By Sam Keller - August 29, 2020
My kids don't know they motivated their dad throughout the pandemic by incessantly singing songs from the broadway show Hamilton.
They are obsessed with the soundtrack, which conveys Alexander Hamilton's determination to win independence for the American colonies. One of the main refrains is "I am not throwing away my shot!". I have heard my kids sing it hundreds of times. The subtle effect on our family has been to put us in that frame of mind. To achieve audacious goals, let alone dreams, one has to somehow get - and stay - in a state of proactive determination. I never would have guessed that, as a family, we would derive motivation through such repetition.
Now, after receiving negative COVID test results, we are on a plane, high over the Pacific, approaching the equator. We are embarking upon something that, as far as we know, no one has attempted: to work remotely from Tahiti, with a job that demands very fast, reliable internet. We are taking our shot.
Do not throw away your shot!