Learn, Or Be Forgotten...

After a great deal of pondering recently, I've decided that if I could convey one message to my fellow man it would be the importance of learning. This concept is, after all, the most important trait that separates the human race from any other species. Without learning we would still be stuck in the dark ages with nothing, wondering what our opposable thumbs were good for. The same mistakes and problems would haunt us day in and day out.

However, so many of us walk around taking this gift for granted. We learn what we have to, when we have to and only enough to get us by. Perhaps that line of thought (or lack of thought) has worked for a short while but that time is quickly coming to a close.

With the information now available to any "Average Joe" instantaniously, 24 hours-a-day, those who do not learn and learn quickly, are soon forgotten. I once heard a statistic that 80% of the jobs people will be doing in three years, haven't even been created yet. When one really takes a moment to consider that idea, the effects are profound.

So let me encourage everyone who takes the time to read this article to do everything they can to keep learning. The possibilities are endless. Find a topic you are interested in or know you can use and find out everything you can about it. Don't be afraid to pick up a magazine, buy a book or rent a movie that intrigues you. Make the entire world your library. If you can rediscover learning with the enthusiasm of a young child you will never be disappointed, because in this age of ever-expanding technology and free floating information the man(or woman) with the most know-how will go the furthest, and be the happiest.

As Emerson once said: "To the illuminated mind, the whole world burns and sparkles with light."

Truer words have never been spoken, and I implore each and every person to take them to heart. After all, what have you got to lose?



P.S. > There is another copy of this article on zoomley.com/learn-or-be-forgotten

A shot of energy

Here's a shot of energy for your Thursday morning. One of my favorite songs of all time, that always gets me going. Listen and be inspired...

Free Diving

So I was just introduced to the concept of free diving. The concept is that of base jumping under water, and I feel like it's something that would be hard as hell, but awesome to experience.

See for yourself....



Such an amazing idea....


P.S. Thanks to Pat for showing me this video, and I don't own this video in any way.

Infotainment

So recently I've decided I'm going to expand my blog topics. I love helping people, but I feel like I need a change. My hope is still to inspire by a figured maybe some "infotainment" is in order. So my fellow Americans, keep an eye out... keep an eye out for more badassery, soon to come.

What do you love?

Hello my fellow internet cronies! Once again, long time, no post. I could make excuses about being busy and what have you but honestly, I just haven't felt like posting for a while. You see, I've spent a good portion of time recently trying to differentiate between what I want to do and what I have to do. Part of that process was figuring out where blogging fell on that list. I thought maybe it was too much of a "want" and not enough of a "need." Finally though, I came to the realization that I was making a serious mistake by thinking in such a way. You see, there's been several instances in which I've dismissed so many of my desires thinking that they're not practical. It finally dawned on me, that wants and needs don't have to be mutually exclusive. One quote that jumped out a me recently really accentuated this point. It was made by Mr. Dale Carnegie...

success is getting what you want and happiness is wanting what you get.

So what is it that you want?

Once again boys and girls, it's been a while. Though I've been uber-busy, I have been falling down on keeping my blog updated. Though I hope you'll find this post, especially enlightening, as my ideas for it really flowered after seeing Burton's new 3D flick, Alice In Wonderland.

As well as being a visual masterpeice, this movie also had some great themes. One that really ressonated with me was the idea of finding and celebrating your uniqueness. Everyone might say "oh I'm unique, I'm my own person", blah blah blah, but few actually are. Yes you're unique....but you say and do things that everyone else tells you, or perhaps what you think they want to hear.

In the movie, Alice (yes the movie's namesake) finds herself wrapped up in society's status quo. As a young girl, she is forced to marry because it's what she's "suppose to do at her age." Alice is beautiful but for all intensive purposes.....weird.  She has her own ideas and often goes into la-la land, lost in her own imagination and forsaking the outside world. In the end, after all of her trials and tribulations Alice finds her own path, truly...leaving behind the idea of being a mindless drone.

We all secretly want to be like Alice, in fact I genuinely wish I had a damn Wonderland that would keep my interest. I guess what I feel we all need to realize..... is that we all have what Alice found within herself.  The only catch is...it takes courage to "do your own thing" as it may be. Start that business, write that story, ask that hot cashier at Walgreens out (worked out for me).  Imagine life if everyone truly expressed their uniqueness however the hell they wanted to....wouldn't that be cool.

A Helping Hand

It's been a few days loyal minions, but fear not...I am still here.

The thoughts that have been dominating my gray matter recently echoed with many common themes centered around self-reliance. When people go through hard times the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" often pops up. Truer words have never been spoken, and for quite a while I looked at every horrible situation as a chance to get stronger. With each challenge I overcame, I gained energy and barreled towards the next  obstacle. That worked for months, even years.... but after a certain amount of time I became weary of fighting every battle that life threw at me. For all of us these battles can become empty and meaningless. It doesn't matter how strong one person is, eventually the weight of responsibility and conflict will become too much. By then the motto of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" becomes "what doesn't kill you makes you tired, lacking motivation and apathetic."

As an example of this think of an avid weight lifter. The first few months that this person trains they make massive improvements quickly, which motivates them to work even harder. This momentum gradually slows as their muscle fibers expand and become used to the workload. Eventually, no matter how determined the athlete is, they hit a plateau. Often this plateau is so enormous that with every effort to improve the only thing that is obtained is frustration and discouragement. Eventually they realize, they need someone else to push them.

This is exactly what happens to those of us who try to handle challenges purely to  "become stronger." You see, what I've come to realize is that no one is strong enough to handle all the challenges this life throws at them alone. No one ever said that "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...but only if you endure it by yourself." Sometimes we've merely reached the zenith of our growth that can be obtained independently.

Does this mean that we should all wine and cry out for help at the first sign of adversity? Absolutely not. Self-Reliance is great, and indepence is a necessity in today's world. But everyone needs a support system. God gave Adam, Eve. Bonnie needed Clyde and Kane needed Able(maybe that's a bad example...) The point is, no one has to go it alone all the time, so push yourself each and everyday, but don't slap away a helping hand because it might bruise your ego, instead of letting someone pull you up to the next level.