“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I no longer have big dreams. I have little dreams; simple, happy, cozy dreams. Most professors urge you to think big – all except my marketing teacher, who said: "Think Little". So now, my aims are leaps, but my thoughts are in baby steps. And that is my big HBS transformation. I know life is unfair, and I know I am fortunate. So I try to be worthy of this fortune a little bit each day. I work hard to create value. I learn, and teach, cry passionately and laugh with gusto. I scour the world for the rarest of gems: wisdom, justice, happiness and love, and what I find I share, generously. At the end of each day, instead of counting all my money, I count white hairs and wrinkles. Today I have none, but one day they will be testaments of a life well-lived. One chilly night not long ago, I found a boy begging in the street. I bought him a cup of hot chocolate, but he threw it to the floor, desperate. The boy had lost all hope. His father was expecting money. That is the saddest memory I hold. I still aim to help alleviate poverty. But mostly, I just dream of a homeless little boy, sipping his hot chocolate and smiling back.
— Leslie Feinzaig