How to make your life better? The intersection of three circles is the true wealth of life
Last night, I was very happy to participate in the activities of the National Taiwan University EMS Digital Club. I shared the topic with a group of National Taiwan University alumni and industry leaders on the topic of “AI Empowering Academic Research.” After the speech, Chris’s schoolmate praised me for finishing the entire lecture in one go and speaking fluently. At the moment, I couldn’t say too many words, I just kept thanking her for the compliment, but I felt different in my heart.
Others say I am so powerful, but I know that this journey has not been easy.
When others look at my published books, class presentations, enthusiastic feedback at lectures, media interviews and corporate invitations, they often say: “Vista, you are great!”
I have heard this sentence countless times. Every time I hear it, I smile, but the emotions in my heart are very complicated. It feels like someone is praising you for a good painting, but they don’t see the worn pencil lead, crumpled draft paper and tears late at night for that painting.
I have been frail and sickly since I was a child, and I often feel that my fate is not good, but to be fair, I think I am very lucky. Being able to live in this era, have the freedom to choose a career and a little bit of talent, and even slowly find your own place. But I also know very well that good fortune is never an accident, but the result of a series of decisions and persistence. It is a road that no one can walk on its own, and it is a picture that I have carved out every stroke of my life.
This evening, I started from “eslite eslite member” fan page saw a familiar Venn diagram. Three circles are superimposed: one is “things you like to do”, one is “things you are good at doing”, and the other is “things you can get money for”. When these three intersect, that small intersection area is the legendary “fate is good”.
This picture is simple and clear, but if we want to imitate it, it is difficult to get to the small space in the middle. It is not difficult to imagine that many people are wandering between the three circles. Sometimes they are doing jobs that make money but have no sense of satisfaction. Sometimes they are pursuing their interests but cannot support themselves. Sometimes they rely on their profession to make a living but feel like they are repeating themselves every day.
Of course, I’ve walked those boundaries too: struggling between liking and being good at something, doubting myself between being good at something and my market value, and struggling to choose between love and income. But every time I got lost, I tried not to stop. I told myself that no matter how many years it takes, I will let these three circles slowly get closer and overlap.
This article is a panoramic blueprint for action. I will honestly tell you how I drew these three circles step by step, how to make them no longer far away from each other, but converge into the home field of my life.
Like is the starting point of passion and the testing ground of reality
I’ve always known what I “like” early on: I love writing, sharing, and creating content that evokes emotions and thoughts in others. When I was a child, I loved reading, copying newspaper headlines with a pen, and even writing my own novels. When I grew up, I dreamed of becoming a writer, a reporter and a creator. Those imaginations often kept me awake at night.
But I also hit the wall of reality early.
What you like may not be liked. What you think is meaningful may not be something others are willing to pay for. Those dreams that you think can shine as long as you work hard often seem powerless and weak in front of the world.
I once spent three days and three nights on a publication proposal for a new book, but only received several rejection letters. I also tried to hold lectures, live broadcasts and write e-newsletters at my own expense for six consecutive months, but what I got in return was a plummeting account number and well-meaning concerns from relatives and friends: “Are you okay? Do you want to consider finding a more stable job?”
It was then that I understood that “liking” is not just about passion, it also requires strategy, translation and persistence. You can’t just do what you like, but you have to think about how the things you like can be understood and accepted by the world, and how can they become values?
So, I started to change my mind. I am not resolutely giving up on what I like, but I am settling my mood and making it more mature! I started practicing telling stories in a language that my audience could understand, and writing content in a language that the market would accept. I started studying SEO, the lore of subscripting, and the structure of emotional writing. When I discovered that “liking” and “being accepted” are not conflicts but two poles that can be combined, my creative path slowly began to turn around.
It is true that “liking” is a choice and a belief. It is not only something you are naturally passionate about, but also something you are willing to optimize, modify, and wait for rewards for a long time.
If you want, I suggest you don’t give up that love in a hurry. Please give it a little more time, give it some skills, structure, and room for experimentation. You will find that what you like can actually grow wings, as long as you are willing to equip it with flying equipment.
Being good at is an ability that can be developed, and it is also a kind of respect for oneself.
Compared with the group of precocious friends around me, I am not outstanding, nor do I know what I am “good at” from the beginning?
I used to think that writing was what I was good at, but later I discovered that just being able to write is not enough. You need to be able to write words that make people want to see, read, and take action. The world of writing is infinitely broad, separated by a whole forest of skills: from comprehension, structural design, language persuasion, content resonance, and even time management, etc.
Later, I discovered that I was actually better at “teaching others.” Whether it is writing, presentations, AI applications or personal branding, I can break down complex things into simple logic and quickly translate abstract things so that people can understand and understand them, and even more!
