Five or Ten Years from Now

Dear Multipodian:

Now that you are part of MultiPOD and thinking about your future, here’s the bottom line:

You are indispensable. Furthermore, you will be indispensable for the rest of your life. What you do and what you will do will not happen without you.

If you don’t believe it, don’t worry; you’ll soon find out that this is true.

You, however, will have to think and work very hard and find who you are professionally and personally before you can accept this fact.

And you’ll need to grow, nurture, and solidify a few qualities and qualifications in the next five to ten years. Here are some, just for starters:

1) Technical authority: You must demonstrate with your words and actions (and results) that you know what you are doing, and why.

2) Credibility: Your technical knowledge and know-how won’t suffice; you must do what you have to do, what you need to do, and what you promise to do. Be reliable. No excuses. This will make you worthy of trust and give you recognition, status, and dignity.

3) Problem solving power: Every problem has at least one solution. You are the prospector and the finder. Critical thinking, analytical thinking, creativity, imagination and invention are your tools. Master them and make them yours. And if you can, don't just think "outside the box"; try to build your own box using your intellect and imagination, let ideas flow in and out of your box and share your creativity with others.

4) Art of persuasion: This is the essence of advocacy. Use the power of logic (facts), the power of pathos (feelings), the power of ethos (justice), the power of benefit (what's in it for the decision-maker), and the power of possibility, probability and fate (why not?…what if?…what now? ), the power of hope.

5) Resilience: Inevitably, sometimes you will fail, or others will fail you; you will be wounded; but you will heal; and your scars will give you a thicker skin. Don’t despair and never apologize for crying; you’ll be ready for the next round (and for the final round, when it really counts).

6) Honor: Be noble, be kind, be generous. Honor your debts and fulfill your obligations. Always remember that you were born with an obligation and a debt: to make your life count and to live your life not only for you.

7) Fervency and Anger: Your choice. Please note that I didn’t say “passion” or “commitment” (those are a given if you work in our field). Sometimes (I hope only a few), you’ll need stronger, more luminous fires. You must have the force and turbulence of a cause, something that you can’t let go and will pursue till the end of your strength and time. And I mean “anger” not as the foe of compassion or the friend of hate, but as the spark for change and many times, the only path to social justice.

Thank you for reading this; comment, if you wish , DZ