Thinking of Yester-Year

“You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

I can’t help but think back at the best times of my life. Life is definitely a rollercoaster ride, full of ups and downs, full of memories – some we remember fondly, others we just think of as a blur in time. I don’t know about you, but especially when I’m down, I like to reminisce on the good times that have passed, and pathetically wish to be able to go back and experience them all over again.

Is it pathetic? Or is it a bit inevitable, to yearn for the good old days. Even though what you have going on in the present is quite good, there’s just something about wanting to go back - after all “Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”

Some may say it’s not beneficial to be stuck in the past, to try and do it all over again. They say those times have gone, and it is now time to focus on the future. We have our memories to take us back like a little time machine, but if we wish to move forward then we have to focus on our dreams. Is it possible that both these suggestions might be slightly wrong? Isn’t the present the most important phase of time? Isn’t that the one thing we should be focused on?

There’s nothing wrong with feeling a bit nostalgic ever once in a while, we wish to be young again, to re-live those zany adventures (however big or small), we were having the time of our lives and we shouldn’t stop ourselves from remembering. What we should be careful of is getting stuck in the past. Trying to actually, literally, re-live those moments when you know they were good then but wouldn’t really work out right now. It’s also not such a great idea to get lost in dreams, if we think too much about the future we tend to lose sight of the present – and thus won’t be able to acquire even more great memories, other great times in which we can think back on and say – what a great day that was, what an amazing vacation, so much fun just hanging out, learning, travelling, taking risks, going to the beach, drinks with my friends… and the list keeps adding on and on.

Like they say, “a moment lasts only seconds, but a memory lasts a lifetime”. Smile about the good times that have passed, learn from the bad ones, keep pushing towards your dreams, and always do your best to live in the now – otherwise you won’t have any memories to be able to reminisce on.

A New Leaf

I figure I've spent my days writing about frustrations in life - especially in work. When you're part of the Entertainment Industry (film, tv, music, etc...) it drains you of so much of your passion sometimes that you get sidetracked. I've been expressing and exposing these issue that have annoyed me and my colleagues for a while now, and I think I've proven my point. When I started this blog, it was meant more to incite motivation and allude change. 

They say that the tried-and-true method can only work for so long, so hopefully I will have more positive things to write about in the following months. I've decided to leave work frustrations at work and focus on more lifestyle crusades to write about instead. So, bare with me as I brainstorm ideas regarding psychology, sociology, the arts, political issues, etc... hopefully making each subject relevant to the daily reader.

Cheers to getting out of my comfort zone... let's see where this takes me

Eye of the Beholder

A Room with a view, wouldn’t that be nice. It might perhaps be a lavish penthouse suite, or a very spacious modern office at the top of a prestigious building (which might as well end up being your penthouse suite), or you might be staying on vacation at one of the top rooms at an exclusive hotel. Whichever room it might be is not what’s truly important, what does matter is the view.
A view from the top means nothing if you’re looking down at ant size people walking around, feeling like you’re better than them. A view of a wall (from the building next door) also doesn’t help in appreciating ones environment. Your view from whichever room you choose needs to be one thing among others – it need to be yours.
Our perceptions are our windows to ourselves, to our manner of thinking and of viewing the world. It doesn’t matter where we are as long as we can have a room with a view – meaning, geography shouldn’t become a factor as long as your view is one of optimism.
You could be at a grand hotel in Paris, looking at the Eifel Tower from your room. Or you could be in New York overlooking Central Park. If you perceive your vision in a pessimistic nature, then that is where you’ve lost yourself in a fog of negativity. Rather than viewing the Park, or the historic monument as just something to look at, or not wanting to take part of going and enjoying these sites because it’s too much of a hassle; try to appreciate what you are looking at. Try to find the greatness in your views of the world, big or small, it doesn’t matter. As long as you take a second to acknowledge your surroundings and appreciate the good, the better off you’ll be and the more your view will increase with happiness and beauty.
If this sounds a bit too fluffed up for you, then look at the facts. Research shows that in order to be more optimistic and happy one should invest more in experiences – the more you spend on experiences rather than on material things, the better you’ll feel in the long run. Stories will only get better with time, as opposed to material things which will eventually have no more use for you. People should also learn to be present, savor the moments and start noticing the good things around them. You don’t necessarily have to stop what you’re doing, just try to be mindful of your actions and acknowledge those moments, which you might not get to experience again.
People who are optimistic are also by nature strivers, they are always pushing, never conforming, and always having to adjust and re-adjust. This is good because it gives them drive and motivation, which make them more likely to reach their goals, and eventually set up more goals – giving them a long list of accomplishments to be proud of.
Just to be clear, happiness and optimism are not the same. Happiness is about today, while optimism is about tomorrow. To be continuously in a good frame of mind will eventually get you to feel happy on a daily basis. And to consistently be on the look out for good things coming your way will suffice your optimistic views of life. They are both key elements to finding success, and great allies to have in this (sometimes frustrating) life. It’s not just about having a room with a great view anymore, you need to a) be able to create your own view and b) be able to appreciate it as well.

Running to Catch Up

What is normal vs. what is normalized...Why do we rationalize our surroundings when we know it's not the best environment? 

I believe it is normal to feel - to be frustrated, happy, sad, etc... and be able to express ourselves. To normalize something happens when we conform to our environments, and to those who believe to be in authority. Of course, I am not advocating for people to have meltdowns and tantrums at the workplace - there is a place and time to blatantly expressourselves, but still it doesn't mean we should just let things rolls off our backs (unless it doesn't really affect us, or unless we really don't care). To have thick skin to many means to be able to roll withh the punches, to not let things get to you... To me, it means to normalize outstanding behavior - to normalize being yelled at, getting stressed over the most insignificant detail, becoming the butler, maid, go-to person whenever your boss needs an emergency psychology session... all this gets rationalized as paying your dues, it's part of the "hazing" that everyone goes through - it's how the weak get separated from the strong; or rather how the normal get de-sensitized to be able to take the worst from the worst.

My question is, is this process really worth it? Is it necessary or can there be another way to prove whether or not a person belongs to the industry? Some people might say why mess with something that has been going on for years? Well because as times change people do as well - everything evolves on some scale.. and are those left behind truly those who are the strongest from the bunch? or are they the ones who slowly loose their common sense and normalize their surroundings in order to reach the top? How effecient have these people proven to be?

For example, by challenging newcomers with tasks that actually have something to do with the job at hand? Giving them projects to analyze, simulate a meeting and make them work under real pressure; by actually showing them what it means to do your job and seeing if they have what it takes if far greater than having them run around like headless chickens, screaming at them for not getting your coffee right, etc... is worthless in my eyes. Maybe by initiating them into the workforce, rather than hazing them for a year or so, there would be more competent and content people working out there.

The last thing a recent grad (or anyone for that matter) wants to do is become an insignificant tool within a company. Us youngesters want to prove ourselves. So, give us real responsibilities and we will show you just how productive and beneficil we can be.

This however, is a vicious cycle which can only start to change if WE do something about it. We have a voice, we have motives, and we have skills. Things would run more efficiently if we wouldn't normalize this hazing ritual, and instead re-make the workplace into a normal environment where conforming is substituted with compromise and not with being exploited.