I am sure we all PhD students have similar concerns as you. The way I look to the PhD is like a job I got for a 3-4 year period which was my own choice, it is happy on the sense that it is what I choose to do. Under this perspective, I question myself permanently if a regular person at any job is always happy or sad with their job?. Well, for sure not sad, at least the majority, a good amount will be happy, and maybe a good number of people will feel between happy and satisfied with their job; so, one of the last two is the path where I want to be while doing the PhD and after that. It is a constant battle in my brain until get used to this idea, but at least keeping this as a goal gives me hope.

I new about this talk and did not go, and I regret it soo much. It is interesting that my roomate when to the talk and when I asked him what was the best advice he got by the speaker he told me exactly what you describe related with right and left brained. So great to be reminded that our imagination has no limits and that we could use that for been creative.

Jake’s thoughts about having a “research ideas” box is great.