Push the Boundaries of Your Personality
Maximize your contributions in fulfilling new ways
When I was 16 years old, doctors told me I had a rare and catastrophic genetic mutation, one that would lead to cancers in multiple organs.
Within a year, I had lost all sight in one eye to large tumors. The doctors said I would almost certainly face cancer in several other places, from my kidneys to my spine. For someone born in my generation with this mutation, life expectancy was about 40 years.
I am now 44. Just as the odds suggested, I have spent the past 25 years battling pancreatic cancer, adrenal tumors, kidney cancer, and several spinal tumors.
My condition gave me a sense of urgency to make the best use of my time. None of us truly knows how much more time we have. As a result, I have been trying to figure out how all of us can reorient our efforts toward making the most substantive contribution possible over a lifetime.
My extensive research and exploration have led me to the following conclusion: We need a whole new way to think about our life’s work. Think of it as moving from “You are what you do” to “You are how you help.”
Which brings me to another crucial learning: There is no good reason to believe you’re simply stuck in a role that you’ve come to…
