Purpose Is Inevitable.

"THE TWO most important DAYS IN YOUR LIFE ARE the day YOU WERE born AND the day YOU FIND OUT why." -mark twain.


Art is the exposition of the soul. The raw rendering of a spirit echoing the repression or freedom it feels in relation or correlation to anything or anyone. This honesty can, unfortunately, be shrouded or even stopped, at times, by many different things. The greatest of which, ironically, comes from within ourselves and is, in itself, art. It is the form of art that can be used most powerfully to create that often stops us from the art of creation. It is the art of fear.
    Fear rears its head in many forms; the most common or recognizable of which is negative. Everyone experiences, from time to time, the results of this dissenting face of  fear -- sometimes to a crippling level. I have experienced it in relation to the building of my company, Pinstripe Productions. More directly, I have had its oppression at my heels working on projects for clients. Specifically, I have felt its teeth in the creation of an advertisement video for a corporate client.
    Expectations. The raw fear of not living up to expectations of this juggernaut was terrifying to me. Requests of perfection and assumptions of skill-sets I did not posses were packaged together with a bow of ill-perceived acceptance. The magnitude of what I had gotten myself into - a budgeted advertisement video for a large corporate client - something I had never been paid to do before - was not only a possibility, but a reality. A reality that was now not knocking, but kicking down my front door and starring me down. It seemed fixated on the luminous impossibility of my ability to complete what I myself had jumped into.
    The situation sat thick over my head until I remembered something very, very important. Fear is an emotion and, like all emotion, can and should be used positively. Fear, used positively, is nothing more than a healthy respect for something one has attributed power or purpose towards. I felt tension and stress because I understood the magnitude and capacity of the job I had undertook. I also believe, however, that man is not allowed to go through anything he can not handle. The depths of ones depravity or length of ones trial is directly proportional to the width of ones passion and the height of ones desire. This trial laid before me was, ultimately, nothing more than an opportunity in which I had the ability to dictate a reaction - positive or negative.
    Fear is nothing more than emotion; misplace energy, perhaps. I would be one, however, to beg the question that, possibly, there is a reason we feel this and that, perhaps, we are to use it positively. Art is a response to a circumstance, making fear, in all honesty, a form of art. The irony is that, more often than not, we miss out on the potential for success through fear and, instead, attempt to write off fear as simply negative energy. The ability to harness fear to assist you in a creative capacity can and will forever change not only your ability to create, but your creations as a whole.

Lights Will Guide You Home.

"IF I ONLY scrape A living, AT LEAST IT WAS A living worth scraping. IF THERE IS no future IN IT, AT LEAST IT WAS A present worth remembering."


Lately I have been busy. Busy with life, work, projects and the like. I tend to get caught up in them and, at times, loose site of my goal. Don’t get me wrong, all of the things I am doing are good and beneficial, sure. What I am talking about, though, is focus. Focus on what matters and what is merely temporary. It is tempting beyond belief to get caught up in moments or fleeting thoughts when, in reality, none of it is in the slightest way relevant to our calling.

I’m going to take a slight sidestep here and talk about the road we travel on. It sounds a bit cliche but hang with me, here. I think the path to success is a steep one that is plagued with many battles and struggles; while the road to failure or defeat is steady and gradual in it’s downward slope. It is a hard fight to progress onward but an easy step off-track to become lost in the world of confusion. I want to encourage you, for whatever it’s worth, to stay on course and to never stop running the race you have been given to run. You are positioned where you must be to develop into who you should be to complete every task that can be.


L  O  O  K      U  P  .


There is a world out there that is screaming your name. I find it funny, in a crude sort of way, how pathetic we make life out to be. We demean it at every chance we have and even go to the extremes of writing it off as mundane or predictable. I resent that notion. Life is circumstance, much of which is out of our control; but life is also like a game of poker. You can never choose the cards dealt to you, but you can always choose how to play them. Just because you receive a bad hand does not mean a thing if you know how to play them. Some of us are sitting here with a hand we did not ask for and certainly do not in any way desire. We sit, pout, and look around and everyone else's cards, cheating not only the game, life, but ourselves to believe that we have no chance compared to our neighbor who has a full house -- literally.


TAKE A step back.


