When I was in my 3rd and final year of my undergraduate computer engineering, I grew up considering and picturing Bill Gates as my hero and guru. I and my close friends (2-3) knew every interrupt and various AX (accumulator) values in MS-DOS and wrote numerous application using those interrupts including parallel port drivers, graphics editors (interrupt 10),Unix – DOS bridges, 8088 Micro Kit-PC communicator drivers and etc. We read almost all the books available in the subject during those days. Ray Dunkan books on MS-DOS internals were our favorites.

It was clear to us that we (I and few other friends) were passionate about solving hard valuable problems and always dreamed big and marched towards it.

Our singer software consultancy service start up company and its success was an evident we dreamed big and marched towards it. It was my opinion, that my friend was thinking tooo big at that age. He wanted to mobilize $200,000,000 at the age of 21 years old. In spite of significant success as a software company, I was scared to deal with that kind of money and that was the moment I thought money was not what I love. But money is required to lead a decent successful life but it is not all I’m after.

Before I started my software consultancy service,these were the ambitions I had tried and didn’t know if I really loved to do.

• Intelligence officer (similar to FBI,CIA, wrote entrance exams when I was in 10th grade)
• Indian Air Force Pilot officer (got admission as airman but decided not to join)
• Cricket Wicket Keeper ( I was always the star wicket keeper at the age 14-20 in all the leagues I played and I always thought I would play for the state. When I was not selected for the University in my 3rd year engineering, I lost the hope. I would have had worked hard if someone more talented got selected for the university. I heard the person was selected for University had political and economical influence in the selection process) I lost my hope completing becoming a cricketer. It was better to have those kind of experience earlier in my life.
• Movie director – It was my back up plan during my senior high school. In case, if I do not get into engineering school, I wanted to progress as a movie director. The days I grew up, if the students do not get into engineering or medical school, their life was 90% sunk. I didn’t have any hope I would become successful in my life if I do not get into the engineering school. In case, if I do not get into engineering school (I hate medical science, I know that very early on) my plan was to do go to cinema school to become director. I always analyzed the movies in micro level, screen plays, story, acting, choreography and etc whenever I watched movies.
• Professor, I got a job offer at my college at end of my 8th semester. This was my second job offer I turned down before 21 years old. and always wanted to do it close to my retirement but not to start the career with.

The point is, we all try to find out what we really love to do. It is not that easy to find out. Generally speaking, we all do not know what we really love to do it until we put an effort to find out. The moment you know what you love to do, you can work towards it and thrive in that area like Steve Jobs. Nothing can stop you. Even if some one fire you from your own start up company, noting can stop you. You can turn around and fire up.

Until you figure out what you love to do, as Steve faced in his life, are you ready to face a tough road? (Like Steve encountered, are you ready to walk 6 miles to get a decent meal once in every week?) The moment you are married and have kids, you can not think just about what you love to do it. You need to do something to bring food on the dinner table to your family. So we all forced to do something. It may be practical for those are single and independent to sit and think what they love to do it and take a path similar to Steve Jobs.

My Proposal:

To thrive what we do, we need to know what we love to do and at the same time we need to do something to move forward in our daily life. I always have this mental model with in me. I think, I have been working for the toughest boss for past 15 years, my consiousness. Believe me, it has very standard than any direct boss I had in my career. I always work for me first before I work for anyone and my consiousness always have highest standard than anyone I directly worked for. By adapting this mode, the consiousness will be forcing us to love what we do. Either we do a quality work or we do not do it. Mean time, spend at least 1 hour a week to explore your self what we really love to do? and eventually find it and do it for rest of the life.

Do what you love, until you find what you love, love what you do.