Gret Glyer’s talk on how to find your purpose was a very interesting talk. His own personal story about growing up wealthy and expanding his horizons at Grove City was interesting and inspiring, especially as a person who is about to graduate. I lived overseas for a significant part of my adolescence, so I understand why Gret wanted to understand and explore other people’s experiences.
I think Gret speaks frankly and importantly about the difficulty anyone can find in trying to get an idea of where their life is going, but is also helpful in getting an idea of how to figure out what your purpose is on a deep and underlying level. The most helpful part for me was understanding how different entrepreneurs, by understanding what their most basic passion is, live out their lives accordingly and accomplish amazing things. While I don’t necessarily have the same energy or drive as Gret, I definitely think the ability to be focused and take one thing to its most important degree is wildly important.
Gret also talks about getting over your fear of, well, fear. I think that this is incredibly important. As someone who has lived in uncomfortable social situations, as most people have, I know how fear can affect decision making. As a graduate, I hope that my future is not dictated by fear. I would like it to be a risk taking venture. As Gret talks about, even with his rules, you need to do and experiment and try things that may be terrifying in order to gain a grander sense of how you might live your best life. This is of course very similar to his next point of taking personal responsibility for your life. It makes sense, as hard and difficult as it is in reality, that only by taking responsibility do you accomplish things in your life. Finally, his thoughts about entitlement and investing in your 20’s both really resounded with me. I have seen people who live in abject poverty and social strata that are horrendous to see. Likewise I have been in the company of very affluent wealth, and in both I have felt some level of compassion. But most importantly, it taught me that my perspective is not the only one and that I need to have compassion on others, regardless of social spheres. I hope to keep investing in my 20’s, to keep doing difficult and hard things, and hopefully to prosper doing them.
Overall, Gret’s points were poignant, appropriately aimed at the group to which he spoke and will hopefully touch my other VentureLab cohorts to keep pushing themselves toward stretching, great ideas that will change their lives for the better, forever.