Stimulating Conversations

I've decided that what I need more of is stimulating conversations. I'm talking one on one (or small group) face to face conversations about important shit. Nobody likes to talk about things, nobody wants to share more than they have to, but I think I need more of it and I'm asking for your help.

I don't think I mentioned it last night, but I saw Bucketlist with Justin and while it wasn't the laugh out loud flick I was hoping for it was a really good movie. It reminded me a lot of Big Fish in the sense that it had some really great lessons to it. It made me think about a lot of things in my life. Which continued today in one of my classes.

Jim Anderson is probably one of the greatest professors I've ever met. I go to his class because he has something to say and I learn something. It's more than just Music Industry (which looking back should have been my major all along) it's about life. I was taking notes today. I don't take notes in classes ever. The notes were so that as soon as I got out of class I could come and write this down. It's good shit and I think you all should see it in one spot. Here's a little ditty about it.

Lesson #1 The World Doesn't Owe You Shit
I've had this conversation with Steve recently about how some of us have been working our asses off to get where we are or to get what we have (as little or as much as it is), while other people have been spoon fed and handed everything that they've ever owned. They have everything they could imagine having and if they don't they want it now, and probably get it. But wake up. The world doesn't owe you a god damn thing. That's the problem with our generation. The internet and everything else has given everyone this need for instant gratification. The expectation that EVERYTHING is available at the click of a button. It's not. So realize that quick or you're going to spend the rest of your life a spoiled little brat and nobody will like you.

Lesson #2 You Are Talented, Surround Yourself With Other Talented People
The best way to get ahead in this world is to realize that you are talented. The best way to challenge yourself is to surround yourself with other talented people and use each others strengths to improve each other's weaknesses. Reason number 1 why I joined Kappa Sigma. Whether that has been the case or if others feel the same way is yet to be determined.

Lesson #3 The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum of The Parts
I know you've heard this one before, but it's so true that as a collective body, you are so much more effective than as individuals working alongside each other. You really have to work TOGETHER and Everyone will Acheive More (Look at that TEAM. Straight off the walls of St. James' gym). I guess it's okay to realize when you aren't the best at something and let someone else fit that role. Something I struggle with greatly is delegation. I don't really like to give any of my 'power' away. For me it's always been if you want something done right, do it yourself. Too often I think that it has to be done by me to be done right, when there are a whole lot of capable people in this world that can do things as good or better than I can.

Lesson #4 I'm Bringing Humble Back (As inspired by LaToya)
I guess in a world of self promotion and pride (which are both important in moderation), it's too easy to become self absorbed. It's important to keep yourself humble. To realize that you aren't alone in this world and that there are very few things that you can do alone happily. Sure you can do things by yourself, but after a while you go crazy. It's important to be proud of who you are and what you stand for, but as Ben Folds puts it best "There's Always Someone Cooler Than You". Your shit doesn't smell like roses. It smells like shit.

Lesson #5 Persevere
Hang in there until you succeed. Just because I may not have a job lined up four months before I graduate, doesn't mean that I'm never going to have a job. Just because one person doesn't like my attitude or my outlook, or my blogs, doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there you does. One man's trash is another man's treasure. If Spice Girls can sell out the Garden 10 years after they were any where near significant, I can do anything. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Which leads to...

Lesson #6 What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us Stronger
Contrary to popular belief Kanye West did not come up with this idea. It's been around for ages, and I have to believe it because everyday I feel a little stronger. I've had some bad experience that left me with a bad taste or a hurt soul, but I'm still alive to blog about it and somehow I know that those experiences have made me a better person, if only for the fact that I know what it's like to be there and won't ever intentionally do that to someone. That I will be able to be a friend to someone who goes through it because I can genuinely say I've been there before and bounced back from it. Kind of like a recovering addict helping another addict, in a weird way.(Maybe only I make that connection)

Lesson #7 Stay Informed. The More You Know.
This is one that I really struggle with. Instead of going out and learning the facts, I rely on them being brought to me. This is a problem with a lot of people I feel. The internet is such a wonderful thing (for the most part) with millions of sites out there. You can literaly learn about anything you can imagine, but most people spend time playing games and on facebook and myspace and blogspot(which is okay as long as it's my blogspot) than actually going out and learning something. This year is a major year for our country because the position of President of the United States is up for grabs, and I have to be honest I know nothing about the candidates. I'm not informed. The scary part is that I know I'm not alone. An abundance of knowledge is unlike anything else. An abundance of knowledge cannot be a bad thing. Everyday we should strive to learn something new and retain it. I learned a lot today.

So perhaps you can tell I'm light years away from where I was yesterday. Sometimes I wonder if I'm bipolar, but that's a whole nother story. For now I'm just looking forward to some tough conversations the next couple days. If I call you and haven't in a while, don't be suprised. I'm not going to dive into politics immediately, I just want to catch up and try and be a better friend. Then you can buy me dinner and we can talk to each other. (and not someone else while on the phone for 45 minutes while I twiddle my thumbs and watch the Celtics at the bar...)

Peace

Ben Folds -
Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you

I know that's hard to believe
But there are people you meet
They're into something that is too big to be
Expressed
Through their clothes
And they'll put up with all the poses you throw
And you won't
Even know

That they're not sizing you up
They know your mom fucked you up
Or maybe let you watch too much TV

But they'll still look in your eyes
To find the human inside
You know there's always something in there to see

Beneath
The veneer
Not everybody made the list this year
Have a beer

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the shit
But you won't be it for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you

Now that I've got the disease
In a way I'm relieved
Cause' I don't have to stress about it like you do
I might just get up and dance
Or buy some acid washed pants
If you don't care
Then you got nothing to lose

And I won't
Hesitate
Cause every moment life is slipping away
It's ok

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the shit
But you won't be it for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Oh, there's always someone cooler than

Life is wonderful
Life is beautiful
We're all children of
One big universe
So you don't have to be
A chump

And you know
(You know)
That I won't
(I won't)
Hesitate
(Hesitate)
Cause every moment life is slipping away
(Away)
It's ok
(It's ok)


Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
'Cause there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the shit
But you won't be it for long
But there's always someone cooler than you
Oh yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Because there's always someone cooler than you

Cooler than you
Boy
Cooler than you
Girl
Cooler than you
Sir
Cooler than you
My Lady
OH!

Nerds gone wild
Yeah yea