Live for yourself or Live for others?

Yesterday, I came across an interesting question as I was browsing some blogs. The question dealt with the issue of whether your life is worth living for yourself or for others? Now at first glance, It may seem as if It's a pretty straightforward answer but if you take a second look at the question, you will have a difficult time coming to a conclusion. Am I right? Not as easy as you might think.

Well I wanted to really dive into it and see where I stood on the issue. Turns out that I was just as confused as you. My initial response was to live for others. If you live for others, you always gain joy in other's happiness, but while that may seem well and all, it would mean nothing if your not happy with yourself first. If you are not satisfied with yourself, then how can you be satisfy others? It's a very simple theory but one that is often overlooked. If your needs are not met, then how can you meet other's needs? Now, while reading this, it may seem as a selfish thought and in a sense it is. But it is my belief that there is nothing wrong with selfishness in moderation.

To be able to satisfy yourself first, and become completely content with the person that you are should be what we should all strive for, and then when we feel as if we've established ourselves, whatever is left, we can give to others. No patient wants to receive blood from a sick donor, so why should you live for others when your unable to live for yourself first?

That's just the conclusion I arrived with, but I'm sure it varies for others.

A Lost Passion Equals a New Revelation

I know, I know. I haven't updated this blog in quite some time, but that's all about to change. I blame myself for my shortcomings and dishonesty to this blog but the long break period definitely gave me something to reflect on, and I've got some very new and exciting experiences to share with you all. Where to start, that is the question.

Ok, so you may have noticed the title coming off as a bit pessimistic, but it's far from it. Yes, I have lost a passion, but in the process gained something far greater and more valuable. That being a revelation. Confused? I'll explain.

Throughout your lifetime, you tend to experience these moments of revolutionary change, where you feel as if your once keen interests are now just part of a faded background of memory. Now I suppose, not everyone tends to have changes to an extreme as I have, but that's not the point. What I'm insinuating here the fact that I've lost a good portion of passion for the most watched event on TV in America: Sports. Namely, Basketball.

It's actually a very interesting story. Don't get me wrong, I still love playing sports, in fact I encourage it. However, watching sports is a whole another story. My reasoning behind this is simple yet hard to grasp. It's the fact that If my valuable time is being contributed in an area where my opinion holds no weight whatsoever, is something I simply can't tolerate...anymore. I've thrown away hours and hours of just researching statistics, thinking of ways to come up with new arguments, sacrificing moments with others, all for the simple entertainment that I used to live for. I wrote articles, blogs, discussed and debated the sport...No more.

It ends here for me. This was my revelation. Once I asked myself the question "What will I get if Derrick Rose scores 30 points today?" or "Does Kobe Bryant care if I don't believe he is the best Laker of all time?." The answers weren't exactly what I was looking: Nothing and No. And so that was enough to convince me that I'm done. Of course, catching a game or two here and there isn't something I'm opposed to. It's just the fact that It won't be nearly as time-consuming as it was before.

And I couldn't be happier. This revelation has been something that's been a long-coming for me and I hope to use the time that I've gained to do better for me and for society. I urge anybody who is or was as consumed as myself in watching sports to follow a different path and find a higher existence in life. It really is the better way of living.

The most dreaded combination of words

Hard work - Two words, that when combined cause countless number of people to panic.

But what exactly is it about Hard work that causes these people to tremble in fear inside themselves?

Well, it's exactly what you might guess. The mere fact is that these two words evoke another word and that is "challenge."

So why challenge yourself? why embark on this route in the first place? Why not just take the easiest route and avoid hard work all together. That's probably the mindset of millions of others right now. But here's the thing, do you want to be just one fraction of that million? or would you want to separate yourself from the crowd and stand out amongst your peers? I sincerely hope it's the latter.

The truth of the matter about hard work is that unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average person, then your simply not cut out to succeed. Sure, you may be able to get through certain parts of your life by taking the easier path, but will you be able to get lucky every time? are you guaranteed to maintain that success? My guess would be no. And that's exactly what hard work does for you. It gives you a guarantee that you will find success one way or another. And if in the unfortunate event, success does not come, hard work will give you the satisfaction of attempt.

Hard work is universal. You can endeavor in any field in life, and work hard at it. Once you discipline yourself to do what is the "hardest" or most "challenging," you will then exhibit the wonderful results that are denied to those who chose not to work hard. So, Believe me when I say this, Hard work pays off. It may not come right away, but persistence and patience are one of the key qualities of a hard working person.

So how do you become a "hard-working person"? Simple. You accept the fact that in anything you venture in life, you won't succumb to anything less than hard work. You will push yourself to the absolute end. You will give not only give a 100% effort but 200%. Determination, will-power and motivation should be the words you live off of. The same reason cars need fuel to operate, plants need water & sunlight to grow, applies to us as well. We need hard work to succeed and achieve our ambitious goals in life.

So, I encourage you to make an extra effort in your daily existence and realize that your life will reach a WHOLE new level when you begin to stop neglecting and fearing hard work and rather, make it one of your strengths. When you give yourself a purpose in life and live for something greater than yourself then hard work becomes easy, simple as that.

I'll end on a quote here that sums up this post perfectly. "I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it will get you pretty darn near."

Self Improvement Ideas

On this post, I decided not to discuss and go in-depth on a single idea but rather just share with you a few ideas I've gathered on how each of us can improve our lives greatly. I feel as though many people have so much potential within themselves but lack that "push" needed to reach that potential. That's why I'm here to provide that "motivation." So without further ado, here is a list of my self-improvement ideas.

1. Count your blessings - Before we proceed on to ways of improving yourself, you must realize that no matter how many aspects of your life may be negative, there is always something to be grateful for. Realize this and it shall help you immensely.

