Last Friday, I attended the orientation that marked the beginning of my life at the university. Speeches, briefings, icebreakers — those kinds of things. It kinda hit home that I was starting a new phase in life.
But, beyond that, there was something unique to this event that made me want to write this letter.
Here we go.
🙅 It isn’t for me
In this university, there is a merit system in place to encourage active involvement in extracurricular activities. Be it organizing an event or taking part in one, you get points. And if you hit a certain threshold, you will be awarded a certificate of achievement.
That said, choosing which activity to join is still up to one’s discretion. In fact, you don’t even have to join any at all until graduation if you don’t wish to.
Sounds pretty normal, right?
Yeah, except I took it too seriously. After the two-hour orientation ended, I stayed seated and checked my email inbox flooded with potential point-earning opportunities.
“Oh, I can get 3 points for this talk.”
“Wow, this extra module can get me a cert!”
“OMG this will make my CV beautiful! Sign me up!”
Sign up.
Sign up.
Sign up.
As you may have guessed, I was overwhelmed. After a period of time in the rabbit hole, a voice popped up in my head,
Build a life, not a resume.
—Jay Shetty
Six.
Simple.
Words.
But my anxiousness for the past sixty minutes faded away. By the way, I could imagine GaryVee scolding me at the back for having wasted my time on this. Sorry, Gary.
🌳 Don’t lose the forest for the trees
At some point, I’m sure you’ve been through something similar. Whether it’s running for the club president or striving to join the Dean’s list, there may be times you find yourself tailoring your life to build the perfect resume.
There’s nothing wrong with it. But, the thing is,
A resume is a means to an end, not the end itself.
A good CV increases your chance of landing a great job. But, if you have to chase after successes while sacrificing the things you hold dear — health, passion, happiness and relationships, what’s the point of those successes anyway?
I guess that’s why this theory has come to be.
A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.
—Albert Einstein, Theory of Happiness
Let that sink in.
—Thomas