"You're playing and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can't move... you can't breathe... because you're in over your head. Like quicksand"
I'm sure that many of us can relate to this situation. This quote is from the movie The Replacements, which is about misfit football players getting a second chance to play, but I believe that it applies to more than sports.
I think that sometimes we can get caught up in something, so much that we stop thinking clearly. We're in too deep and it's too late to get out. We try everything we can, but the harder we try, the quicker we fall. We are so afraid of sinking that we kick more and more.
I believe that in the face of adversity, we can show our true colors. We don't know what we're made of until presented a specific challenge for the first time. However, instead of trying to use brute force to fight back, I think it's important to remain calm under pressure and attempt to see how things start to unfold. This can help us make the best possible choices to help us overcome obstacles.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't fight back- I just want to advocate taking our time to ensure we are being as effective as we can. Don't force anything. We need to fight smart to get out of quicksand- be efficient and strategic to be successful.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
On faith and trust
I understand that the content of this post may seem naive depending on your life experiences, but I truly believe in the core principles of what I'm saying.
We only really know what's going on inside our own minds (though sometimes we actually have no idea what we're thinking) and can only control our own actions. We don't necessarily know what others are thinking or what they are going to do in certain situations. Now this is a scary thought because so much of our lives is affected by those around us; we don't really have as much control as we would like. So how do we deal with this?
Trust
We need to trust those around us and have faith that strangers will be civil and respectful and our friends and family will have our backs. Please understand that I'm not saying to trust others blindly. We all learn from past experiences and I'm sure that at some point, most of us have been let down by someone we thought we could trust. They say it takes years to build trust and only seconds to destroy it. Therefore, if you know that someone trusts you, respect it and act in a way that demonstrates that you deserve it.
If someone proves to be untrustworthy, keep that in the back of your mind, but don't let that affect the way you trust others. We need to continue to trust people and have faith in the world. I know that might sound cliche, but it's true. It's crucial to be optimistic about how the future will unfold around us and cannot go about our lives expecting others to let us down- that's just unhealthy.
I think that the most important thing is to trust ourselves. We know ourselves better than anyone else and from our experiences, we need to make judgments about who to trust and who to be aware of. We have to trust our instincts above anything else regarding the people and situations surrounding us. We have to trust ourselves to make the right choices and have faith that the world will reward us for doing the best we can.
Trust me.
We only really know what's going on inside our own minds (though sometimes we actually have no idea what we're thinking) and can only control our own actions. We don't necessarily know what others are thinking or what they are going to do in certain situations. Now this is a scary thought because so much of our lives is affected by those around us; we don't really have as much control as we would like. So how do we deal with this?
Trust
We need to trust those around us and have faith that strangers will be civil and respectful and our friends and family will have our backs. Please understand that I'm not saying to trust others blindly. We all learn from past experiences and I'm sure that at some point, most of us have been let down by someone we thought we could trust. They say it takes years to build trust and only seconds to destroy it. Therefore, if you know that someone trusts you, respect it and act in a way that demonstrates that you deserve it.
If someone proves to be untrustworthy, keep that in the back of your mind, but don't let that affect the way you trust others. We need to continue to trust people and have faith in the world. I know that might sound cliche, but it's true. It's crucial to be optimistic about how the future will unfold around us and cannot go about our lives expecting others to let us down- that's just unhealthy.
I think that the most important thing is to trust ourselves. We know ourselves better than anyone else and from our experiences, we need to make judgments about who to trust and who to be aware of. We have to trust our instincts above anything else regarding the people and situations surrounding us. We have to trust ourselves to make the right choices and have faith that the world will reward us for doing the best we can.
Trust me.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
On what could have been and taking the leap
I wonder what would have happened if...
I'm almost positive that each and everyone of us has asked ourselves this question at least once in our lives. Sometimes it can increase to once a week, and maybe even once a day.
Personally, I used to ask myself this question quite often. Although I consider myself one who has taken advantage of many opportunities presented to me, there are still so many that I let pass me by. I guess it was because I was afraid- afraid of stepping outside of my comfort zone, afraid of the unknown, and afraid of failure. Like I mentioned earlier, I now believe that you cannot truly fail unless you quit trying, but I wish I knew this earlier.
We don't know what we are really capable of until we try new things. I think that sometimes we can surprise ourselves and find joy in unexpected places. It's just that our fear of the unknown holds us back and keeps us wondering what could have been. This fear is something that we need to overcome.
The movie Yes Man was about this very issue. As entertaining as Jim Carrey is, I believe this movie brings up an important message. There are so many advantages to taking a leap of faith, but at the same time, we have to remember to stay within ourselves and make conscious decisions. I feel that college has introduced me to so many new experiences- it really opened up my mind and helped me develop this new outlook on life.
I would rather regret doing something than regret not doing something. Now I want to qualify this by reiterating that we shouldn't just act carelessly. We need to understand why we're doing something, even though we may be experiencing it for the first time. It's important to again, stay within ourselves and act with purpose. Nonetheless, I would encourage you to open yourself up to the world and take advantage of what it can offer.
