What if someone gave to you Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility, and, as a result, you would be anonymous in your life? And, the work you do at your job would be invisible to others? No promotions, accolades, no press releases.

Would you still be at your same job?

I ask this because I recently saw a video from former Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar. In it, he is encouraging people to pursue individual authenticity. So many times, we do things because we’re mostly pursuing other people’s praise.

Well, what if that praise can no longer exist? What would your job be?

I think it’s powerful thinking. It forces you to really, really think about what you really want to do.

For me, I concluded that I would still be doing my current job. I love start-ups, though it is often difficult and there’s so much out of my control. But, I feel that supporting entrepreneurs to chase their dreams leads to tremendous meaning: new jobs, economic impact and self-actualization.

I also feel much personal growth in my job. I work with many personalities and run into many situations. There’s a dizzying array of innovation out there. My job forces me to grow, as I learn to work with different people and help them navigate new spaces in which an obvious path is often not evident.

It is rewarding to grow. It isn’t always fun, but it is always valuable.