>>When you try your best but you don’t succeed, when you get what you want but not what you need. When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep; stuck in reverse. And the tears come streaming down your face when you loose something you can’t replace. When you love someone but it goes to waste... could it be worse? Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you. (Fix You, Coldplay). <<


What I have come to learn is that it’s not about being the biggest, fastest or strongest. Believe me, I have wished all three for myself. What it is about, though, is using what you have been given to achieve what you have been asked to do. Pursue greatness in everything and in every way. People have a nack for being infinitely more than they or anyone else ever imagined. Those who are willing to stare life, beautiful, beautiful life, in the face and say boldly, “I am not quitting. I am not stopping. I am never turning back and never giving up.” will be met with, at the very least, purpose and, at the very most, eternity.

There is so much more involved in dreams than most realize. Do you honestly think you wake up every morning with passions for things by accident? I don’t care if you try to write off your ability, I wish you didn’t, but for now I’ll let go. What I do care about, however, is that you would dare attempt to degrade something inside yourself that is unquestionably you. Why do you think Steve Jobs created Apple or Bill Gates created Microsoft? Do you believe that Bono, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga or any other musician, painter, actor, businessman or whatever had a deep desire to pursue anything other than what they did? I’m sure there were times they, you, me, everyone questions themselves but what separates those few aforementioned from most is that they made a conscious decision to chase what they knew they were supposed to do regardless of the circumstance.

It didn’t matter to them in the least what cards they were dealt and it shouldn't matter to you either. So what if your not a card-board cut-out of your dream. You shouldn't be. If you limit yourself to your dream your already putting a roadblock in the way of what you can do. Our dreams are blueprints. Sometimes, I think, they lead us more astray than anything else and here is why: we get so focused on a minor aspect of the dream and when we can’t attain it, we quit.


f   r   a   i   g   l   e  .


To that I would beg the question, why? Think about it. Honestly. Pretend you love music and so, obviously, you are supposed to be a singer. You pursue it the a hawk but never cut it “big time” and become depressed and quit. NO! Don’t. I beg you. Look around yourself and see what your missing. One of my good friends had this happen to them and was depressed until he opened himself up, looked inside, learned that he loved to teach and is now an extremely successful music teacher and private tutor who absolutely loves his “work” and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

We are bigger than one dimension or layer. We have the capability to be attracted to different things and to develop skills in them. Find where your passion meets your opportunity and skills. And so, for whatever it’s worth, I would encourage you to chase it. When those cross-hairs enter-twine, run after it like you have never run before. Life is short but it’s not too short to make a difference.

Faith In Pursuit.

"IT IS IMPORTANT TO measure success NOT AGAINST WHAT others have done, BUT instead  BY WHAT we have done FOR others."


To everyone who is patiently waiting,

Waiting for a job opportunity, a passion, a girl, a dream -- have faith, you are in the right place. Waiting is not a bad thing to be doing and, although at times it hurts like nothing else and confuses even the wisest of us, don’t stop. If I may, although it’s not my place, I would like to offer the following:


Sometimes it’s not about knowing; but rather believing that, regardless of the outcome, you will still be standing there at the end of the day screaming “it was all worth it”. You see, the trick to making it through life without ripping all of your hair out is first and foremost about realizing that you are not alone in your struggle or in your confusion about it. Secondly, it is vital to come to an understanding that pain is name of the path we walk on in pursuit of our goals and that, furthermore, that path is ok to be on because, when it really comes down to it, anything worth having is worth fighting for.

The most important thing to learn is the art of vulnerability. To be honest and to display something that truly challenges others to delve into themselves and their views you must be willing to open yourself, however raw, and be willing to become vulnerable to the point of humiliation. We must be willing to fail in order to achieve what we desire. The ability to chase something regardless of the outcome may be foolish in some contexts, but in the context of your passion, it is nothing short of courageous.

It comes down to realizing what it is that you simply want and what it is that you literally can not live without. Finding that raw, almost irrational desire for a craft, a purpose, a girl, a pursuit or whatever is essential to our personal and social fulfillment. Enjoyment is a derivative of passion and passion often pushes us to the brink of ourselves.


HOW beautiful.


To be at the end of yourself in the pursuit of what it is you are supposed to be doing is, in my mind, the most beautiful of images. I think to stand you have only to kneel. To succeed you have only to let go. And so this blog has become a call to do just that. To let go of yourself, entirely. A call to, in the words of E.M. Froster, “...be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”


Whether right or wrong, there is part of us that is constantly afraid that there is another life out there that we are missing out on. A longing for something much greater and deeper than whatever it is that we are currently experiencing. On this sentiment I would like to ask, what if you really are here for something bigger than the mundane, average or suggested life you have pictured for yourself or possibly even fallen into?