I've recently had a few conversations about the notion of "the one who got away." This is such an interesting concept because it's completely rooted in the question, I wonder what would have happened if... I believe that this thought is unique in that it's something that is rarely solved. I wonder if I should have fought harder for her. I wonder if I should have asked her out. In terms of taking a leap, there are so many who are afraid to do it in this context- possibly in fear of ruining a friendship. But couldn't it have become something more? For many, their chance to find out has already passed.
Often times, we do take the leap and the experience isn't what we thought, or what we hoped it would be. We can be disappointed with the outcome of the chance we took. But at least we know now, and we can learn from it. I would say that this is better than being left to wonder.
At some point in our lives, we have to take the leap and see where we land.
I'm almost positive that each and everyone of us has asked ourselves this question at least once in our lives. Sometimes it can increase to once a week, and maybe even once a day.
Personally, I used to ask myself this question quite often. Although I consider myself one who has taken advantage of many opportunities presented to me, there are still so many that I let pass me by. I guess it was because I was afraid- afraid of stepping outside of my comfort zone, afraid of the unknown, and afraid of failure. Like I mentioned earlier, I now believe that you cannot truly fail unless you quit trying, but I wish I knew this earlier.
We don't know what we are really capable of until we try new things. I think that sometimes we can surprise ourselves and find joy in unexpected places. It's just that our fear of the unknown holds us back and keeps us wondering what could have been. This fear is something that we need to overcome.
The movie Yes Man was about this very issue. As entertaining as Jim Carrey is, I believe this movie brings up an important message. There are so many advantages to taking a leap of faith, but at the same time, we have to remember to stay within ourselves and make conscious decisions. I feel that college has introduced me to so many new experiences- it really opened up my mind and helped me develop this new outlook on life.
I would rather regret doing something than regret not doing something. Now I want to qualify this by reiterating that we shouldn't just act carelessly. We need to understand why we're doing something, even though we may be experiencing it for the first time. It's important to again, stay within ourselves and act with purpose. Nonetheless, I would encourage you to open yourself up to the world and take advantage of what it can offer.
I've recently had a few conversations about the notion of "the one who got away." This is such an interesting concept because it's completely rooted in the question, I wonder what would have happened if... I believe that this thought is unique in that it's something that is rarely solved. I wonder if I should have fought harder for her. I wonder if I should have asked her out. In terms of taking a leap, there are so many who are afraid to do it in this context- possibly in fear of ruining a friendship. But couldn't it have become something more? For many, their chance to find out has already passed.
Often times, we do take the leap and the experience isn't what we thought, or what we hoped it would be. We can be disappointed with the outcome of the chance we took. But at least we know now, and we can learn from it. I would say that this is better than being left to wonder.
At some point in our lives, we have to take the leap and see where we land.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
On happiness and the little things in life
I truly believe that happiness is the root of all the decisions we make everyday. Ultimately, everything we do, no matter what it is, is a result of our innate desire to be happy. Unfortunately, happiness is a state of mind- it comes and goes with each fleeting moment of our lives. It's not something that we can simply achieve; it isn't absolute. It's also a relative feeling- there wouldn't be happiness without sorrow. So I guess our real desire is to experience constant periods of happiness and minimize the time we feel sad or angry.
What makes us happy?
This may seem like a simple question, but let's think about it for a minute. If we knew exactly what made us happy, shouldn't we just strive for those things and as a result be happy all the time? Sounds too easy. I think we get a lot of joy out of achievement. Meeting a goal or overcoming an obstacle can really lift us up and the more difficult the challenge, the more gratification we get as we accomplish our goal. Unfortunately, sometimes we can get caught up in this notion. We set our goals too high (I'm not advocating against dreaming big) or take on challenges that unfold too far in the future and forget about the present.
I have this friend who is the only guy I know that can find so much joy in the littlest things in life. It's truly amazing. I would consider myself to be similar, and this is one of the reasons I believe we're such good friends, but this guy is on a level of his own. Now I'm not saying that he doesn't set long terms goals like I mentioned above (or maybe I'm wrong about that lol), but he, better than anyone else I know, finds so much joy in the present.
Whether it be good food, a funny youtube video, or even recalling a past event, this guy is so often smiling or laughing. The crazy part about this is that his happiness is infectious- it's so evident in the joy he brings to the people around him. I think that I personally am a more happy individual because of this guy.
It's important to dream big and find pleasure in your journey to achievement. Just remember not to overlook the little things in life that you come across along the way.
What makes us happy?
This may seem like a simple question, but let's think about it for a minute. If we knew exactly what made us happy, shouldn't we just strive for those things and as a result be happy all the time? Sounds too easy. I think we get a lot of joy out of achievement. Meeting a goal or overcoming an obstacle can really lift us up and the more difficult the challenge, the more gratification we get as we accomplish our goal. Unfortunately, sometimes we can get caught up in this notion. We set our goals too high (I'm not advocating against dreaming big) or take on challenges that unfold too far in the future and forget about the present.
