Have you ever watched MTV’s show Made? There lots of episodes where high school students want to transform into something else. They want to be “made” into a sports star or dancer or something which they admire. Instead they tend to fall in love with idea and don’t understand everything it actually entails.
Now this is a lesson that I have learned that I am hesitant to admit. It is like a trap where a person likes the idea of something more than the thing itself. But here’s the catch, most of the time he/she has no idea what it is all about or what it takes until AFTER he/she begins the training. He/she was initially enamored by what it represents or his/her perception of what it is, rather than its true essence which eventually tests the person and puts him/her to the limits. This lesson applies to several aspects of life:
Possessions / wealth – Own a yacht… awesome idea right? But who takes care of it? What is the cost of maintenance? Where do you store it? Do you get seasick?
Location – Live in Hawaii... oh la la. But what if you want to leave? Traveling anywhere is far… and because of imports everything is expensive. So many pesky tourists too.
Relationships – Being with a pretty someone. Who is this person? What happens when you’re not around? What do they really think of you?
And of course your...
Career – Being a movie star. Is it really a glamorous life? Would you consistently wake up from 3am – 5am to shoot a movie? Tabloids and paparazzi always after you... waiting for a misstep. People want your money; who can you trust? Who likes you for you or instead for what you have and look like?
Ok, so let’s get a few things straight.
- I’m not trying to be pessimistic. Someone once clarified to me that it’s more about being real. That’s just the way things are in the world…. as cold and unforgiving as it may seem. The good does not come without the bad (i.e. rose + thorns) and life is not without its taxes.
- It is possible to be “happy” with what I mentioned. It’s a tradeoff. A “gain” in one direction is usually a “loss” in another. But those who play their strengths well will overcome regardless.
- It is not wrong to have any of those things. Just keep in mind what they actually mean.
How does one separate the idea from the core essence? Examine your intentions. Do you like it because someone else likes it? Or maybe you do because it looks or sounds good from the outside? Show some discretion over doing something for the glamour, for the spotlight, for the idea, for the wrong reason. What are the wrong reasons?? I’m not saying you can’t try it because you will definitely learn from it. Although sometimes you do know if it’s going to work out or not… like at this point, trying to be a professional hockey player is probably not the smartest option no matter how wonderful I think hockey is. If only life were so clear.
Now this is a lesson that I have learned that I am hesitant to admit. It is like a trap where a person likes the idea of something more than the thing itself. But here’s the catch, most of the time he/she has no idea what it is all about or what it takes until AFTER he/she begins the training. He/she was initially enamored by what it represents or his/her perception of what it is, rather than its true essence which eventually tests the person and puts him/her to the limits. This lesson applies to several aspects of life:
Possessions / wealth – Own a yacht… awesome idea right? But who takes care of it? What is the cost of maintenance? Where do you store it? Do you get seasick?
Location – Live in Hawaii... oh la la. But what if you want to leave? Traveling anywhere is far… and because of imports everything is expensive. So many pesky tourists too.
Relationships – Being with a pretty someone. Who is this person? What happens when you’re not around? What do they really think of you?
And of course your...
Career – Being a movie star. Is it really a glamorous life? Would you consistently wake up from 3am – 5am to shoot a movie? Tabloids and paparazzi always after you... waiting for a misstep. People want your money; who can you trust? Who likes you for you or instead for what you have and look like?
Ok, so let’s get a few things straight.
- I’m not trying to be pessimistic. Someone once clarified to me that it’s more about being real. That’s just the way things are in the world…. as cold and unforgiving as it may seem. The good does not come without the bad (i.e. rose + thorns) and life is not without its taxes.
- It is possible to be “happy” with what I mentioned. It’s a tradeoff. A “gain” in one direction is usually a “loss” in another. But those who play their strengths well will overcome regardless.
- It is not wrong to have any of those things. Just keep in mind what they actually mean.
How does one separate the idea from the core essence? Examine your intentions. Do you like it because someone else likes it? Or maybe you do because it looks or sounds good from the outside? Show some discretion over doing something for the glamour, for the spotlight, for the idea, for the wrong reason. What are the wrong reasons?? I’m not saying you can’t try it because you will definitely learn from it. Although sometimes you do know if it’s going to work out or not… like at this point, trying to be a professional hockey player is probably not the smartest option no matter how wonderful I think hockey is. If only life were so clear.
