Youthful Life: X

The 20s are all about looking to the future. The future, what a concept. It's a pronouncement of time that is relative to that which I exist in at this present moment. It's something that fills me with joy and hope in addition to fear and anxiety. The funny thing about it is that it will be before I know it and at the same time it won't. The future will arrive and is also unattainable. It's a mind warp all wrapped the conceptualization of tomorrow. Everyone's big question is where are you now?   "You cannot plan for life, life just ... happens"   The year is 2040. It's been 25 years since I graduated college and my life is drastically different. I've received my masters and Ed.D in higher education. I've worked at 6 different instutions, and most recently served as a vice provost for student affairs for George Washington University in DC. I've done some educational policy work, published a successful series of books based on my c...

The 20s are all about accepting who you are. Everyone looks up to someone else. We all have at least one person that we admire for a multitude of reasons. Maybe it's their accomplishments or how they make you feel. Something about them just inspires you to keep striving on. They are what you aspire to be. They give you hope, courage, and empowerment. Look up in the sky; it's a bird; it's a plane; no it's the caped crusader.   Knowing who I look up to has always been easy for me to know. I cannot even begin to articulate the kind of people my parents are. What they have done for me cannot be described properly in words. It is beyond the plane of this Earthly existence and transcends all religiosity/spirituality. They have sacrificed so much to get me to where I am and for all their selfless work I am grateful. It is not just me though how they go about their lives daily is casually moving mountains. They save people left and right. They change lives, give hope, and s...

The 20s are all about blessings. The universe conspires when you least expect it to bring you to where you need to be. Sharp contrasts, distinct shifts, and mountain-moving differences occurring in the simple span of 24 hours among other things point to life's profound favors. Dastardly dark lows to unbelievable highs happen because you need them to. Life lessons are most often tough but that's because they are preparing you for even greater futures. Shout it from the rooftops, I'm king of the world.   "Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny" C.S. Lewis Exactly four years ago I remember spending a substantial amount of time in my room putting on a tuxedo in preparation for my senior prom. I was nervous beyond compare. All my friends were going to roll together and as always, I was late (it's a recurring theme in my life). I brought my friend Rachel her corsage and we all posed for pictures. I was still sporting the geeki...

The 20s are all about adversity. No one ever says life is easy but they also don't say how tough life really can be. Life can be so hard. The difficult and the upping of the ante on what is it stakes seems to increase exponentially. Instead of feelings and insecurities, it's your entire personhood, the fabric of your being, and most of all your soul. I never used to think of myself as one of those young people who thought of themselves to be invincible, invulnerable, and untouchable, but I guess on a certain level I do. Humanity means you're human, and inherently that means that sometimes you are brought back down to Earth. Everybody has their weakness - here's mine: black kryptonite. In writing this blog I have always understood that it has been more for me than anyone else. It has been a place of solace and comfort. It my humble abode for free expression and to chronicle the narratives of my life. Whether other people take anything from my ramblings I may never kno...

The 20s are a about getting perspective. It is a refreshing thing to remember what matters most to you. It's so easy to get caught up in the everyday chaos of life and lose sight of the essentials. Take a look around and recognize how absolutely overwhelmingly big the world is. Pause, and think to yourself what makes your world go round. The tough thing is both points of view mean something to each and every one of us. It's a twisty turny wild ride - hold tight. It seems like there are infallible truths that I hold on to. It's these facts that I believe to be true about the world. Life never ceases to amaze me with how unpredictable it can be. Even more so is how much I find myself wanting to hold on to those pieces of truth even though I know they are not impervious to the everyday haphazard occurrences that I encounter. As someone who finds themselves clinging on to the safety and reliability of routines, in so many ways, coming to terms with actualities of differe...