If you have refused to believe that there is a reason you are here, it is time to start. Start looking to the heavens and screaming until you hear an answer. Start asking all of the things that have terrified you since you can remember. Start chasing everything you have been told to put away. Run. Run like nothing could ever stop you. Dream as if nothing could ever steal it from you. Love as if you have never been hurt and hope against all hope that you are loved more than you could ever imagine.

The way I see it, if you are not here for a purpose yet live like you are , you have lost nothing -- but if you are here for a purpose yet live like you’re not, you have lost everything. It’s time to believe, friend. Sometimes we write off this or that because we cannot see, hear or capture it with our minds. Yet we so easily forget that we are not all-knowing or all-understanding. Is it possible that you don’t know everything? I think it is. I also find it very plausible that in that enormity of knowledge and wisdom hidden from my gaze, that part that takes the faith of a lion to follow, there could be hope. Hope for me, hope for you, and hope for what we face.


SCREAM UNTILL YOU hear AN answer.


Don’t throw a hissy-fit, here. But please, I beg you, do not give up on what you believe because you have fallen down. Challenge it. Challenge the way you think, feel and act. Ask the hard questions and never settle for complacency. I am not here to give you the answers but I am here, for whatever it’s worth, to push you to chase them.

A Challenge to Persevere.

"THE quarrel WITH others PRODUCES rhetoric, BUT THE  quarrel WITH self PRODUCES poetry."


In order for one to communicate excellently, one must first communicate truth practically. This is a struggle not only in our daily interactions with others, but in the personal conversations we carry with ourselves constantly throughout every day. Why bring it up? Because the pursuit and portrayal of truth is a neccesity which embodies itself in every aspect of every thing that we do, think and say.

SO, WHERE DO we begin?


If I may be so bold, I'd say at the beginning. The issue most of us face is not found, necessarily, in the question of what do we believe; but rather, why do believe in it in the first place? It is so easy to write something or someone off. It is even more popular to make an assumption based upon any number of biases previously and often unconsciously created. This leads, almost inevitably, to the ever so common succumbed attitude of "whatever makes you happy".

Do not confuse my mention of this mantra with disapproval of pursuit in what you desire. I would hope from my previous posts that it is evident that this is not the case. What I would argue, however, is that, more often than not, what we think we want is not what is actually best for us or those around us in the long run.

I believe that it is almost painfully clear to us what we want. Regardless of who you are or where you are from, you have had, at some point or another, a desire for something. This desire, whether justified or not, led you to a place where either decisive action or full abandon was necessary and, like all of us have experienced, you chose one. The question I would like to pose here is this: just because you want or believe something, does that make it right? Does that make it OK?


INTERESTING.


You can approach this from many different angles and, ultimately, come to many different conclusions. Because of this, instead of delving into some arbitrary battle of philosophy, ideology and religiosity, I am choosing, simply, to leave you with the following illustration:


Johnny is a good kid but he tends to push the limits when it comes to obeying his mother. He loves her more than anything in the world, but pushing her limits comes in a very, very close second. We meet Johnny on the road, driving a car for the first time. Upon reaching the first intersection, however, Johnny's mother exlaims "Johnny, stop! You cannot cross yet, there is a stop sign." Johnny snidely replies "I don't believe in stop signs." and sails through only to be met with a head-on collision.


Ok, depressing, I know. Sorry for the debbie-downer moment. But sadness aside, this story demonstrates something of vital importance. Although silly and nieve, Johnny made quiet a startling statement about himself. Not only did he tell us that he did not believe in stop signs, but by directly disobeying them, he proved to us that he also believes something much more frightening. Johnny believes that, regardless of what others say, if he does not believe in something, then to him, it does not exist.Interesting sentiment, certainly. The terifying part about this kind of behavior is that, regardless of whether or not Johnny believes in the stop sign, he is still going to get hit by the car that is screaming through in the other direction.

Here is the point: sometimes it doesn't matter if we believe something or not. What actually matters is whether or not what we believe is true. Just because we want something or think something does not necessarily make us right. In fact, more often than not, we are mistaken by our own, selfish desires. I think it is of utmost importance to take a huge step back from our current lives and beliefs to seriously quarrel with ourselves in an effort to fully understand why we believe what we believe.


