Youthful Life: X

" The failures that you beat yourself up over are the ones where you experienced warning signs and can connect the dots backwards after the fact." Caroline Ghosn Searching, yearning, looking for a sign. In the world around us, and the people that occupy it, we look for signs. Some kind of guidance, advice on who to be, or just affirmation that we are doing what we should be. There's this pressure, learned, and applied liberally that tells us there's both a right and a wrong way to exist. There's a values judgement applied to us and who we are. There is an assessment that we are constantly placing on ourselves, and onto others, and them unto us as to the righteousness of what we do. We look for signs to make sense of what goes on around us, about why the world is working the way it is, and about who we're meant to be. Signs have this power to both obscure, and to provide clarity when we seemingly need it most. Signs are all open to our interpretation. We ...

" Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to." Greg Anderson Something is different. Everything is different. In an instant, my life, and my understanding of it changed. Have you ever met a person that radically changed your perception of what was possible?  Everything is brighter, more hopeful, and greater now. The bar has been raised for the better. I am without words to describe this feeling. Wow, just wow. There is something special to be said about the people who enter or pass through our lives who expand the realm of possibilities, hell, somethings they show us a whole other world of opportunity we never knew existed. We are woefully limited by the scope of what we know to be possible. Much like self-fulfilling prophecies where our predicted behavior determines ...

"Comparison is an act of violence against the self." Iyanla Vanzant For people that live in a prolific society toting the ideals of individualism, bootstrap theory, or meritocracy we sure do find ourselves spending an exorbitant amount of time comparing ourselves to others. It's completely the antithesis of one of our most espoused values, and yet we are made to do so daily. Arguably, comparison is the root of much of our despair. We want things; we want to have what others have; we want to be like others because we compare ourselves to them. We think, why not me, instead of why am I where I am? It is a total disregard for our unique talents, experiences, and contributions to the world in favor of debilitating jealousy, intangible goals, and irrational aspirations. We circumvent the massive factors in play that give some people access to certain resources and opportunities, or the ability to do things that we cannot. Some people are set up for "success" (...

" Just as we outgrow a pair of trousers, we outgrow acquaintances, libraries, principles, etc., at times before they're worn out and times - and this is the worst of all - before we have new ones." George C. Lichtenberg Maybe it was because of all that I experienced but I don't have the same nostalgia that I see so many of my friends do for high school or college. I have never wanted to go back. I can pinpoint specific people that I still think about and that I care for but besides that there is no longing for me to return from whence I came. Even in the past year I've had multiple opportunities to visit my alma mater and I turned them down. I think I decided that I would never return there. Too much happened and I'm still processing it all three years later. What I mean to say is I have more than outgrown the place. I know for me there has been nothing more me to take from there. I took all that I could, learned from it, and went on my way. That's...

Truth - People spend a significant amount of their lives working. The work environment can be a wild place. Navigating it's hierarchies, pitfalls, and trick question is a job in an of itself. Being successful in your work is not just about the qualifications, talents, and skills you bring but build community, connection, and networking where you are, and beyond. It's about deciding how you want to show up at work, and holding yourself accountable to doing so. It's about finding that mythical sense of "balance." " Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony." Thomas Merton Starting a new job , in my case my first job, is a process. Navigating the workplace, particularly the organizational politics takes times, and figuring out where you fit into it all can be woefully confusing. Building connections and maintaining relationships honestly seems to be the main work that I've been doing with my task orien...

Truth - Life happens in bit and pieces. Each day we write a little bit more of our life stories. The people we meet become different characters in our escapades. Our conversations, actions, and experiences write the narrative that fill the pages. Little by little we complete sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and books. The only thing that remains constant is us as the protagonist but even we, ourselves, change along the way. That's part of our character development. This is chronicle. " To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization." Harriet Beecher Stowe For the majority of my time in this life, it's been written in semester increments. Just as one ends, another creeps up and is ready to begin. This year saw me having my big finish to my college chapter and starting a new one with graduate school. The cycle was set to continue but this time the stak...

Truth - The only way to go in life is forward. We learn from our pasts in order to change our futures. It is absolutely imperative that we keep moving. We have no other option. The only alternatives are to stay where we are or to go backward, neither of which will get us to where we really want to be. Whenever we get stuck in our ways or end up repeating the mistakes of the past, we are tasked with figuring out what is going to move us forward and doing so. No matter what happens we must forward march. "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." C.S. Lewis This whole being an adult thing should really come with a roadmap, guidebook, or at least a YouTube tutorial. How is anyone supposed to know what they should do, say, or go? Each and every day brings new challenges and somehow you're obligated to overcome them all or succomb to defeat. That's a lot of pressure to be under daily. It's on you and you alone to ensure you are progressi...

The 20s are all about knowing who you come from. Family is one of those uncanny things in life. We have no say in the family we are born into and go through life making our own picking people along the way. The one we are given may not always be the best for us but many a times there is an underlying connection unlike any other you may ever have. Whenever I am with mine I never feel more loved, safe, and secure. Sure we have our bouts, quips, and quarrels but when it's all said and done we are indestructible unit. Each and every one of us is special in their own right. With my family I get to be the little prince. "In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future" Alex Haley There is nothing like hearing stories about yourself before you had your own consciousness to remember them. My mom always shares a few memories of her time with me in my early childhood that never cease to make my smile. When my mom was carrying my little siste...

The 20s are all about doing the most. There is no other time in our lives that will be like this. College is a microcosm of ideal situations that come together. With little responsibility save your own well-being, it's the best time to live life the fullest. Get as much out of what you are able to do daily here because sooner or later it'll be over and life changes, for better and worse. Adventure, explore, and exert yourself - what have you got to lose? You'll never know what you're capable of unless you push yourself; this is running on empty.   You know how people have that one thing they are super passionate and knowledgeable about? It's the thing that they can talk about endlessly and when they do their eyes light up. For a lot of guys I know it's sports, alcohol, or cars. I on the other hand don't care for any of the above but have learned a lot, particularly in the past year about them all. Learned the basics of rugby and lacrosse, nuances of brew...