A letter to my 2-year younger self

BY NAVATH NHAN

Dear, 2-year younger Navath,

Navath Nhan is your full name. No, it is not a common American name. Obviously, you already know that. But why does that matter? Well, we will talk about that later in this letter.

Anyway, I want to say congratulations on finishing 4 years of college. It was not easy for sure. You came a long way as a Cambodian immigrant. You put in long hours with your friends in the engineering building. In some of the semesters, you overloaded your semester credit load so you can pursue your entrepreneurial leadership minor. During your first year of school, you had thought about transferring back to a school closer to home because you feel guilty about not helping out your family. 

Well, I am glad you stuck through it and finished your degree at Gonzaga University. 

You might have started to feel it already but do you know the most nerve wracking thing about the next phase of your life?

It is that people keep asking you to pursue your passion when you do not know what that is. 

To be frank with you, it is the most annoying and confusing part of your journey. It is not like you just sit there and suddenly you have an “AHA-moment” of euphoria that you realize your passion. I wish it is that easy.

Here is a better way to think about it.

Instead of trying to “find” your passion, you should foster your passion through doing things that give you good energy.

At your first job, you dreaded going to work because all you did was sit behind a computer to design CAD parts all day with little human interaction. But on your second job, you are enjoying going to work more because you like interacting with others. Now, you know that one of your career passions has to do with human interaction.

I know you gotta go soon but here is my last thought that you might have not thought about:

As a young professional in corporate America, I know that all you can think about is getting a high-paying job. This is not a bad thing but this is short-term thinking. 

When you start your career, instead of thinking about the salary, you should focus on what type of skills and experiences you want to gain.

Why?

When you have the skills and experience, it will attract a higher salary. It is not the other way around. Skills have utility and it is a reusable commodity while salary is not. 

Trust me, I know you better than anyone else. I know you want to create your own business in the future to make a positive impact in the world by serving other people. 

With this in mind, you should accept the job that allows you to learn those necessary skills to make that goal happen.

I hope this letter helps you as you are navigating your way through the real world. While you are fostering your passion and chasing your goals, do not forget to be hungry, yet humble while having empathy and compassion for others.

Good luck out there! You got this. 

Take care, 
Your 2 years older self, Navath