Good, better, best. None of the above?

Most people want the best in their life. The best house, the best car, the best job, the best family. Myself included. But when does striving for the best life has to offer go from boon to vice?

All throughout my teenage years I was taught by various teachers, church leaders, and even my parents to priortize my life along the parameters of good, better, best. It makes sense after all, why set your sights on something good when you can aim for something better? In many ways this line of reasoning has been to my benefit, but on more than a few occasions this personal philosophy has left me missing out on many great opportunites because I was busy "looking beyond the mark."

One looks beyond the mark by passing up on great opportunities chasing after something that looks better on paper, but in reality is unobtainable. It also means waiting for those proverbial stars to align and everything to be in its perfect and proper place before acting. It means giving up on something good because of a possibility that something better might be out there. Finally it means wanting a perfect life, but not even understanding what it means to be perfect.

When we think of something that is perfect we think of something without any flaws. What we often fail to realize is that to be perfect can also mean to be whole or complete. When we look at perfection in this light, it becomes much less complicated. 

When I finally understood what perfection really meant it helped me to realize that I was not in fact prioritizing my life around what was good, better, or best. Rather I was only prioritizing what was best, leaving no room for anything else. In order to have a complete life I need to accept that not everything will be the best.

I don't plan to settle on anything less than I deserve. I do plan, however, to start enjoying the good things in my life while what's better and best make their way to me that I might have a whole and complete life.

Rebranding???

Today DC Comics released its new logo in preparation for its upcoming Rebirth event. Rebranding is not an uncommon occurrence and it is usually used as a method to denote a change in creative direction or simply as a way to attract new followers or customers. Another example of this is the recent update that Instagram published changing their logo and the look and feel of their user interface.

Classic meets contemporary

This is what happens when you sell your soul to Zuckerberg

This got me thinking about how the concept of rebranding can apply to people just as much as corporations.

The question then is, how does one rebrand his or herself?

Well in my mind there are two types of personal rebranding a person can do. The first is what I would call a superficial rebranding and the other is a character rebranding.

A superficial rebranding can be as simple as changing personal style by purchasing new clothes or getting a new haircut. When done with prudence this, in my experience, is a smart and healthy way to boost confidence and add that "X" factor back into your life.

Character rebranding on the other hand is not as simple, but the effects as a result are much longer term. Character rebranding involves a great deal of change in habits and tendencies. Anyone who has ever kept up the New Year's resolution to get into shape understands the concept of character rebranding. Getting into shape isn't as simple as just going to the gym on a regular basis. It involves changing one's diet, sleep pattern, and sometimes even social circles. People who find religion find themselves going through a similar process.

Ultimately the decision to rebrand one's life comes down to how happy you are with your current situation. Additionally it is a totally personal process and should never be done simply to impress someone else.

"If you're constantly thinking you need a vacation, maybe what you really need is a new life."

p.s. Please feel free to comment and subscribe. I'm going to be making an effort to post more than once a week and I wouldn't want anyone interested to miss out on new content.

The Anti-Social Network

A short while ago I took a very bold, if not large, step for a millennial by disabling the Facebook app on my phone. In so doing, I have experienced an incredible freedom from social pressure and my social media experience has been so much more positive. Now I'm not a Facebook hater. I think its a great tool for keeping track of friends, loved ones, odd school acquaintances, your crush, and I guess relatives.

The point that I want to make is that social media, at least in my life, in many ways has become the embodiment of the expressions "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" and "less is more."

Up until a few weeks ago, I was the type of person that would check Facebook on my phone, then hop onto my computer and the first place I would go is Facebook only to see all the same stuff that I just looked at on my phone. Pretty silly right? More like sad, but true.

Spending all of that time on social media is like hanging out with all of your friends, all of the time, at the same time. At first that might sound appealing, but the more I think about it the more cringe worthy the notion becomes.