I have this friend who is the only guy I know that can find so much joy in the littlest things in life. It's truly amazing. I would consider myself to be similar, and this is one of the reasons I believe we're such good friends, but this guy is on a level of his own. Now I'm not saying that he doesn't set long terms goals like I mentioned above (or maybe I'm wrong about that lol), but he, better than anyone else I know, finds so much joy in the present.
Whether it be good food, a funny youtube video, or even recalling a past event, this guy is so often smiling or laughing. The crazy part about this is that his happiness is infectious- it's so evident in the joy he brings to the people around him. I think that I personally am a more happy individual because of this guy.
It's important to dream big and find pleasure in your journey to achievement. Just remember not to overlook the little things in life that you come across along the way.
Monday, January 3, 2011
On the lessons we learn
This is something I wrote during my senior year of high school:
Byron's Lesson 3/22/2007
With every rose, comes thorns
the tragic failure from climbing too high
we target the heavens,
and leave our feet,
the earth that had made us.
We look not out or forward,
but up
and in turn miss it
right before our very eyes
life passing before us as
we stand still
opportunities wasted
no second chances.
But then I realize I am not Superman,
nor an angel of the Lord almighty
and so I fall
back into life
the truth.
She's beautiful.
Right.
Byron's Lesson 3/22/2007
With every rose, comes thorns
the tragic failure from climbing too high
we target the heavens,
and leave our feet,
the earth that had made us.
We look not out or forward,
but up
and in turn miss it
right before our very eyes
life passing before us as
we stand still
opportunities wasted
no second chances.
But then I realize I am not Superman,
nor an angel of the Lord almighty
and so I fall
back into life
the truth.
She's beautiful.
Right.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
On the joys of airports
First of all, who likes airports? Not many. Other than the fact that they get you to where you need to go, they suck. There's really nothing fun about them- carrying heavy luggage, getting physically violated at security, waiting in really long lines, and paying ridiculous amounts of money for mediocre food (not to mention delays).
Today was the last day of winter break, so I was not in a good mood as it is- having to leave my friends and family at home and not looking forward to all of the work I have to do in this upcoming quarter. After finally getting through security with my brother (luckily, I didn't get "randomly selected") we found our gate and looked for places to sit. The airport was incredibly crowded so seats were scarce. There was no place for us to sit, but we did find, however, three seats being occupied by a stupid lady who decided to sprawl out and take a nap.
WTF
Who does this? Is it that hard to lean your head back and close your eyes? I get that it's not that comfortable, but it's not supposed to be- we're at an airport! Thanks to you, I had to sit on the floor for a couple hours- yes, my flight got delayed- and the lower half of my body fell asleep so it wasn't very easy to get up. Thanks lady- hope your nap was worth the inconvenience you caused everyone else.
On change and making adjustments
A couple years ago, there was no one who hated change more than I did. I was so happy and content with the way my life was and didn't want anything to change. I mean, I had worked so hard to get to be where I was, shouldn't I be able to enjoy it? Unfortunately, being content turned into being complacent. The relationships I had with people, my views, opinions, and values on life- everything basically stayed the same and I was okay with that.
I realize now that this wasn't the best situation for me to be in, for anyone to be in, and at the time, I was blinded from the reality that change is inevitable, and in many cases a good thing. I gotta say that learning this has made a huge impact on my life- I can stop wasting energy on trying to keep things the same and concentrate on adjusting to the changes that come with life.
Adjusting to different situations isn't by any means an easy task. When our lives take a turn, we have to turn with them- we need to adapt, or we will be left behind. Life is a fairly consistent flow of events and choices to be made. I say "fairly consistent" because, as we know, sometimes our lives can change drastically. Either way, we must accept the changes that life brings us and make the necessary adjustments to the best of our abilities.
As I sit here writing, I'm not going to lie and say that I like change. However, I accept it and even welcome it. Without change, without adjustments- there is no growth. Try to think back to who you were four years ago, or even two years ago. Are you the same? I would guess that most of us would say no. We've adjusted our values and opinions and have created new relationships with people we didn't even know existed years ago; I would hope that we now are better people for it.
Change is certain and adjustments are essential. Because of this, we are all able to grow.
I realize now that this wasn't the best situation for me to be in, for anyone to be in, and at the time, I was blinded from the reality that change is inevitable, and in many cases a good thing. I gotta say that learning this has made a huge impact on my life- I can stop wasting energy on trying to keep things the same and concentrate on adjusting to the changes that come with life.
Adjusting to different situations isn't by any means an easy task. When our lives take a turn, we have to turn with them- we need to adapt, or we will be left behind. Life is a fairly consistent flow of events and choices to be made. I say "fairly consistent" because, as we know, sometimes our lives can change drastically. Either way, we must accept the changes that life brings us and make the necessary adjustments to the best of our abilities.
As I sit here writing, I'm not going to lie and say that I like change. However, I accept it and even welcome it. Without change, without adjustments- there is no growth. Try to think back to who you were four years ago, or even two years ago. Are you the same? I would guess that most of us would say no. We've adjusted our values and opinions and have created new relationships with people we didn't even know existed years ago; I would hope that we now are better people for it.
Change is certain and adjustments are essential. Because of this, we are all able to grow.
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