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Editor’s Note: Since this article ran in 2015, Miki Agrawal has stepped down from the period underwear company she founded, Thinx, amid allegations of sexual harassment. She has said the claims were “baseless,” and told Glossy that since then, she has “learned a big lesson” and has organized her latest venture, Tushy, differently. I believe that we all deserve second chances, and the advice she shares in her book, Do Cool Sh*t, is still useful and relevant.
So, without further ado, here’s the original story:
Blame it on my time at O, The Oprah Magazine, but I love talking about purpose and calling and fulfillment and all of those buzzwords typically reserved for motivational posters and TED Talks. Often, though, those talks can feel like a dog chasing its tail: We keep circling this desire to lead a meaningful life, but defining that meaning gets us back to discussing what makes life meaningful. And so the loop traces itself, leading to plenty of talk, talk, talking, but not much action.
It was that desire to just do something that immediately attracted me to Miki Agrawal’s book, Do Cool Sh*t. Miki didn’t talk about doing things; she jumped out and attacked life head-on. I mean really: The book chronicles how she convinced the financial firm she worked for to let her leave early twice a week so she could play soccer for the New York Magic, only to tear her ACL, fight her way through physical therapy to make the team a second time…then tear her ACL again.
But that hardly stopped her.
Sure, it was the end of one dream, but she dove headfirst into pursuing another passion: creating a gluten-free pizza place in the Lower East Side. Then, later, creating an underwear company called Thinx, which provides reusable pads to women in need in Uganda. Some may consider these varied projects scatterbrained; I see it as a woman who goes after what she wants and refuses to box herself in. To me, her journey reinforces the fact that your calling doesn’t have to be this grandiose, soul-consuming project that takes up your entire lifetime. A calling can last a few years, a season, decades — and as you grow, it can change and evolve with you.
At one point in the book, Miki describes advice actress Sophia Bush gave her, which seems like a great barometer to help you separate the hobbies from your calling:
What makes you want to storm the castle?
Think about what you love, what you’re passionate about, then ask yourself: Of those things, what riles you up so much that you think about it nonstop, that you want to shut up and just do something, because you can’t sit still any longer?
Let’s get started. Today.
If you want to hear more of Agrawal’s story, check out her book, available on Amazon and at most major bookstores.
This article originally ran in May 2015 as part of Life Between Weekends’ Tuesday Takeaway series. Every Tuesday, we shared the most compelling insight we’ve gleaned from a book, movie, tour, documentary or article to inspire you during the workday.
Today, that concept lives on in the Fulfillment section of the site, under Career Advice.
Photo: Ben Dumond/Unsplash
