American flags seem fitting today, watching the U.S. women's gymnastics team win gold and Mr. Phelps setting his all-time winningest record. I'll admit that I got chills watching the U.S. women stick their vaults cold. Unfortunately tape delay and social media led to a leaked result before I could watch it with my own eyes. That dampened the anticipation significantly.
I was happy for the giddy teenage girls and felt a natural flow of patriotism, but I can't say it measured up to the Magnificent 7 in Atlanta. Granted, I was heavily invested in each of those gymnasts' careers and the sport in general at that point. But the drama was also so much more intense until the last minute.
It was amusing to hear the ladies interviewed about their earliest Olympic memories, which don't go back any earlier than 2004. This is the first Olympics where I've repeatedly realized just how old I'm getting. There are fifteen year olds winning gold medals; I need to step up my life accomplishments. Although, according to the campaign that Nike is running, greatness is in all of us - not just reserved for a cadre of elite athletes.
u.s.a. \07.31\
Full View
Labels:
flags,
sky,
usa
I was happy for the giddy teenage girls and felt a natural flow of patriotism, but I can't say it measured up to the Magnificent 7 in Atlanta. Granted, I was heavily invested in each of those gymnasts' careers and the sport in general at that point. But the drama was also so much more intense until the last minute.
It was amusing to hear the ladies interviewed about their earliest Olympic memories, which don't go back any earlier than 2004. This is the first Olympics where I've repeatedly realized just how old I'm getting. There are fifteen year olds winning gold medals; I need to step up my life accomplishments. Although, according to the campaign that Nike is running, greatness is in all of us - not just reserved for a cadre of elite athletes.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am an introvert by nature. In my various perusings this summer, I've been coming across a fair amount of writing on this topic. There tends to be an emphasis on extroverted traits in the United States, making them a sort of golden standard - especially in job-related situations.
I have no qualms with admitting that there are many extroverted traits that make sense for success in business, and life for that matter. In fact, I've often pushed myself outside of my comfort zone to encompass them. What caught me slightly off-guard is the lack of importance attributed to certain introverted traits that result in excellence. Mostly because I've undervalued many of them in myself.
So, while I'll continue making the effort to be well-rounded and hone some level of extroversion, I'm on a mission to dig deeper into those individuals devoting energy to uncovering the positive contributions of introverts. The better I understand this innate tendency, the better I can rock its advantages.
glimmer on the water \07.30\
Full View
Labels:
abstract,
lake michigan
I have no qualms with admitting that there are many extroverted traits that make sense for success in business, and life for that matter. In fact, I've often pushed myself outside of my comfort zone to encompass them. What caught me slightly off-guard is the lack of importance attributed to certain introverted traits that result in excellence. Mostly because I've undervalued many of them in myself.
So, while I'll continue making the effort to be well-rounded and hone some level of extroversion, I'm on a mission to dig deeper into those individuals devoting energy to uncovering the positive contributions of introverts. The better I understand this innate tendency, the better I can rock its advantages.
After several rounds of literature from the best of all time lists, my mind needed a cool down lap. I found some fictional light reading; I might even go as far as calling it chick lit. Not a standard in my reading practices. To make things even more unusual, one of the main characters had my name...and somehow her life path looked eerily similar to mine in several ways.
I get the feeling that this author based her characters on the lives of people that she knew, a group of imperfect people living through maladjusted situations. There were no perfectly happy endings. So, as chick lit goes, I appreciated that.
I've actually always been a sucker for movie endings that leave you hanging and wondering, allowing you to imagine the course of life. People always found it strange when I applauded an ending that was tied up in a neat little bow of happiness. That's rarely how real life works. Aspects can be happy, but the whole picture is rarely perfect.
My life isn't perfect at this exact moment in time, and I know that the next big decision I make won't lead me down a magical path to perfection either. The goal is to take small steps that, in and of themselves, lead to happiness in the present. It's easy to get obsessed with a picture of the future and an image of perfection. But the future is made up of the decisions we make in the present and perfection is unattainable.
industrial geometry \07.29\
Full View
Labels:
building,
train,
urban
I get the feeling that this author based her characters on the lives of people that she knew, a group of imperfect people living through maladjusted situations. There were no perfectly happy endings. So, as chick lit goes, I appreciated that.
I've actually always been a sucker for movie endings that leave you hanging and wondering, allowing you to imagine the course of life. People always found it strange when I applauded an ending that was tied up in a neat little bow of happiness. That's rarely how real life works. Aspects can be happy, but the whole picture is rarely perfect.
My life isn't perfect at this exact moment in time, and I know that the next big decision I make won't lead me down a magical path to perfection either. The goal is to take small steps that, in and of themselves, lead to happiness in the present. It's easy to get obsessed with a picture of the future and an image of perfection. But the future is made up of the decisions we make in the present and perfection is unattainable.
Well, actually I was walking up to hydration station number three about fifteen minutes before the sun even managed to creep over the horizon. As painful as a 4:30am wake-up call is to my body's equilibrium, there's something awe-inspiring about sunrise and early morning - seeing the world wake up, seeing the city before it wakes up. I actually recommend a little jaunt down Lake Shore Drive at sunrise if you can manage to find the motivation.
So dawn found me mixing and pouring Gatorade, and the following three hours were spent handing them to runners representing their various Big Ten schools. Clearly I was representing for the green and white, cheering on Spartan runners. But I was benevolent enough to provide Gatorade to thirsty Wolverines, Buckeyes and Badgers (among others).
