Wednesday 4 May 2016

Life Lessons of a College Dropout



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A father kneeled before his son. He gently stroked the boy’s hair and smiled at him with pride.

“You are such a good boy.”

The son nodded his head, hungry for his father’s praise. He looked up to him, this strong omniscient man. The child adored him. He would do everything for his father’s approval.

“Don’t be like that no good friend of yours, you hear? He only roams around doing nothing. He will never amount to anything! But you. You will go places! You will become a distinguished lawyer and earn tons of money.”

Again, the boy nodded eagerly and ran into his room. He had to study. He had to prove to his father that he is worthy of his love.

Years passed and both the boy and his no good friend went to college. The boy exceeded and made his father even prouder. But his friend struggled and eventually had to drop out of college.

“See? My father was right! He really is no good,” he snorted haughtily.

Even more, years passed and the boy, now a young man and a distinguished lawyer is sitting on a bench in a park. He is eating a stale sandwich, but he doesn’t notice it. He is glaring into the distance. An empty look in his eyes brings to light a painful truth. He is not happy. He doesn’t like what he does for his living; he doesn’t like how he lives. He doesn’t like who he is. In reality, he doesn’t even know who he is!

A pigeon flies over his head and sits on a branch above him. It coos and discretely poops on his shoulder. The last straw! The man starts to cry unstoppably.

He is always working, never taking rest. He never does anything fun. His wife doesn’t love him. And quite frankly, he doesn’t love her either. He only married her, because his father said it is time to get serious. That it is appropriate for a man of his status to have a wife. Not just any wife, oh, no! The one from a respected family.

Earlier that day he met his childhood friend. A small business owner, but he still takes life as a play. He roams around the world. From one of his previous journeys, he brought his new wife with him. What a wife! Ten years older, Philippine woman with two children from her previous relationship. Nevertheless, the friend is thriving.

The saddened lawyer never in his life met such an exuberant person. His childhood friend, that no good drop-out-of-college emanated genuine joy, happiness, and zest for life.

Naturally, the man asked his friend what is his secret. After all, he did drop out of school, so his prospects of success weren’t pleasurable.

The friend grinned in amusement. He leaned towards the man and revealed his wisdom.


***


I. Dream. Dream Big.

“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” ~Napolean Hill

What’s the richest & wealthiest place on the planet?.....(Drum Roll please)………………….

The GraveYard.

It’s overflowing with unfulfilled ideas & dreams, all lost to the void.

To Dream is to live many lives within this Infinitesimally fleeting One. To Dream Big is to leave a Legacy for future generations to follow. Are you willing to lay your dreams & ideas to the grave? or Are you willing to soar higher than any before you?

II. Family is Power

“I would see the world Burn & my soul claimed to eternal Torment, rather than endure a single moment of their Pain.” ~Alfonzowords

When the world shrieks & groans at you, a moment with Family is a moment of strength. They will shelter you, harbor you, support you, fight you, drain you, empower you & altogether love you, Unconditionally. They only require the chance.

III. Love is a Kaleidoscope

"There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice." ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Love comes in all shapes, size, colors & above all else, it is delivered unto thee in Free Will. Follow your Heart as often as you can with as much bravery as you can muster. No worth is found later in that safe choice laid out for you on a platter of silvers. Heart-Throbbing, Mind-Numbing, Life-Altering, Passion-Entwining, Maddening-Inducing, Love is the stuff of legend. It will bind you, release you, conquer you, enlighten you & breathe for you. Never miss that opportunity to say “Love you.”

IV. There is no I in We

“Help others get what they want & you will automatically get what you want.” ~Zig Ziglar

For a long time, I laid waste to every sentence that began with “We”. I alone felt compelled to soar ever higher and look down from the skies. Such a daft-dingbat, wallow-bee was I. It is only through Equality that we learn true Humility. Everyone is Me & I am Everyone, yet we are All unique. Today I stand with my fellow man & woman, naked in shame over past deeds but honest & true to every future hour that I live. Adamant in my will to be considerate, empathic & most of all, humble to all that enter my life. In hope, I wish it for you as well. Everyone matters.

