I once knew a physics student who attended a renowned university. The student’s father was the dean of the Department of Physics at the same university. At the end of a calculus class, the son visited his father’s office in search of assistance. The father patiently explained a complex mathematical concept to his son and asked, “Didn’t your professor cover this idea in your class earlier in the semester?”

“Yes, Dad, it was covered.”

The father then asked, “And you have not mastered this idea since then?”

“No, Dad, I have not mastered this concept.”

The father then approached his son, looked him squarely in the eye, and asked, “When you walk across campus, when you put your head on your pillow at night, when you eat breakfast in the morning, when you don’t have anything else to think about, don’t you think about calculus?”

The son paused, knowing that his answer would disappoint his physics loving father. “Umm. No, Dad, I don’t,” he said.

“Well then, son, you need to fi nd another major. Until you fi nd a subject that captures your curiosity and consumes your interest, you will not master that subject. Now, go discover what you love, and love what you discover.”

Eventually, the son received a PhD in Business.