I can't help but be revved up for the start of football season. It's like you put that many alum in one place, throw a fight song on the speakers, and you can't help getting infected by school spirit. I didn't know a single person there, but we all smiled and yelled "GO GREEN!" at one another with the utmost familiarity. Yes, part of me chose a college based on academics, but a decent portion of my decision was based on selecting a "pseudo-family" that I was excited to be a member of for life.
crack of dawn \07.28\
Full View
Labels:
lake michigan,
sunrise
So dawn found me mixing and pouring Gatorade, and the following three hours were spent handing them to runners representing their various Big Ten schools. Clearly I was representing for the green and white, cheering on Spartan runners. But I was benevolent enough to provide Gatorade to thirsty Wolverines, Buckeyes and Badgers (among others).
I can't help but be revved up for the start of football season. It's like you put that many alum in one place, throw a fight song on the speakers, and you can't help getting infected by school spirit. I didn't know a single person there, but we all smiled and yelled "GO GREEN!" at one another with the utmost familiarity. Yes, part of me chose a college based on academics, but a decent portion of my decision was based on selecting a "pseudo-family" that I was excited to be a member of for life.
Am I the only person who is nostalgically pining for the days of back to school shopping? I'm not necessarily the most enthusiastic clothes shopper, but throw in school supplies and I'm sold. There was focused effort put into choosing my notebooks, folders, assignment planners, pens, and oh so many other necessary instruments for success. Sometimes the excitement of school supplies even rubbed off on clothes shopping.
Although I loved summer, there was always excitement in returning to the daily agenda of academia. At least for me. I've just never been able to hate learning. There was the anticipation of awaiting class assignments, comparing schedules with friends. Such innocent and simple joys. How could we replicate that in the "real world" for adults?
sunshine on the storm front \07.27\
Full View
Labels:
park,
storm
Although I loved summer, there was always excitement in returning to the daily agenda of academia. At least for me. I've just never been able to hate learning. There was the anticipation of awaiting class assignments, comparing schedules with friends. Such innocent and simple joys. How could we replicate that in the "real world" for adults?
Once upon a time, back in the beginning of this journey/experiment of mine, I set a "yes" rule. The act of saying yes to whatever opportunities and situations presented themselves was supposed to aid me in making discoveries and decisions. Although I've followed through, I'm realizing that there's a major flaw in my logic.
Much like anything in life, you're likely to miss out on the majority of possibilities if you're waiting for them to come to you. So, it's great to be open-minded and jump on any train that passes by, but my realm of discovery will remain limited. If I really want to open up the floodgates of possibility, it requires being proactive.
The new rule requires me to go after things with gusto, even if I'm not 100% sure that I want them. How often is something going to be a point of no return? How much harm is it to go full throttle and adjust when I realize it's the wrong direction? In my opinion, the point of no return in this context is rare. And the risk of harm is no higher than it was in the career 180 that I pulled in January.
twilight in the park \07.26\
Full View
Labels:
clouds,
neighborhood,
sunset
Much like anything in life, you're likely to miss out on the majority of possibilities if you're waiting for them to come to you. So, it's great to be open-minded and jump on any train that passes by, but my realm of discovery will remain limited. If I really want to open up the floodgates of possibility, it requires being proactive.
The new rule requires me to go after things with gusto, even if I'm not 100% sure that I want them. How often is something going to be a point of no return? How much harm is it to go full throttle and adjust when I realize it's the wrong direction? In my opinion, the point of no return in this context is rare. And the risk of harm is no higher than it was in the career 180 that I pulled in January.
It's a few days early yet, but I have Olympic fever. In fact, it's quite possibly as severe as the Grand Slam fever that I get four times per tennis season. The kind where you want to be glued to not only the TV screen, but also any available computer monitors, ensuring that you catch as many pivotal moments of athleticism as possible.
I vaguely remember the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Without a doubt, I was obsessed during the 1996 Atlanta games though - mainly with gymnastics and the medal count by country. Honestly, I was essentially keeping a spreadsheet on a giant whiteboard, which was updated daily. During my free hours, I was also penning a rather well-crafted Olympics newsletter with the assistance of Microsoft Publisher. I'm pretty sure there's still an issue of that floating around somewhere in my parents' basement.
In the sixteen years since then, my interest has spanned further into other sports. Gymnastics still holds the softest spot, even if I don't follow as avidly as I once did. No doubt that tennis, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, will have my attention. I couldn't conceive of missing any Phelps/Lochte drama in the pool. Throw in a dash of track, diving, beach volleyball...it's going to be a busy time.
Here's to hoping that the games can go off without a hitch, staying a celebration of athleticism and not a demonstration of politics. I was in London when things got scary in 2005, luckily remaining unscathed, but that's not a scenario that I wish on anyone.
fence post floral \07.25\
Full View
Labels:
color,
fence,
flowers,
urban outdoors
It's a few days early yet, but I have Olympic fever. In fact, it's quite possibly as severe as the Grand Slam fever that I get four times per tennis season. The kind where you want to be glued to not only the TV screen, but also any available computer monitors, ensuring that you catch as many pivotal moments of athleticism as possible.I vaguely remember the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Without a doubt, I was obsessed during the 1996 Atlanta games though - mainly with gymnastics and the medal count by country. Honestly, I was essentially keeping a spreadsheet on a giant whiteboard, which was updated daily. During my free hours, I was also penning a rather well-crafted Olympics newsletter with the assistance of Microsoft Publisher. I'm pretty sure there's still an issue of that floating around somewhere in my parents' basement.
In the sixteen years since then, my interest has spanned further into other sports. Gymnastics still holds the softest spot, even if I don't follow as avidly as I once did. No doubt that tennis, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, will have my attention. I couldn't conceive of missing any Phelps/Lochte drama in the pool. Throw in a dash of track, diving, beach volleyball...it's going to be a busy time.
Here's to hoping that the games can go off without a hitch, staying a celebration of athleticism and not a demonstration of politics. I was in London when things got scary in 2005, luckily remaining unscathed, but that's not a scenario that I wish on anyone.