Two summers ago, a good friend and I had a competition to see who could get more Instagram followers from the summer camp that we worked at. I remember spending each day looking for the perfect photograph to post, picking out the most relevant hashtags, figuring out the optimal time to post for maximum exposure. Then pacing like an expectant father waiting for the likes to pour in.

Like the me from two years ago, in today's world many people look to social media for validation. Success is measured in "likes" more than merit. To many, a heavy social media presence represents a busy and fulfilling life. The lack thereof represents disappointment and failure. Often people are unhappy because they have nothing noteworthy or inspiring to post on Facebook or Instagram. Its a very dangerous and very simple trap to fall into.

As for me? The first few days following disabling Facebook on my phone were a little tough. I suddenly had a lot of spare time that was begging to be filled by something. At first I fell right back into the trap I had just clawed out of by spending more time on Instagram. What can I say? I love looking at pictures.

Once I got past that initial hurdle things became much easier. I set boundaries for myself. I limited myself to only checking social media twice a day. I have renewed my commitment to stop hitting the "like" button on posts. The "like" button is a tool for the casual. If I actually like something I verbalize it, but in writing. Textualize it? I think that's a word. Its probably a word. The most important boundary and by far the most difficult was the commitment to not compare myself to others based on what they post compared to what I post. I will not let my value or happiness be determined by someone else. Instead of keeping up with the Kardashians, I'm keeping up with myself.

The Most Educational Year

One year ago today I graduated from the University of Florida. Like all college grads I was filled with excitement at all the possibilities that would soon be unfolding before me. After all, my entire life I had been told that the key to success was getting a college degree.

Please understand, I have no regrets about graduating from college. None, zero, zilch. Its the greatest achievement in my life to this point. What I do regret is how I graduated.

Allow me to explain. My entire time at UF, I visited the adviser's office maybe twice. Those that know me, know I am fiercely independent and that I like to do things without asking for help. In this instance I thought I could make it the whole way through college knowing what I already knew.

FALSE

But what's done is done and at the end of it all I still have a diploma to hang in some future office.

Remember how I mentioned being excited for the world of possibilities soon to unfold upon graduation? Turns out not so much.

The degree I earned was a Bachelor of Arts in History. I've always had a knack for history and a passion for teaching so I thought I'd just do that. As it would appear, you need experience to be trusted with shaping America's youth. I guess I would have known that had I ever met with an adviser.

Mistakes were made

In the weeks following commencement I spent hours scrolling Monster.com, Indeed, even Craigslist trying to find something that could pay for the student debt knocking on my door.

Recent graduates with liberal arts degrees are in surprisingly low demand. I tried my hand at entry level sales, that was awesome (read: awful). Finally I landed a job waiting tables. The money isn't great, but the government also isn't trying to seize my assets (like I have assets) to payback the education they funded.

This brings me full circle to the title, The Most Educational Year.

I can say without equivocation that the last 365 days have been the most difficult in my entire life. I've also learned more in the last year than all my other years combined.

Allow me to explain:

1. Humility - You'd think being underemployed because of my own hardheadedness would have taught me this, but it was actually having to move back into my childhood home and repeatedly ask my parents for money while I was getting back on my feet.
2. Simple Happiness - Two stories to illustrate this one. As I was getting home from a rather uninspiring day of work my dog ran out to the gate to meet me. I stood there petting him for probably 10 minutes and it just made my day so much better. A few days later as I was driving to work there was a homeless man standing on the corner and I realized I actually had a lot going for me. I have a car, a home, and a job. It really is the simple things that make us happy.
3. I Am Valuable - People often look at trials as a bad thing. This last year has shown me a different perspective. I realized God cares about me enough to place trials in my path. If He didn't want me to improve or care about me, He wouldn't test me so. I'm grateful to be considered worthy of such difficult trials. Have I performed admirably in every test? Not really. But that's all part of the process.

I don't know what the next year holds in store for me, but once again I am filled with hope for all the possibilities ahead.

Here's to the next great adventure!