Try this number: 800-224-2242
March 10, 2008
*Update 3/11/08. I tried this last night. I asked “Who was the 30th President of the United States?” A few seconds later came a text saying it was working on it, with a re-statement of my question, and then a few minutes later came in a text: “
Herbert Hoover was the 30th President from 1929-1933. He died on October 20th, 1964 in New York, New York.” Wow! Pretty cool, huh? Even more information than I asked for, and I’m impressed with the voice recognition that Dvorak is always saying is going nowhere.
This came courtesy of Bret Swanson on the Gilder Technology Forum (GTF)
Think up any question that you’d type into a search engine. Or one you wouldn’t. Dial 800-224-2242 on your mobile phone and ask your question. You’ll get a text reply restating your question. Then a few minutes later you’ll get a text answer. Seems like a winner to me.
Bret
The way to do it, and make a living doing it, is to make a decision. Paris had to make a decision, and you do too. Talent has nothing to do with it. The idea of “talent” is a gateway guardian designed by the outward and inward complexes to scare you away from the life that is waiting for you. Another gateway guardian is Ego, which thinks that you can do everything. You can do anything, but you can’t do everything, at least and be good enough to be a professional, an expert, someone who will get paid.
You have to crucify your ego, but that’s a separate post. For now, if you are not sure, give yourself sometime to play around in the different fields you enjoy. Things that are now hobbies or interests. Give yourself say 9-12 weeks to devote some significant time to each of these activities, and tell yourself you are going to make a firm decision at the end of that time to make your living doing one of them.
You know what the reason is that you can’t do more than one thing? It’s not time. It’s your subconscious mind. If you don’t make a psychological commitment, your subconscious mind, which is the source of your creativity, won’t go to work for you. Not having a psychological commitment has another name: Schizophrenia. You’ll be all over the place but going nowhere and have no “center” to your life.
The key to this whole thing is the “bleeding edge.” Being on the bleeding edge will guarantee you success because A) it’s where the action is B) you’ll be an expert, authority, professional, and C) No one else is there.
I’m getting my inspiration for this piece from Scoble and Leo Laporte. I don’t want to be a tech journalist, but they do, and they are totally into it, and now they are doing what they want to do and making a living at it. They are perfect examples of Joseph Campbell’s saying “Follow Your Bliss.”
- Set a Goal to make a decision
- Make that decision and psychological commitment
- The life that is waiting for you will carry you to where you want to be.
