Tag: passion
People Power
There’s a common theme I have heard from numerous self-educators recently. It’s an idea that almost every successful dropout, entrepreneur, and freelancer attests to.
This concept is the power of networking. Yes, it’s cliche. Many do not understand it fully simply because the word “networking” has been overused. Continue reading People Power
Perfection or Constant Growth?
I haven’t read the book Art and Fear, but I have learned a valuable lesson from the book without even opening its cover. There’s an anecdote about an art teacher that holds a valuable lesson for all of life, not just content creation:
“The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality.
His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot – albeit a perfect one – to get an “A”.
Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes – the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.” (Source)
We’ve been told all our lives to look at the big picture; there’s nothing wrong with that. But in the process of trying to see the big picture, we have begun obsessing over what it should look like.
Here’s the big deal: spending time worrying about making something perfect takes time away from actually creating value in life. But when you are focused on building and creating, you can’t help but to advance each day. Perfection is an illusion. But constant growth is not. The people who are obsessed with the illusion are the ones who will grow the least.
Maybe, instead of trying to make one perfect big picture, we should focus on each day as a figurative lump of clay ready to be molded. Each project, every idea, each relationship is its own work of art. Instead of sitting around spending time theorizing about what exactly your life’s masterpiece should be, create value on the canvas in front of you.
You’re the artist; go find your canvases.
Photo by Anna Jahn on Unsplash
Musings On My Life: a Free Verse
What is life, if I live with little impact?
What is freedom, if I do not free another soul?
My life cannot have meaning if I have no legacy.
My life will be in vain if I miss my destiny.
My destiny? to break the chains that bind the broken hearts;
To give the suffering spirits wings to soar the heights of life.
To thrive, and spread the message:
“Life is meant for living!”
So I hold close each heart entrusted to me.
I speak, to fill another soul with hope.
I love, that in my love another may find truth.
I’ll walk with passion, never looking back,
And live one moment at a time:
And as the moments turn to hours,
The hours into years,
Mark my words: my destiny will be completed.
How I’m Breaking The Mold
“You know, these volunteer hours are helpful when you’re getting into college,” a non-profit business owner told me as I worked beside her.
“I’m working toward two hundred hours,” I replied.
“Oh, I guess you don’t need them for college then?”
No, ma’am. I am volunteering simply because that is something in my heart to do. I love interacting with people in every scenario possible, and I find fulfillment in giving my time and energy to causes I believe in.
And that’s one way I am breaking the mold. Most people assume that a young person is under some obligation if he or she is seen working in the community. But I sort books at the library because I believe in the power of literature. I take care of kids at homeschool events because I want parents to be empowered to educate their own children. I believe in true love so I cook or decorate at weddings.
I also believe that life and education are inseparable. In fact, the moment you stop learning, you stop living, and vice versa. In a world that views the first 20 years of life as “school” and the rest of life as “work” and “retirement”, this perspective is earth-shattering. It makes me look at each experience in a whole new light. Life has never been about grades and how you as an individual measure up to the average human being. You are unique; you have your own style of learning; it’s up to you to find it.
I never stressed out about not finishing my 8th year of school. What was I doing instead? I was building a business. I jumped right into high school without a beat the next year and never missed the science and math tests I skipped. My education did not fit the traditional model by any means, but I grew in ways my textbooks could never have increased me.
And now, in what would be my senior year of high school, I have taken another step that goes against the grain of traditional ideas. I have chosen to skip college.
The education experience I wanted was a fast-paced, self-directed one. But I wanted mentors and other people who were as passionate about self-directed education as I was. But was there any such thing? I didn’t know, until one day I found Praxis. It is a bootcamp/ apprenticeship program specifically for young people looking to build their career from the ground up.
In addition to building my career from the ground up, I spend time doing what I love: learning anything new, playing music by the hour, cooking and baking, reading, writing, and working out. And I still have time to invest in the education of my younger siblings, working side by side at science projects, playing football, challenging each other at Math games, and being generally awesome.
I’m not chained to professors, class times, and college campuses. I am learning what I love by a method I am passionate about. We’ll see what the next couple years bring, but I can promise you this: there are a lot more molds that need to be shattered.
Success Through Failure?
It was the end of a Mock Trial that I completed in my Sophomore year of high school. Both teams were waiting breathlessly for the judge to give the verdict and closing remarks. As defense attorney, I was extremely nervous, considering that my client, one of my close friends, was charged with murdering her husband. I recognized that it was a close battle, understood that we had made some major mistakes, but held on to the tiny chance I knew we had. Then the moment came. The verdict was spoken. Continue reading Success Through Failure?