But to be honest, this skill is not something I was born with. It’s like my schoolmates praised me for being able to convey complex academic research in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
In fact, all these outputs are inseparable from the dozens of sets of lesson plans, optimized slides, responses to private messages from students, and revised lecture notes that I design every year. It comes from countless times when I said something wrong, couldn’t answer a question, and stuttered nervously. It was my willingness to face my own shortcomings and my willingness to make corrections over and over again that allowed me to gradually achieve the “professionalism” I have today.
And this is what I want to tell you: being good at something can really be practiced.
You don’t have to wait until you’re “really good” to say you’re good at it. As long as you continue to do it, continue to find your blind spots, and make every output better than the last time, you will gradually become the person who is good at it.
When what you are good at can be verified by the market, you will have more confidence and confidence. And that confidence is naturally the fuel that allows you to persist.
Getting money is not tacky, but a proof of value
When it comes to “getting paid for it,” many people start to shrink back: “Oh, I just want to share and help people, and I’m embarrassed to accept money.” “What I make is knowledge-based content, not products. How can I monetize it?”
To be honest, I used to be like this too.
Until one time, my student told me privately: “Teacher, I read the teaching briefing you wrote. It turns out that AI can teach and think like this, which completely subverted my understanding of education. I am willing to spend money to learn such abilities, but there are no teachers on the market who teach like you!”
At that moment I realized that when others are willing to pay for your content, it doesn’t mean that you have become worldly or reeked of copper. There is nothing wrong with commercialization, the important thing is that you create unique value for others. You’re not selling something, you’re building a bridge so that others can get closer to their goals, solve their problems, and even make their lives better in general.
So, I began to seriously study the techniques and strategies of knowledge realization. From initially writing columns and receiving consulting projects, to designing lectures, recording online courses, working as a planning consultant, and receiving in-house training, I slowly established a positive cycle from content → value → income.
Behind all of this, I actually keep asking myself: “Who can this content help? To what extent can it help? How much is it worth? How can it be designed so that people are willing to pay and feel that it is worth the money?”
Money is not just income, it is also the response society gives you and is an indicator of value. If you can create value for others, you should naturally receive reasonable compensation. This is not shameful, but you are responsible for your profession.
Good fortune is not a gift from God, but an intersection drawn by oneself.
When I look back on the road I have traveled over the years, I finally understand: a good life is never luck, but a choice, a self-training, and a logic of action that does not give up.
Now, I have learned to stick to doing what I like, and try to learn how to do it so that others like it; I have learned to copy what I am good at, and work hard to learn how to invest time and effort to continuously improve; finally, I am still understanding what this market wants, and how should I convey my value?
When these three things slowly aligned and intersected, I was finally able to slowly walk into that small area called “My destiny is very good.”
Let’s be honest, there are no shortcuts to this hero’s journey, and it’s not something any AI can accomplish in one click. It is a kind of life design, and it is also an intersection map drawn by oneself.
Finally, if you wish, I invite you to draw your own three circles now.
Write down “what you like to do”, list “things you are good at”, and then sort out “things you have earned income from”.
Then, ask yourself honestly: How do I bring these three closer together? Where should I start correcting? And, what pace should I adjust for that intersection?
I encourage you to “seek something first, then seek good.” You don’t need to go to the middle all at once. As long as you start to get closer, you will be closer to your destiny than you were yesterday.
The triple intersection is not a gift from God, but the sum of strategy and honesty.
I know that not everyone can find the intersection of these three circles at the beginning. Sometimes you can only start with things that “make money for”, sometimes you put down your “like” dreams because of family responsibilities, and sometimes you feel that you have nothing “good” at it.
But it doesn’t matter, the point is not to get it right at once, but whether you are willing to draw these three circles and then keep getting closer to the intersection.
Many people think that expertise means “I understand a certain topic.” But I later discovered that true expertise should be “the ability to output value that can be recognized.”
For example, from the books I wrote and the courses I taught in the early days, I could easily be classified as a “person who knows how to write” or a “teacher who teaches AI.” But I found that this alone was not enough. I started to build my own professional system:
- I don’t just know how to write, but I can help students break writing anxiety, build structures, and output persuasive texts.
- I not only understand AI, but I can teach professionals how to use AI to empower professionals, create knowledge products, and strengthen proposals and communication skills.
- What I provide is not a single product, but a complete companion plan, including free e-newsletters, intermediate courses, and high-level consulting services.
For me, AI is the lever of practice, expertise is the base of value, and choice is the rudder of direction. The intertwining operation of these three can make my future not only a “good life”, but also a kind of “sustainable freedom”.
If you like, try revisiting your three circles as well. Where are you now? What can be fine-tuned next? In which aspect can AI help you break through? Which major could be more clearly packaged? Do you have the courage to make a choice that is less “safe” but closer to you?
This is not an empty theory, but a life theme that you and I can practice step by step. If you are already on this road, I hope this article can be a navigation map to accompany you.
Having a good life is never because of luck, but because you are determined and willing to draw your own map and bravely take that difficult but worthwhile journey.
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