Another year another post I suppose.
Here we are, living in the year 2017 and here I am, ending the fifth season of One Tree Hill for the third time of my life. Many things have occurred in my life since my last post, so many that I can't even begin to describe them here. I've taken multiple opportunities to step out of my comfort zone, I've fooled people into thinking I'm some sort of extrovert, I've fallen in love and gotten right up out of it, I've met some very impactful individuals, I've travelled many places and made plans to travel even more. There's one thing that I haven't really been doing though: trying hard.
From the outside, my life looks very good, we all go to great lengths to paint this picture, especially on social media. Nobody wants to be seen as the dopey guy. That's a reason I've neglected this blog, it makes me reflect and I don't like feeling like I'm a sad person. There was a time in my life when I would classify myself as that, but not anymore-- but I digress. From the outside, I look like a social butterfly, I talk to several people across campus, I excel academically, and am an active participant in my university community. Really, my life actually is pretty good, but things aren't always as they seem.
If there was one word that I would really use to describe myself, it would be a generalist. I know a little bit about a lot of things. I have shallow relationships with a large number of people. I have a lot of really good ideas, but I never truly execute them fully (this blog, a workout routine, whatever). This creates a life that has a lot of temporary entertainment and joy, but it also creates a life that severely lacks sustenance.
I shy away from anything that really takes hard work and large amounts of dedication. I have two majors a minor, a certificate an a very solid GPA. Again, something that sounds impressive, but is actually fairly easy. I do the bare minimum to do well, meaning I'm definitely the kind of person who is willing to give about 93% (just enough for an A). I've come to realize that I need to try harder in all of the things I do. There's a lot buried in that 7%. There are going to be a lot of rewards in that 7% and it might take a lot of commitment, but that is something that I'm willing (and needing) to dedicate myself to.
This isn't the first time I've thought about this. I have been thinking recently though about how detrimental it is and how much of life I'm truly missing out on. There are so many opportunities in the world but they only mean something when you try hard enough to commit yourself to making them mean something.
