[Cali Panthers Fan]

Good discussions so far.

I just wanted to add that the last point about "it's not what you know, it's who you know" was probably my favorite part of the video.

Often, we're told that if we had just made this or that connection, then we could get an in to a great job/life. What that presupposes is that we are prepared and fully competent to accept that job. Here's where the Dunning Kruger effect plays a prominent role: Everyone thinks they're a superstar in the making. Everyone thinks they're just one connection away from success. The reality is, most people have not done the hard work along the way of preparing themselves through knowledge or skill or lesser experiences to be ready for that opportunity. Only those of us who second guess our abilities, and are constantly striving to improve because we DON'T see ourselves as one connection away from greatness...those who are grinding away at getting just a little bit better every day (reference to the section where he mentions Seinfeld's work ethic); those are the ones who are prepared, or sometimes overprepared, when an opportunity comes along.

In my experience, it seems like I've fallen ass-backwards into success. People have always come to me and offered me positions. I've not gone out of my way to search for jobs. I'd like to think it's because when I've made a few connections, people got to know me and saw my potential because I had been working for years on developing myself for that moment with that connection. Then, the opportunity simply presents itself to me, and all I have to do is say yes.

Which I think is another important point that the video doesn't mention: Say yes to things. Unless it's something you cannot stomach doing or that you literally have no interest in; say yes to things. All experience is valuable, either in telling you that you want to continue in that path, or telling you quickly and clearly that this is NOT the right path for you. Either way, experience is informative, and it helps you to whittle away at the various paths until there is only one path obviously laid out before you. You will never know until you try whether you want to do it or not, nevermind if you're good at it or not.