But why 'Future Shaper'?
The person I imagine is not a 'future decider', 'future planner', or 'future changer'. He doesn't change the future dramatically. Just shaping future. As I put the note, it is changing just 5 degree, not 180 degree.
When I was in high school, I thought I would become a great person. I was one of the top three. On my birthday during senior year, I was the top for first semester, the top for pre-SAT test (in Korean school, there is nation wide, organized pre-SAT test), and I got an award from district education affairs. One one day, I got all of three. I had my moment.
Well honestly, I was old enough to know that high-school was just a small pond. World outside was much bigger. I didn't take it as a huge deal. But still the day meant something for me. I felt that I could be anyone I wanted to be. "I am limitless as unwritten number is." After high school, I went to Seoul National University. The top university of Korea. Still I was somebody... who believed to do many things with his life. But selecting engineering narrowed down my area quite a bit. From 180 degree to, say, 30 degree.
After 10 or so years, I had seen good things and bad things. Married. Had child. Lost my parents. Many things. I don't say there was no hope. But I knew that my choice was very narrow. Maybe 1 degree.
At that time, the idea of 'future shaping' came to me. Right. I can't change my life for 180 degree. But maybe 10 degree. 5 degree. It maybe enough for me. For example, being a 'solution architect' is quite different from 'software engineer'. Being a engineering manager is quite different from a team lead. If I pursue the top edge of my narrow angle, as time goes by, the difference gets bigger and bigger from where I wouldn't do anything.
That was a small lesson to me. You don't want to change yourself to someone very far from where you are. But you may find a way to go there. You angle is narrow as like 5 degree for now. After one year later, you start from there. Again you have a choice of narrow angle, but from edge to edge, you can make quite a big change. It may take a while. Even so, it's a hope, isn't it? :)
I don't look too far. Yes. I have where I want to go in my mind. But no need to have anxiety to reach there as quickly as possible. I am old enough to know that I can't change my world in a day. But in 10 years? Of course :)
It needs continuous effort to stay at the edge, though. I should be at the best place that I can be. I gotta do what I gotta do to stay at the best place in the narrow angle. It is not easy. Sometimes tiring. But what can you do?
That's why I want to be 'Future Shaper'. I can't change my future. I only shape it a little bit different. Still, it is enough for me now.