I think default mode for most of us is to put on this face of ambiguity. We push away things of importance and shun those who stand for or against anything. Our faces stay hidden from purpose and we effortlessly shy away from any and every form of public approval or disapproval of anything. I find it more refreshing, honestly, to find someone who sincerely believes in something totally opposite to myself than to find someone who half-heartedly assumes something in line with myself. Because of this, I would like to sincerely challenge you to, for whatever it's worth, analyze not what you are doing as much as why you are doing it.

People are desperate for meaning, purpose and truth. But how can we find truth in such an ambiguous world? Ah, my friend, stay patient. I am not hear to give answers, only to raise questions. This journey we are both on, life, is a short one but it is worth every second. Pain is the price we pay in the pursuit of truth and every drop of sweat and bead of blood we give to achieve that goal is worth more than gold. Finish every battle strong but do not be discouraged if you loose or confuse one for battles may be lost but perseverance ensures that the war will be one.

“In the Name of Art”

"WE DO MUCH IN THE name OF art, BUT VERY little IN THE name OF love."
 

There is a desire within every culture and time period to express ideology and emotionality both practically and honestly. Perhaps now in our modern society we feel this desire stronger than ever before and, although deep advancements have come in artistic knowledge and in the technicality of our expression thereof, our world is seemingly lost to the mentality that none of it matters in the end. In fact, it is almost impossible to find raw, clear and relevant creative expression without being demeaned, challenged, questioned or flat-out written off.

I find it frustrating, especially expressionistically, that so many of us, whether knowingly or not, postulate our cultural “normality” (whatever that is) as being innately right or wrong on a relational or even global level. We so easily look at the behavior or views of another human being, or perhaps another culture as a whole, and immediately pick out what is acceptable and unacceptable in their daily interactions and views. It becomes so easy to incorrectly fuse cultural traditions, behaviors and nuances with religious, philosophical and theological views.

THERE IS AN enormous difference HERE.


What I have come to learn, rather unwilling, since being in LA, is that there is an enormous difference between our undeniable moral absolutes and beliefs and our expressions and limits within their context. Speaking within the gates of moral absolutes, we have a tendency to assume that, because something offends us personally, it is, therefore, wrong morally. My argument is not to say that every minor offense is ok morally.

I would like to challenge that belief by using an example of topic of violence being portrayed in, you guessed it, film. (I had to, I’m studying it for goodness sakes). Here we go:


Violence in art has been criticized more than any other function of depiction of the human condition. Margaret Miles, a professor, was quoted in the Journal of Religion and Film: Violence in Popular Film as saying:

In short, a film that employs an adventure film's scenes of sex and violence cannot communicate anything but voyeuristic exploitation of suffering people. The pain of the oppressed is ultimately used for the entertainment of comfortable spectators. (Miles).

While Miles does have a point, she is a little over-zealous in her conclusion. Yes, much of violence in film is used solely for the entertainment of the audience and, often times, serves no greater purpose than to woo a reaction and push a boundary. However, there are many times when violence is used not just as a means of entertainment, but on a much deeper level, to give site to the often unseen aspects of human thought, action and, ultimately, the human condition.

    Viewing of violence is often perceived by many communities as an unorthodox behavior. To this point, however, I would like to sincerely object. At times, yes, it can be. However, viewing, understanding and choosing to grow, develop and learn from such cinema can be very beneficial. It all goes back to, in my opinion, the motives behind why the violence is being portrayed. As moral beings in cinema, as in life, we have a responsibility to relate to our cultures and an obligation to understand and articulate the why and what of how they behave. That being said, we also have a duty to transcend such behavior and to offer a redemptive look into the truths we do know.

    It is illogical to call the portrayal of violence wholly wrong just as it would be to call the use of the facilities of comedy wholly wrong. The reason being that, just as any other tool used to tell a story, violence is not always presented as ok or even good when it is employed. In fact, more often than not, violence is portrayed as wrong and is later corrected. That aside, I believe that what makes this portrayal ok is that it helps the audience to understand that the bad is bad and the good is good.

SO WHAT IS THE point?


The point is that, although the portrayal is not wrong, many of us will have different limits as to how much or how extensive our doses of violence can be. Just because one of us cannot handle seeing, for example, someone pass away, another one of us may be very touched by the deeper story that the death portrayed on screen is telling.


This attitude is one that should be taken into every aspect of our lives. It is imperative that we examine our views and deduce what inside of our minds is cultural or personal as opposed to what is morally right or wrong. Our limits or understanding of an area or behavior might be noticeably less or more than another persons. This, however, does not necessarily make their expression of art, whatever it may be, wrong. Again, I feel as if I need to repeat this frequently, this is stipulating that the action falls under the lens of moral absolutes.


