I remember two and a half years ago when I was an accounting intern in Rome, NY. One of the supervisors was talking to me about how work at the federal government doesn’t pay the most, but its “comfortable.” At the time I was still dead set on being an accountant as a 21 year old but I sensed something was “off.” I didn’t know the man on a personal level, judging by the cover though, he seemed unremarkable as a man near 50, balding, gaining weight in a lower to middle management position.

Since the time that has passed, I’ve tried to be different from the path that man has chosen. I’ve been moving from profession to profession, learning all I can about the world. The track record is short, but normally it goes as follows: I become pretty decent at what I’m doing and its recognized by higher ups after my initial growing pains, that is when I plan my exit. Its when you reach a level of competence when a routine sets in. Competence leads to complacency and this is the point where young people settle. That is the point people unconsciously make the decision that things are “good enough” and they stop learning.

That cannot be the case for me nor anyone else that want to achieve something extraordinary. What is comfortable must be left behind.

Kingston S. Lim

January 12, 2020

Bangkok, Thailand