You need knowledge from books to expand your view of the world,

you need to know more, you need hundreds of books.

You need a view of the world that comes from the books you chose,

but is also correct as it balanced it self.

As it corrected it self, just out of the number of books that you listened,

and re-listened, and continue re-listening to.

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I do not wish to concern you, but whatever you choose in life,

also choose to become an Independent Entrepreneur just in case.

Nobody knows the troublemakers that we will encounter in our future,

I once watched a very nice person invite a reporter to an event we were both volunteering in.

It later occurred to me, that he was collecting newspaper articles about him self,

for years in the future, when he needed a promotion.

I just had to look up nepotism,

and "legacy ivy".

This is not something an ordinary honest person can go up against,

now with social media, people probably pay agencies for posts, original articles, probably vacation videos, even.

This kind of thing is too complex to fight,

and don't just assume that nepotism is about getting the job, because it may also be about people trying to push you out, to get you to quit.

Don't assume that this will happen to you,

but don't assume that this will happen to somebody else.

Instead,

slowly and calmly read and listen to your books and build up the knowledge required,

to swiftly build your own company, have a plan for giving away free services to build a group of happy customers.

Understand that this is not just about a product you would like to make, or a service you would like to provide,

but mostly about customers that will reliably come to your product or service and gladly pay as they will honestly need it.

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And there is more,

you need to get in touch with your elder self.

Begin asking "What are your regrets?",

just keep freaking asking that question until you whip yourself up out of whatever you are in, by your own shoelaces...

I don't know how to say this, you know that you need real knowledge, like functional knowledge,

not just "performing on tests" like an actor, which is what school will give you, so that they can take a paycheck home.

Real Knowledge is huge, you go home and start making stuff,

sometimes stuff you didn't even know you could make, awesome.

But, then, wisdom will come to you, it happens, you get a good bull**t meter, and all your decision become good,

you will smile and feel joy, and make stuff like paintings of philosophers, and their happy quotes, or something, and change lives of people, for better, for happier.

Somehow.

But there is more,

because wisdom is something you hardly work for - I mean it comes to you.

So, what happens when you make a move forward, or up, or both...

...what happens?

I think people observing someone taking that step,

call it Greatness.

I am sure no person making that step ever called it that,

but that is what others call it.

And, I think that is where you need to go,

discover your Knowledge, watch Wisdom Surround You, and then take that step.

Whatever it may be,

others will call it Greatness.

The results that come from taking that step,

are a very important part of your well-being, of the meaning of your life.

When you finally become your elder self, and take a look back at your younger life,

and probably still not be satisfied - I doubt anybody ever is.

But look at and feel that journey, and feel how heavy it was, how impossible those dreams,

you will understand how important it was to make it.

Looking back all the big decisions you made,

may still even seem scary, but you will greatly appreciate having that foresight, that knowledge, having found that balance.

A huge chunk of your accomplishments will come from enlarging your view with books,

you'll feel it but may have difficulty pinpointing a set of books, it will just be having read many of them.

Let me put it in a way that approaches a vision of it,

hundreds and hundreds of books, decades and decades of knowledgeable and wise decisions, and hundreds and hundreds more, and decades and decades more.

It is impossible to arrive in a place that you feel uncomfortable in, when you just spend decades and decades,

and read hundreds and hundreds of books, slowly and slowly, slowly and wisely making your way forward.

Take your time, but remember, our life is very long, much longer than you will ever expect,

and that once you reach for real knowledge from real people who worked really had at it...

...and carry on in some part with knowledge gained from them,

and from your beautiful life, and experiences as well.

You are sure to become wise,

and then, you will be able to use that wisdom to help others.

And eventually make your elder self feel warm and cozy,

probably in their 80s and 90s, as they cheerfully shuffle around.

Hey, you can't be sure, so don't say know,

but they maybe painting something really beautiful, or typing on an ancient typewriter, to make it difficult to write the way I am writing right now.

(Let me tell you, I already know what I am getting for my 90th birthday,

this is my third poem today, the other two were to long, I try very hard to keep under 130 lines.)

Which brings us to the closing of this flight of poetic fancy,

so let me just say it one more time, without mincing words, let me just say it:

BECOME A GREAT BEING