Archive for May, 2014

Dedicated

In Spanish, people have often asked me the question, “¿A qué te dedicas?”  While the question is commonly used to ask people what they do for work, the literal translation is “what do you dedicate yourself to?” The question in Spanish is much more profound, going beyond asking what someone does just to pay the bills.  It causes me to ponder what drives me to be dedicated and the deeper purpose of why I do what I do. In one of my favorite TED Talks, Simon Sinek explained that it is easy to talk about what you do and how you do it, but it is difficult to discover and articulate why you do it and what you believe in.  The “why” inspires others, not the what and how, and has lead many people and companies to be successful. My “why” may not be unique and revolutionary, but it is sincere. One of the reasons why I am dedicated to what I do is I enjoy sharing knowledge and helping people.  Seeing students finally understand debits and credits when I worked as an accounting tutor in college was greatly rewarding.  I can recall the relief I saw in friends’ faces when I discovered why their bank reconciliations were off.  I started this blog with the hope of teaching others new things, and the kind comments I occasionally receive expressing gratitude for my efforts motivate me to keep going. Talents with numbers and computers played a role in helping me get started in my career, but the satisfying moments of teaching people how to do things better helped me persevere. Why are you dedicated to what you do?