we can only have one life at a time – there’s a lot of things I’d like to do with mine, but each of them would probably involve a lot of training and time.

But what am I doing instead? Nothing. Just sitting thinking.

Poetry, science, art, psychology, astronomy, literature... I could delve into any one of them and find a million things to interest me. And yet when I try to focus on just one my brain goes blank.

I could throw myself into poetry, take courses, and practice it day and night. I’d probably make quite a name for myself in 5 to 10 years time.

I could travel round the world, learning about new cultures and different languages, writing and photographing as I go. I could study native animals, people, archaeology and gastronomy. All those things would bring excitement and happiness, right?

Or I could use my PhD in physics to do something remarkable in science. I could stalk top professors until they agree to take me on as their research assistant. I could spend hours buried in textbooks, dreaming up thought experiments, and solving science’s great mysteries. I could find the Higg’s boson (unless it’s already been found), or uncover the true nature of dark energy – is that what black holes are made of? There are a billion different questions that I could spend a lifetime trying to solve. And I could probably make a nice living doing it – the Nobel Prize money would come in very handy!

But what would I be sacrificing? My art, my love of books, or telling stories through the typed word?

Why am I even writing these words, and putting them out there? Do I hope someone will read it and give me the answer? Will anyone even care what I do?

Or should I shut up and get on with my day job. I have an easy life, answering information requests and taking minutes at meetings. I can carry on doing this job well for years if I choose. Nothing would change. The world wouldn’t end, and I’d never be in danger of failing anything.

Or would I?