I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of very successful people. Some have been successful in academia or art, but most have been successful in business of some kind. No matter how diverse the industry or experiences or path, all of these successful people have one thing in common: they are all philosophers.
Obviously, all of these people don’t have “philosopher” written on their business cards and they don’t publish articles in journals of philosophy. But they are all lovers of knowledge and people who have spent and do spend significant time and energy examining their life and pondering the world. I’m always amazed at how clear and coherent their life philosophy is. Scratch that; I’m amazed that they have a life philosophy. How many people do? Do you? Could you describe it in five minutes if someone asked you?
Highly successful people work hard and they work a lot. But they also observe and ponder. They continue to refine their worldview and test new theories to see if they work better than the old. If you want to achieve great things, cultivate your mind. As I’ve written before, you need to work your butt off, but if that work isn’t fueled with fresh ideas and new ways to see the world, you’ll only get so far. Take time to think. Let your thoughts grow and develop. Be a philosopher.