V. What Is within You

“The two most Important days in your life are, the day you were Born & the day you find out WHY you were born.” ~Mark Twain

Personal Development is akin to finding the True Divinity within the Real world. It is beyond our comprehension yet wholly underrated & misbegotten. The most important key is to find your WHY, which stands for: What Hurts You. What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning, what makes you push past all limits, what activates you to action above all else. Is it your child, your partner, your parents, you family, or even yourself? Make it as an emotional answer as you can. Remember it always & forever. Read more, listen more, and watch more. Never settle for a “full cup”, always be willing to learn & grow. Personal Development is the greatest “Life-Hack”, greatest wake-up call & altogether the greatest resource you could ever have.


VI. Haters, gonna Hate

“Evil Prevails when good men do nothing.” ~Edmund Burke



Human nature is to grow up wanting to belong, to be liked, respected & valued but naught for your integrity & happiness, shall you sacrifice. There is a reason that only 1 percent of the world is Wealthy in every sense of the word. It is because the other 99 percent aren’t willing to go the distance. Every excuse, reason & logic is used to define their rooted routines. And that is Ok, it is their choice & theirs alone. But when you decide, when you find your WHY and make it your absolute Dream, they all fade away like a puff of smoke. The melody that you compose will sing louder than all the 99 percent voices combined. You cannot please everyone but you can accept them for who they are. We are here to serve mankind and not oppress any one voice, regardless of the tone.


VII. Your Story is your Own

“This is ten percent Luck, twenty percent Skill

Fifteen percent concentrated Power of Will

Five percent pleasure, fifty percent Pain

And a hund’ed percent reason to remember the Name!” ~Fort Minor, Remember the Name

Everyone is Us & We are Everyone, yet we are All unique. Within each of us lies a journey, a song, a story for the ages. It is only by living it that we can truly unravel the wisdom that comes with it. You are strong, a creator, a guardian, a light in the darkness & candle to the wind. Burn bright, burn eternal, burn warmly & in awe of the beauty that exists all around you. Reach out, share your story. For there is no Greater agony than bearing a Story Untold within You. A friend will listen, a friend will care. Family will listen, family will care. But a stranger will listen, and a stranger will bare. You will touch their souls, irrevocably. Go forth now, be better than the person you were yesterday. Live a life of Dreams & Family, of Love & Community, of Wealth & Acceptance. Uncover that story you belong to, unveil the magic that is within you. And if nothing else, Believe. Believe that your One True Self, can shape this world for the better.

***

The young lawyer’s friend followed his heart. He was not filled with his parents’ expectations for him, as the man was. He paid attention to his own dreams, desires, and aspirations and he wasn’t afraid to take the necessary steps toward achieving them. Along the way he had fun and enjoyed the whole process. He took 100% responsibility for his life and turned it into something worth living.

On the other hand, the lawyer made his father’s vision of him for his own. He went after what his father said was good for him. He forgot altogether about his own wishes and succumbed to father’s visions for his life. He didn’t share them with his father. Hence, he was miserable in life.

Who do you want to be?


********************************

Authors Note

I'm beyond jazzed to introduce you to the guest blogger who helped me rock this post on Life Lessons. We pooled out experiences to give you this short story & the listed 7 Life Lessons. After the success of the post I did with the ever-talented Sumarie, I had been searching for another megastar to work with. Lo' & behold, I found her and it took me only one paragraph to fall in love with her writing style & voice. Both powerful in its own right, I marveled at the strong message she brought forth. So without ado, I give you.

Nina Obran:

After being single practically all her life Nina embarked on a journey of self-discovery and personal development in order to make peace with herself and find the love of her life. She wrote a book 7 Daily Habits for Singles Not to Be Single Anymore (link: http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Habits-Singles-Single-Anymore-ebook/dp/B01DVUVY3C) to help herself with this endeavor. Living what she preaches she is not single anymore!
You can find her at www.ninaobran.com.

If you would like to join in the fun of The Blog Tag. Click on the link or the picture below.


~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

46 comments:

  1. Yup, we all have a story to tell. Each one is unique.

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  2. I'm still trying to find out what I want to be when I grow up. Even though I'm 29 😄

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  3. We have to follow our dreams and do what we love. This is a great story.

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    1. you are so right follow your dreams while your young wish i would have did when i was younger would not be struggling now in my golden years

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  4. Well, I have to say I found myself in this one. Just recently I found out I`m not really happy, but it`s hard to make a U-turn, you know?

