Connecting the dots
Steve Jobs famously said that you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.
You want them to connect in a certain way, though. Everyone wants to be successful, have fulfilling relationships, earn social status, and do things they enjoy. We run into trouble when we try to force it because of our lack of control over the future. So, how do we set ourselves up to have the dots connect in the best possible way?
By not trying to connect the dots. You have to let go. And the kicker is, you can't try to let go. If you try to let go, you are still holding on. So, it’s counterintuitive.
Now the question is how do you let go without trying to let go? Honestly, I have no fucking clue. But the answer is in the present moment. And again, you can't try to be in the present moment because then you're attached to it.
The best route I've found is doing activities that I get lost in. Right now, those are writing, running, walking, playing tennis, doing focused work, and meditating. But these change over time as your curiosities change, so you have to be aware of them.
If you follow the things that you get lost in. That is as good as a guide as you will find. From there, you should drop expectations of how things will unfold. Just let them. Even if you feel like there’s no way your interests and passions can connect. Have faith that they will, and notice when they do.