2. Stop complaining - It may seem easier said then done but it's actually not so difficult. Even if you feel as if you need to complain, do it to yourself and don't verbalize it. If you become a complainer, you'll surround yourself with others who complain as well, which will only enhance this unnecessary habit.

3. Surround yourself with positive souls - this one's a no-brainer but you'd be surprised at how many people don't chose this path. Positive people will always find a way to make you feel better and that's something you should always seek for. If you want to improve your life, surround yourself with one's whom will help you get there. Simple as that.

4. Prioritize - Know and realize who and what is important in your life. Don't associate yourself with one's who won't benefit you in any way. Realize that family is important, friends as well, same applies to academics. Prioritize yourself and decide what to keep and remove from your life.

5. Smile - Please realize how significant this is. It's an invitation for optimism in your life. A simple smile makes such a difference, it will work wonders for you. Whatever situation your in, whatever point in your life you may be at, stop for a moment and just....SMILE.

Now for some other ideas of which I will simply list.

-Give a compliment
-Create value
-Become disciplined
-Deepen your knowledge
-Be happy for others
-Give to just give
-Read the first chapter of that book you bought and never opened.
-Tell yourself "something good will happen today"

And finally....BELIEVE.

I hope these ideas were able to help you in some way. If you have any other thoughts or ideas, please let me know as I would appreciate your input. Comments are welcome.

Doing the right things for the wrong reasons

Would I be wrong in saying the following statement? "People are always searching for ways of improving their lives." Many would point out that not ALL people are searching for this but more than likely, the majority are. Whether this improvement may be financially, relationship-wise or the enhancement of personal looks. People are always seeking out ways to improve themselves, and that in itself is a very good thing.

However, the problem with this is that people will attempt to improve themselves for all the wrong reasons. Case in point - You donate to charity in hopes that you will gain publicity within society that you give to the needy (a trait which is viewed in a positive light in society) or you see that everyone around you is suddenly apprehensive about the environment and you decide to "go green" and recycle and assist in taking care of the planet a little bit better but only in hopes of receiving some sort of accommodation from those around that your doing the correct thing. So what have you just done? You've done the right thing for the wrong reason.

This is not an uncommon trait within society. It's on the minds of us all, but we should fight that "negative intention" and improve ourselves for all the right reasons. Take time out and think before you proceed on with whatever it is that you are doing & fill your mind and heart with the cleanest and purest intention on performing that task. I promise you that once you are able to accomplish this, you'll feel like a whole new person.

A word with more than one meaning

Mature. An interesting word that seems to be misused most of the time. In this world that we live in, we have the free exchange of ideas & as I've come across the usage of this word, I am quite surprised as to how it is perceived (at least here in the western world). Lets start by looking at the dictionary definition. Mature - showing the mental, emotional, or physical characteristics associated with a fully developed adult person. Just by glancing at this definition, we can expect this to be the basic idea of what maturity is to the average person. However, there's more to it than we think.

Most would agree with me when I say that, us as a society sets a standard for everyone to follow. To be "this" you have to follow & perform "these" steps. As with a mature person - someone who is looked at in a respected manner, it's that IT factor. Most people who know when a person has matured would say, he gets "IT." Nowadays, we see this word being tossed around like it's lost its meaning. Lets clear some things up, an elder person should NOT automatically be considered mature. Maturity does come with age, but it's far from a sure thing. Someone who can support him or herself financially should NOT automatically be considered mature. Being financially stable is a great luxury to have but just because you are able to pay off your expenses does not mean your "mature." People who seem to have this sort of a perspective of what exactly is a mature person should reconsider their thoughts.

So to finally get to my point, you can be mature in more than just one way. There is no real blueprint but if you do some of these next few things, your in good shape. Being mature is taking responsibility for you actions, having common sense, having the ability to love, forgive and respect others, telling the truth, thinking about others prior to thinking about yourself, giving for the sake of giving and not expecting anything in return and last but not least, contributing to society in a positive way. So if you feel as if you need to be more "mature" person, performing some of these activities would be a good start.

The Almighty Mood

As the days pass by, it's interesting to see how a simple mood change can alter a person's entire though process. However, before we dive into the significance of a person's mood & just how much of an impact it can really have, lets examine what exactly is a mood? In the simplest of terms, a mood is a emotional state. It can vary in duration depending upon the situation and or the person's long term temperament. They can either be positive or negative & unlike emotional feelings such as fear & laughter, moods can last for hours or days. Although a mood is mainly an internal subjective state, it can be inferred from body posture & other behavior.

Knowing all this, lets dive right into it. Each day, many of us encounter countless situations which affect our mood one way or another. But did we ever stop to think how easily our mood is able to change? To put it into perspective, let's use children as an example. Children, even in the worst of moods can easily be persuaded to alter their mood through physical methods such as by being giving candy or ice cream. While these items may seem as petty motivations, some adults can be persuaded in the same physical manner and that is through money. As the quote says "money makes the world go around," well it can certainly also make many of us content. While there is no actual count of how many times an average person's mood changes, but if there was, I can tell you that it would surpass anyone's expectations.

Hopefully that gave you an idea of the fragility of a person's mood. It should also show you the power of someone's mood, which I believe is highly underrated in terms of discussing it's importance. The state of an individual's mood may be the difference between a right and wrong decision. With that in mind, I want you to realize that like most things in life, moods are not concrete . There is a way to be able to control them & keep them in check. You'll be shocked at how much of a difference you can make in your life and of those around you by keeping a stable mindset & mood. So the next time you feel an undesirable mood swing coming on, I want you realize that for a period of time, you won't be yourself, unless you yourself do something about it. So take a walk, close your eyes, find a way to laugh or re-frame your thoughts. Whatever it may be, do it & remember, mood is a state of mind, not a state of control.