The Element

Finding our Element often requires the aid and guidance of others.

Very few schools and even fewer school systems in the world teach dance every day as a formal part of their curricula, as they do with math.

“I understood the series of stages I was supposed to go through—you go to high school, you go to college, you get a credential, and then you go out and get a good job. I knew it wasn’t gonna work for me. I knew I was gonna be drawing cartoons forever.

His parents were right in assuming he had a promising future ahead of him, but that future had nothing to do with the legal profession.

message: that each of them found high levels of achievement and personal satisfaction upon discovering the thing that they naturally do well and that also ignites their passions.

The major obstacles to finding the Element often emerge in school. This is partly because of the hierarchy of subjects, which means that many students never discover their true interests and talents.

enough. Getting there depends fundamentally on our view of ourselves and of the events in our lives. The Element is also a matter of attitude.

If we’re not in our Element at work, it becomes even more important to discover that Element somewhere else.

Element—the place where the things you love to do and the things that you are good at come together.

The Element has two main features, and there are two conditions for being in it. The features are aptitude and passion. The conditions are attitude and opportunity. The sequence goes something like this: I get it; I love it; I want it; Where is it?