The tendency to hate or, on a more common level, to look down upon, another individual because they partake in behaviors contrary to ones we do is almost sickening. Now, by no means am I a moral relativist and I do not claim truth to be subjective. I do, however, want to challenge you, the reader, for whatever it’s worth, to take a look at what you are judging as “ok” or “not ok” behavior. Is what you are deeming “wrong” wrong because it violates an absolute standard, or is it because it offends a limit that you have even though that limit is well within the boundaries of moral acceptance?

Finding "Home".

I am about a month into my trip to Los Angeles and have already experienced and learned more than I had ever hoped. From meeting amazing new friends to delving into the tough life questions to the superficial tourism that accompanies every foreigner in this bizarre country we call the state of California; I have, without a doubt, been forever changed. The best part of the whole experience is that, what started out as a semester trip now has the potential to become a lifestyle, a worldview and, perhaps, even a new  home.

I'll let loose my thoughts another time. For now, though, I just wanted to share some pictures with all of you to let you know what I have been up to over this past week or two:

Day-trip to San Francisco (6 hour drive, don't ask). Stopped at an Oakland vs. Detroit game in, well, Oakland. A's took home the win and we took home some fun memories.

I know the picture quality is bad, but this was probably the 7th or 8th Minnesotan I've met since being down here. So, in honor of that, here is proof that I'm not alone in this crazy place. Reppin the Midwest!!

This place is called "The Grove" it's a huge outdoor shopping center that I live with a 5 minute walk from. Amazing, unique eateries and high-end, Jake-will-never-be-able-to-afford-you, stores are all over. Probably my favorite place to hang out.

This place was honestly called "Best Fish Taco's In the World" and, let me tell you, they lived up to their name. Tried a shrimp and cod taco and even went all-out with their original drinks. Love it.

On the topic of food (sorry, it's my favorite thing ever) we also found a place in San Diego serving "California Burrito's". What is that, you ask? Well let me tell you... picture chipotle mixed with french fries, steak AND chicken, better guacamole and a whole heaping of California lovin. Beautiful.

Can you say "goober"? That's this kid's middle name. I love him but my GOODNESS... a light saber at an outdoor concert? Honestly. Haha this was a good time -- The Hollywood Bowl is a great place and seeing John Williams and James Taylor live was way legit.

Twins vs. Angel's game in Anaheim. If you couldn't tell, we're semi-obsessed with baseball. If you don't think so yet, refer to the next picture, please...

LA Dodgers game. #nuffsaid

Last pictured, scouts honor:

One of the many beaches we have visited. This one is taken at Santa Monica and, yes, I was wearing my "Yeah Buddy!" shirt. It was necessary.

To everyone at home, I miss you a lot. You mean the world to me and I can't wait to talk to you each personally and share our stories of this past semester. To everyone I have met down, thank you for your friendship and influence so far. And to everyone else randomly stopping by this blog, chase what you desire. It may get hard or confusing at times but never stop running your race. And, for what it's worth, I believe that it will all be worth it.

To Grow, You Must Go.

"AS WE BEGIN TO actively pursue WHAT WE desire, WE ARE forced TO consciously forget WHAT WE ARE LEAVING BEHIND."


Throughout life we come to points, much like mountain peaks, where we feel as if we can see the paths leading up to and away from where we are. This high-time is, generally, a very comfortable and exciting place to be. However, it can also be the most dangerous of all places to find ourselves.


O  K  .


Sort of a lame opening but I believe that it serves a greater point. It is so easy to become comfortable whenever we achieve a goal; especially one that has been fought hard for. Now, don't get me wrong, being comfortable is a great thing. If you have worked hard for something and you have achieved your goals, by all means, revel in your success. But with that being said, be wary of becoming complacent.

Complacency, in my mind, is the most dangerous of all paths we can choose to tread on. The reason being, simply, that complacency is not a path to destruction but the path to destruction. The second you decide that you have done or achieved enough is the same second that you will cease to progress and succeed. It is imperative than that we, as people pursuing dreams, desires, careers, partners, whatever, to never settle, not even for one second, with where we are or what we have achieved thus far.

But yet we still hold back. Why? What scares people, I think, is the thought of perfection.


YOU'RE SCARED OF BEING PERFECT?
 

Not quiet. The fear isn't as much the achievment of perfection as it is the pursuit of it. It is impossible to be perfect at anything and the thought, at times, that crosses many of our minds is "well, if it can't be achieved and I'm already this much farther than him or her to the goal, why push farther?"


