10/18/2019 0 Comments to the boys who will become men"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."--Pericles To the boys who will become men. Forget the shallow vices of a society in turmoil. Turn your back upon convention, and seek not to fit in, but to pave a new way forward. Cast off the heavy dross of expectation placed upon you by this backwards culture. You were not born an emotionless, stoic being. And your depth is beyond that of sports, women, and money. Realize that true strength is not found in putting another man down, but lifting him up. Do not be ashamed of your emotions, for they are the gateway to true connection with others. A life without connection is like a forest without the trees. Always strive to do what's right, even if the whole world stands against you. Honesty, kindness, charity, these are greater measures of success than any amount of money or accolades. Honor women, treat them as you would want a man to treat your own daughter. For one day, you may be in a father's shoes. Be slow to anger, and quick to forgive. Sharp words can leave deep scars with those you love. Learn from your elders, lest you make the same mistakes that they once made. Time is fleeting, enjoy every moment with the ones you love. Treat all people with respect and dignity, whether they be a beggar in the street or the most powerful man alive. For we are all children of god.
And finally, love yourself. Forgive yourself your imperfections. Free your soul to dance, sing, and laugh. For you are the men of the future. You will pave the way.
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Our most urgent challenge Life has a funny way of polarizing into extremes. Often our greatest blessings morph into our greatest tests. We are born into this world without a guidebook, and leave it often more confused and in awe than when we entered. I read once that we consume more information in one day than the average person did in an entire lifetime in the 15th century. Like children, we've stepped blindly into the great technological "revolution", like the opening of Pandora's box, utterly unprepared for what we would encounter. They say knowledge is power, yet I disagree. The correct use of knowledge - wisdom - is true power. Technology has entered every aspect of our lives. From cradle to grave we are thrust into the ever changing world of the future. My daughter, Sage, is 20 months old and already uses a cell phone. With the click of a button, she's able to talk with her grandparents on the other side of the continent. My wife and I run an online business, our whole livelihood is determined by our ability to say connected with our teams across the world. Due to the helping hand of technology, we are able to live an incredibly beautiful life.
Yet, as I mentioned before, great gifts are often accompanied by great responsibility. A responsibility that is rarely recognized until it is too late. Look at the world around us today, we have multiple generations with massive mental and self-identity issues. In the United States alone, approximately 40 million people have anxiety disorders. In addition to that, 40% of Americans report having increasing levels of anxiety year over year. We have millions of people numbing themselves to reality. And when the addiction to technology is not enough, we get the opioid crisis. I myself, more times than I care to admit, have awoken from my technological comatose, wondering where the day had gone. I see my daughter's little fingerprints on the window, and I'm reminded of the moments during the day where she vied for my attention, yet I simply wasn't present. Be honest with yourself, how many times have you caught yourself, deep down the social media rabbit hole. Scrolling through the collective social media highlight reel, we see our friends living it up in Greece, that fitness model with the killer 6 pack, the billionaire on their private yacht, the perfect wedding photos, the political Facebook argument. Subconsciously we are living through these stories, and when we re-emerge into our own lives, everything seems so bland.
Generally speaking, I'm not very good at modern living. I'm rather minimalist, uninterested in social media, materialism, and prefer meditation over socialization. Yet even so, I find myself overly addicted to the technology bug. Recently on a trip to Hawaii with my wife and mother, I determined to live in the moment completely. I used my phone only a handful of times during that 5 days trip. It was beautiful, every moment etched into my memory. The glorious perfection of a sunset, the sweet refreshing taste of shaved ice after a day on Hanalei beach. Spending 5 days in paradise without much technology is rather easy. For every day is new and spectacular. Yet during this time, it's incredible to see how absent people are from even their vacation. No longer do we seem to have the attention to simply enjoy a sunset without taking a picture with a catchy tag line. Or enjoy the simple laughter of the moment, without filming it for all of our followers. Of course there is a delicate balance between modern living and being overly spartan. Yet, it is important to ask the important questions, what really matters? Despite being connected with so many people all over the world through social media, does it come at the cost of being disconnected with the ones we truly care about? Or even more importantly, ourselves? At the end of our lives, perhaps we will have pictures of the special moments. But will we have the truly immersive experience of being totally present during those moments? Do you go to sleep every night and awaken every morning to the embrace of your spouse, or your cell phone? Do you take time to meditate, to honor yourself, to savor the sweet blooming flowers of spring, or the glorious setting sun? Like all things, balance is key. I am still striving for balance in my life. They say a standard of perfection is actually the the lowest standard, because it it impossible. Therefore, we should not chase perfectionism. But instead, let us simply seek to be better today than the day before. By being aware of the gifts and the challenges that come with them, we may cultivate greater mastery within' ourselves. ArchivesCategories |