Youthful Life: X

Truth - Looking back is critical to helping us look forward. 2016. What a year. Let's let that statement marinate just a little bit. Who would have thought a year that brought us a flurry of amazing musical achievements in album form would pretty much be garbage in every other way possible. I kid, I kid. Perspective really is everything, and hyperbolizing about an abstract concept doesn't do anything to change it. It's when we stop, take a look around, and learn from our surroundings, with a little bit of review, that we know what to do next or at the very least what not to do.   "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama Can we please have a small discussion about the ways in which this year, namely 2016 aka the year the of our Lord's departure from this Earthly purgatory, has taken on its own persona and been anthropomorphized ...

Truth - We can learn a lot from the past but it can also serve as a hindrance to our futures. Many a person has been attributed to saying that the most dangerous ideology is resistance to change and claiming tradition as if things have always been done a certain way. Life is inherently change. No two days are the same and things never happen the same way twice. We can yearn for the last all we want but at the end of the day a new day comes and we are forced to keep going. Whether we are prepared or not the world around us becomes anew each and everyday. We have the option to either embrace it or stay trapped replaying the past. Nostalgia has it's time and place.  "Our culture's obsession with vintage objects has rendered us unable to separate history from nostalgia. People want heart. They want a chaser of emotion with their aesthetics." Sloane Crosley   It seems like there's a strong population of people, at least those that I interact with, whether in...

Truth - Sometimes our lives run in circles. We start out someplace and think that we never want to end up there but you never if that's exactly where you're supposed to be. When we do make it back to the start we are different. We have changed. We have grown through different things. We carry with us all the experiences we have acquired. It's not the same and we are more well equipped to take on any of the choppy waters, attacking pirates, or stormy weather that comes our way. It's been a long journey but it's one that goes on and on. This is circumnavigation & my 700th blog post!   "You are the author of your own life story; choose to write something memorable daily" Wow , what can I say other than a massive thank you all. I cannot believe I'm writing my 700th post. Hundreds of thousands of words later and I'm still chugging along. Who would have thought my life story would be worthy of so many words. It's funny to me because I fee...

Truth - Comebacks can either a return to the spotlight or an embarrassing public guffaw. Thinking of people's careers, usually entertainers, there have been those who have disappeared from the public eye and returned stronger than ever and then there was some that wanted to make an appearance but were one hit wonders. Reinventing yourself works sometimes, and other times your run in the limelight fades out. Everyone wants to be relevant for the long run. It takes knowing yourself, how others perceive you, and keeping up with the times. This is return of the mess. "Happiness comes out of being willing to do your work in your twenties to find out who you are, what you love." Candice Bushnell   To be quite honest I love my life, plain and simple. I am so happy I get to be me. I wouldn't want to be anyone else. Sometimes I forget and get caught up in the melodramatic woe is me pedantic runaround. In the grand scheme I live a privileged, impactful, and most of a...

Truth - Sometimes life actually feels like situational comedy, better known as your classic sitcom. Things just happen, and somehow we end up in the most ridiculous happenings. So much of it ends up being laughable because of just how absolutely absurd it is. Sometimes you can take things in stride and call them out as you go, other times you have to look back to realize the humor in what has gone on. Each day we have the choice to either laugh along with the chaos or let it consume us. No two days are the same. This is a different world. " I feel now it's useless to keep hoping. The way things are today, we live in a world that needs laughter, and I've decided if I can make people laugh, I'm making a more important contribution" Paul Lynde One of the most iconic shows that is prerequisite for you to be woke is the Cosby Show spinoff where Denise goes to college (and leaves real fast) A Different World . Let me just defining being woke while I'm at it...

Truth - Sometimes I seriously worry for my generation. Every generation certainly innovates in distinct ways but also not only inherits the problems of their predecessors but contributes/creates new ones as well. Mine seems to be known for our apparent willingness to recognize the humanity of others and push for progressive ideals (debatable but that's a challenge for another day). We're also known for having defiled all the sacred traditions of the courting process in favor of swipes, sliding, double taps, and emojis. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie? No, we Netflix and chill.    "The problem with binge-watching on Netflix is that you lose three days of your life" Harland Williams   You know you've made it in this world when your company name becomes a verb. Netflix - v. - to endlessly browse for a movie, show, or documentary to watch on a device, usually accompanied by some kind of junk food.  I.E. It was 3AM and he still decided it was a good...

The 20s are all about redefining your comfort zone. Everyone has those places and situations that knock you right on out of your safety net. You're nervous, anxious, and sometimes even a little (or a lot) scared. It's normal but it doesn't make it any less daunting. We face brand new things daily and immediately it becomes clear whether we're up for it or not. Knowing and understanding your discomfort are the keys to overcoming it. We're headed into uncharted territories. This is the final frontier.    "As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal" Robin S. Sharma Growing up is both exciting and scary at the same damn time. I like the adventure that it brings but the uncertainty I could probably do without. I can admit that I've spent the majority of my life trying to be in control of everything that happens around and/or to me. In a world where young people often have relatively lit...