Because it's worth it.



There is a striking difference between those who chase to the point of success and those who push past success into excellence. The most rewarding thing this side of heaven isn't achieving what you originally set out to do; but rather, pushing through that tough wall and ripping down the door that holds us back from pursuing infinitely more than we have ever imagined or dreamed

Start fast, finish strong and always seek to put your passion into practice. Life may be short but it's not too short to make a difference and to discover something so much deeper and richer than simple success. Don't become blinded by the facade of temporary success. It is a thick veil that blinds most from ever taking that leap into the pool of chance and I'm here to try, for what it's worth, to tear it down.

Take a chance. Leave what you know and chase what you are here for. You know what it is and we both know that it will be worth it in the end. Fear not failure, obstacles or stress; but instead, turn your head to the sun and walk forward with the strength given those who pursue what they must and desire and choose to forget the comfort and complacency they have left behind. To grow you must go.


That is what I am doing out here in California. I can't promise you that your call is out of your city, state or country or even around your corner. I can promise you, though, regardless of whether your call is to stay or go, do or don't do, chase or let go, if you become content with initial success, you will miss out on what you are called to be and to do. You are here for a reason and no matter how many times you have fallen down it is never to late to stand back up. Do NOT be ashamed of your scares from past hurts, they are what make you beautiful. Be courageous. Be bold.

A Trip Worth Taking

"IN ORDER TO attain anything OF worth YOU MUST BE willing TO sacrifice something."

Without going into excruciating detail, I believe that, although many great things do happen to us by chance, anything truly worth having is worth fighting for. It may be difficult to believe until we take a moment, an honest moment, to look back on life and see every opportunity presented us that we deemed not worthy of pursuing. More often than not, for no reason other than the simple fact that we were more afraid of failing than we are eager to feel the warmth of success on our beaten backs.

SO. . . what of it?

There comes a point in time when you must decide for yourself what you will chase and, perhaps more importantly, why. It's so easy to see the things we want -- whether they be temporary desires or long-lasting and deep-rooted passions -- but, often times, so hard to understand why. It is so easy to chase something; so simple to fight for something; so rewarding to win something; but almost impossible to ask ourselves the one question we always avoid. The question, "I know I want it, but SHOULD I want it?"

The almost ironic simplicity of most issues is that we could answer them by answering that one silly question. Should we want _______? Fill it in. Everyone has their thing -- the house, the job, the school, the car, the girl, the dream, the world. You want it. I want it. But should we?

The question is simple but the answer usually isn't. Honestly, how do you decide if you should want something. And even if you could decern it, who says you would either start chasing what you should or stop chasing what you shouldn't?


S  l  o  w     d  o  w  n  .

B    R    E    A    T    H


I came to Los Angeles wondering everything I have blurted out in this post. I came hoping to find answers and, honestly, I think, to hide from other ones. I have a lot more learning to do, but here is what I've got thus far:


You have passions for a reason. You have opportunities for a reason and, my god, do you have desires for a reason...

and that IS WHAT ITS all ABOUT.

You see, more often than not, it's not about knowing, but rather, believing. Believing that, in the end, even if you did fail, that you would be able to stand with your head held high and back to the wind screaming "it was worth it".


That's what I'm doing down here. I am taking a trip worth taking -- one where I am chasing the crossroads of my passions, opportunities and desires. I have decided that, no matter what happens, I refuse to let this pass me by because I was scared of failing. I left to find myself. I have sacrificed potential relationships, time with friends and family, jobs, stereotypes and even some other dreams. What have not done, though, and what I refuse to ever do, is compromise on my goal. That is for me to know for now.


This life is short but living is worth every second. Find where your passions, dreams and desires intersect and chase it like hell. And, as always, for whatever it's worth, I hope you come away from reading this with confidence to do what you must and deny what you should.

Welcome

To whom it may concern:

Not only am I not used to blogging, but, admittedly, I am not quite sure what I have to say in this blog yet. I do know, however, that I am on a journey, of sorts, to find myself, my career and my passions. The way I see it is that, regardless of what you are or are not doing, thinking, saying or hoping, it is imperative that you do it, whatever it is, with everything inside of you. There is no point, in my mind, in chasing a dream if you aren't going to commit to it even against the greatest of odds. That is where I stand, my friends. With that information in your back pocket, welcome and enjoy my blog, for what it's worth.