Youthful Life: X

Truth - Socialization is a process by which we are indoctrinated into a society. It's an ever-changing and lifelong series of occurrences that guide the ways in which we are able to interact with one another. The range of what is socially acceptable versus inappropriate or completely taboo is vast. In some ways socialization conveys to us the rules of the world and how to move through it, but it others it adds restrictions. What happens when you step outside the boundaries of social norms? What if we defy social constructs? What if we touch? "You are defined by your ingredients, by the way you touch them, by the flavors you draw from them." Graham Elliot You know what's both fascinating and saddening simultaneously is the fact that in some point of your childhood, your parents put you down, and never picked you up again. Obviously there are logistical issues that add to why that is, but from a social standpoint it's kind of odd. Think about it. As babies w...

Truth - Money only has value because we have made it that way. Think about it just like we covet dirty green pieces of paper with dead white men's faces on them we could just as easily be doing the same with q-tips, buttons, or pebbles. The object is arbitrary but the way we idolize it is where it gets all it's power from. Some say does not bring happiness, and while that may be true, it most definitely gives you access to obtaining it. More money more problems, but are some of those self-induced? This is unrestricted.  "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life" Henry David Thoreau In this day and age where the vast majority of people are seriously struggling to make ends meet, it has almost become taboo to speak on the topic of wealth. Who has it? What is it? Why does it matter? There has always been this shroud of secrecy and pretending when it comes to socioeconomic status. People put on a show to act as if they have more  (and sometimes less) than...

Truth - Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in our way can be none other than us ourselves. What if happiness is a conscious choice to be positive, show gratitude, and demonstrate kindness to others? Regardless of whatever circumstances we might find ourselves in there still remains an element of choice in how we conduct ourselves. It can mean all the difference. The only thing we can ever control in life is ourselves. If we stand in our own way, the only one we have to blame is us. This is sabotage.   "I think that sometimes love gets in the way of itself - you know, love interrupts itself. We want things so much that we sabotage them." Jack White I have a confession to make. I am someone who self-sabotages. There, I said it. What's even worst about is that I am self-aware and know why I do it when I'm doing it, and yet I still continue to purposefully demolish potential relationships before they have a chance to solidify. I use humor as a defense mechani...

Truth - There are so many unwritten rules that we abide be on a daily basis. Humans are some of the most devastatingly fascinating creatures to observe and to interact with. It's as if each individual has their own personal guidebook to follow in addition to some deeply etched away commandments that we communally agree to (with or without our consent). We stumble upon one another and must quickly decide which set of guidelines we are supposed to follow in order to appropriately treat one another. In the grand scheme of things the laws keep us safe but also separated; it's a danger that more often than not pays off benevolently when we throw out the rules and follow our hearts. Do you have what it takes? Are you in the league?  "I don't know the first real thing about the dating game. I don't know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general." Jason Schwartzman...

Truth - It's okay to not be okay. If no one has ever told you that, or even more importantly, you have never said those words to yourself, there you go. Read it again and take it to heart. It is perfectly fine, and actually quite healthy to not always be okay. There will be turbulence, strife, and friction in our lives. It's those that embrace it and go through it collaboratively rather than in isolation that often make it out better, and quicker than who go it alone. Who do you go to though when you are the mediator for everyone else? "The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection" George Orwell The hardest thing about being me is the externally perpetuated but self-inflicted plight of constantly striving to be perfect in every way. Every single day I push to give my all and the entirety of myself to others. In doing so I leave no grace for myself in the process. There's no room for error. There's no place to be challenged. There's...

Truth - Relationships are complicated. Think about it. You spend the majority of your formative years "single" and you're perfectly fine then suddenly expected to partner up with other people. How do you go from living for/with just yourself to potentially having someone else in the picture. Family, friends, and roommates give you practice but adding the intimacy bit makes things more intricate. You don't just know how to be in relationships, you have to learn, like everything else that is new in our lives. Then again you may not be even ready for a relationship. You might be like me, currently unavailable at the moment. "Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." Franklin P. Jones   My favorite question I get more and more from other is "why are you single?" In all honesty, because I'm not actively searching for someone else. At this point in my life I am already invested in the most importa...

Truth - Those who succeed may not necessarily be exceptionally talented but they do have the persistence to reach their goals. Sometimes waiting it out and chugging along is all it takes to make a breakthrough. Whereas others may give up or fall by the wayside, those who have that extra oomph in life keep going no matter what. Those who distinguish themselves from others do so by just doing what they need to longer. It may just very well be as simple as that. This is endurance. "Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance - the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it; better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen" Thomas Carlyle One of the most valuable traits a person can demonstrate is endurance. It's that ability to keep going regardless of what comes their way. It's those that can wade through the deepest waters that emerge not only stronger but on the other side of tidal waves. Those that able to weather ...

Truth - The American Dream is not attainable for everyone. It is an outdated, and unrealistic expectation for the majority of people. What do we mean when we use the phrase? It seems to be a nod to a time where a specific facet of society was able to be socially, fiscally, and psychologically sound due to their access to resources, education, and income. The American dream was not meant for all. More and more it has become out of reach to even those it was designed to be obtained by. What is our new American dream, who does it include, and what does freedom mean in our reimaged land of opportunity? "We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others." Will Rogers Ask people what they want for this world and they'll spout off a few meaningless ideals. Peace on Earth, ending hunger, human trafficking, eradicating disease, global literacy, etc. Rephrase the question and ask what they want for their world. Bring it down to Earth...

Truth - The way we live dictates the way others experience us. Head or the heart, such is the perpetually primal dichotomy under which we exist. Which governs you? Are your actions decided by your mind or are you at the beckng call of your emotions? Both have their positives and their pitfalls, and realistically we are all someone along a spectrum of both depending on the context we find ourselves in. Generally, though we may be polarized as either one. We need both to not just survive but to thrive, but a little impulse (in moderation) can do the body some good. "We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans - because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings. That's why we paint, that's why we dare to love someone - because we have the impulse to explain who we are." Maya Angelou Our emotions tell us our truest feelings in their rawest form. We learn slowly over ti...

Truth - Time stands still for no one. We blink and all of a sudden we've aged - whether or not we have grown is a completely different story. Year by year, week by week, and second by second our time moves forward with or without us. Externally we change but internally, that is with respect to our mindsets and motives, the process looks completely different. No one ever said growing up was going to be easy, but what they really should have emphasized is that it isn't a one and done thing. The day we stop moving forward is the day time stands still, and that is the way we pass away. This is my declaration of boyhood.   "Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years." Ausonious My birthday is here and somehow I made it to 23 years of age. I just finished rereading all my old birthday blog posts (check them out here: 22nd   21st   20th 19th 18th ) and boy or boy has life been an adventure. People keep asking me wha...