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  5. The first piece of advice resonated with me: Dream , Dream Big. So much truth.

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  6. Amazing stuff, so many have to or had to experience the negativity and pressure of falling in anothers footsteps. Great advice

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  7. What an amazing story! I love it <3

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  8. I enjoyed reading this Enricoh, I can see you are passionate about life and growth.

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  9. Sidney, I understand it is hard to make a U-turn.Fear gets us, but also conformity. Changes don't have to be sudden, though. Start with small steps, but you have to make that first step. You can do it!

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  10. There's a lesson for parents in this story: Let your children be themselves, don't create their future for them with your words or they will be unhappy.

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  11. This is a good and a great reminder that it's important that we do what we want. Tis story has a lot of lessons and I hope a lot parents will learn from this.

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  12. That's a very good reminder that we should live for ourselves and not try to please others. Our happiness depends on our choices. And our success is not about how good your career is, it's about how happy you are while pursuing your dreams.

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  13. I am glad that you wrote some lessons for college dropout. Now, my son has undecided to attend community college next Fall. He is not sure which major he wants to study for the future. I give him more time to think what he wants. Thank you for sharing :-)

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  14. Such a nice story. I, too, took the course my mother dictated and though at first I was never happy, Ive learned to love and embrace it. But it would have been more fulfilling and I might be in a different world should I follow my own wanting. This is a great lesson Ive learned and I hope not to mess with my boys' decision in life. I will support their dream in anyway i can.

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  15. I know all to well about the pressures and expectations, the fear of not wanting to disappoint your parents and make them proud. But being 27 and having all that behind me, I realised that my parents (father especially ) just wants the best for me, and they will support me no matter. At the end of the day it's never to late to go after your dreams and do what makes you happy.

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  16. Hope people take this to heart and mind. Break free.

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  17. This is a great post. I don't think people realize that not everyone needs to attend or finish college. Do what makes you the happiest. Beautifully written post.

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  18. What an inspiring read, Im planning a trip soon hoping to get a fresh start! ill be sure to follow your tips!

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  19. I'm undergraduate and I didn't thought that I will never succeed, it's not your degree but strategy.

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  20. College is not the be all end all. Success is defined by what you do. Great lessons for people.

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  21. What a wonderful post. Not everyone needs to finish college. Things happen and sometimes people decide it's not for them. I don't think that's bad at all. Do what makes you happy!

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  22. What a great post! I really enjoyed reading it and it made me think for sure ��

    www.forblueskies.com

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  23. Sometimes our dreams don't make sense to others... but as long as they makes sense to oneself they are worth following.

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  24. I'm not sure what I want to be exactly, I just know I want to be a good person.

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  25. Yes! Life isnt about pleasing others, it's about living it for yourself and to the utmost

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  26. “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ― Albert Einstein

    One of the very quotes I live by... :) Great read! Thanks!

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  27. we have to only remember we came for a reason and be good in all we do, also remembering the people around us... i can relate to this post very well...

    greetings from leXHansplaCE

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  28. Family IS power. They are behind everything I do and motivating me to try harder.

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  29. Thanks for the great article! I didn't finish college and I agree with everything your wrote.

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  30. Beautifully written. There's no one way to live or acheive in life. Each of us needs to create our own path to success and happiness.

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  31. Well written post, but should add not to forget to pray a lot to be happy and hearty in life.

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  32. Only you are sure of what you want...therefore you should not allow anyone to derail that dream

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  33. This is an excellent read! Thanks for posting😃

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  34. Fully agree with all these points. And yes, love is like a kaleidoscope. Powerful, unrepeatable and unstoppable! And it’s a great feeling! Follow your heart!

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  35. Very inspirational, thanks for sharing

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  36. Sometimes our dreams don't make sense to others... but as long as they makes sense to oneself they are worth following.

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  37. What an engaging and inspiring piece. Moral: never let people's view of you weigh you down.
    Much love from
    Gidokblog

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    Replies
    1. Great connecting Gideon. Arigato for the read.
      Haha yes, never ever ever never let anyone stop you from dreaming BIG

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  38. What a nice write up sir.

    God bless you for this article

    I blog Source:Afrivilla.com

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  40. This is an excellent post. Keep it up and you will watch yourself grow exponentially.

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  41. This is an interesting piece... sometimes we have to go through life alone but as long as we believe, it will be worth it.

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