All my life, people have assured me that hard work and a college education is the secret to success, that without it, I'd never amount to anything.

It's not that I didn't believe them; I just didn't care. I dropped out of college to pursue a life of retail splendor. Over the years I've wandered across the country, meeting new friends and forgetting the old ones. I abandoned all temporal connections in the mid nineties.

Life is good.

I am frequently told how disappointing my path is as observed from the outside. "You could be so much more!"

How could I be more than me? At least without some serious LSD...

Nonetheless, I am successful. I can't help it. Serendipity and I are more than friends; we're lovers. Take for instance my new occupation: Out of the blue I was offered a senior systems administration position. I have no experience whatsoever in systems administration. Hell, I didn't even apply for the position. Haha. Yet here I am. Thanks, baby.

But I'm not stingy. I'll share. Here is the secret to my success, but follow it at your own peril.

0. Be a problem observer, not a problem solver.
1. Do not set goals with deadlines.
2. Investigate anything of interest.
3. Don't worry about fitting in; the world is really an amorphous blob.
4. Do not distinguish between extremes.
5. Perspective is the most valuable kind of knowledge.
6. Everything is replaceable.
7. Take time to dream.
8. Take time to love.
9. Don't worry about death; there won't be a you left to notice.

How do you (typically) get your jobs?