“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I used to believe that my purpose in this world was to conquer it. I planned to have a successful career in high tech and quickly become an expert in my field. But the year 2001 brought humility and perspective to my life in a series of very emotional and life-changing events. In the middle of the MBA frenzy, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent two surgeries and eight months of chemotherapy. This made me realize how vulnerable we are, how vain it is to plan too far ahead, and how crucial it is to focus on the really important things:
Who knows? Maybe that will be my field of expertise.
- I want to be a friend. People at Harvard showed me what good friendship means, and I want to be there for them.
- I want to live a good life, to enjoy every minute of life: sunsets, a volleyball game, or a long dinner conversation.
- Most important, I want to give 110% to become the best husband and father that I can be and make my wife, Anita, and son, Martincito, immensely happy and proud.
Who knows? Maybe that will be my field of expertise.
— Martin Gonzalez