Youthful Life: X

Truth - Morality and ethics can both be clearly defined, stringent absolutes, and complicated ambiguous gray areas, depending on your ideological beliefs and personal contexts. In living in a society, there are some commonly agreed upon parameters and guidelines that we all accept, whether consciously or inadvertently. Those who operate beyond the bounds of what we deem legal, if caught, are supposed to deal with the established consequences laws, statutes, and orders that have been set in place. The challenge to that bureaucracy when that established system disadvantages certain people or may just very well be inherently corrupt itself. Are we for moral absolutism or are we more moral relativists? "Despite what they tell you, there are simply no moral absolutes in a complex world." Berkeley Breathed Last week  was an adventure and a half. At every junction I came to there were moral and ethical decisions to be made. How do I behave, what is best for not only m...

Truth - The values of the world we live in have changed over time. Things that used to be commonly understood as mundane now seem out of the ordinary. There are no longer such stringent standards that we hold one another to. Our society is more individualistic than ever before. It has its benefits, some gnarly side effects, and a whole lot of ambiguous gray area in between. What ever happened to predictability? Now we never know what to expect. Forget about us, and don't even get me started on trust - this is commitment issues. " There is a constant feeling in our culture that we might be missing out on something better, therefore, we rarely commit to a decision that we can’t back out of if something better comes along." Rhett Smith "There's a higher form of happiness in commitment. I'm counting on it." Claire Forlani When did flakiness become socially acceptable or at least a common practice? Left and right people just don't show up to enga...

Truth - People change people. It's not our beliefs, opinions, or feelings but rather who we are and how we connect with others that makes all the difference. The ways that we approach conversations dictates the outcomes of those conversations. The more purposeful the intention, the more likely an expected outcome will be achieve. Centralizing conversation and genuine dialogue as the context through which you approach others is something truly profound. There is a massive distinction between calling people out, and calling them in to conversation.   "Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted" Ralph Waldo Emerson We live in comparatively the most progressive day and age. We have come a long way, and yet we still have so far to go. More and more we hear this dichotomy of arguments for celebration of diversity, equity, and inclusion being directly opposed to this notion of a censored, politically correct, hyp...

Truth - Connection is one of the defining characteristics of the human experience. We exist in communities, tribes, families, and relationship because they are what we need to sustain us. People matter, more than we realize. We are impacted by the things others say and do as they interact with us, but even more so in the subtext of when they have departed or what is left unsaid. It is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but sometimes absence helps you realize you were better off without them. Navigating relationships is a lifelong endeavor - this is constant contact. "Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn't feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive." Brene Brown It's funny just how much my relationships have changed since graduating from college. The ways in which I approach people, the kinds of questions I ask, and the sincere intentionality behind it is all new. Without...

Truth - Nobody stays young forever. While we may physically age who we are on the inside does so at an entirely different rate. Age does not necessarily equate wisdom or experience. Many a person has been born, lived, and passed all within the minute confines of the microcosms, communities, and insulated bubbles we exist in. Is that living? It depends on what your definition of life is, besides who are we to judge the lives of others lest we welcome the same scrutiny ourselves. The spirit of youth of is alive within each and every one of us if only we allow it to be carefree, adventurous, and genuine - long live the youth.   "Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life." Samuel Ullman Ageism is prejudice , bias, and discrimination based on age or perceived age. All those t...