The Functional Idealist

“Hope It Gives You HELL”

-The All-American Rejects “Gives You Hell”-

*This post was originally posted on December 18th, 2019 on my blog on Medium*

Do you remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare?

Tortoise and Hare wager on a race. Hare was sure that it will win the race. Tortoise agreed anyway pledging hard work. Hare figured he was a shoe-in winner and decided to take a long break after getting way ahead. Tortoise kept plugging away and eventually passed the Hare. Seeing this, the Hare got going but was beaten by the Tortoise. Hare’s fate was sealed by his Hubris. The Tortoise gave him Hell! Thus the moral is “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Or is it?

Believe it or not, we fall into the Hare’s mindset more so than we think. Why? The answer is COMPLACENCY. The Hare entered the race, no doubt, with a conceived notion of winning because of his overconfidence in prior successes. With this overconfidence came an overestimation of his ability to finish the task on-time with the same kind of success.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of COMPLACENCY is “self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.” Sounds a lot like the Hare, doesn’t it.

The same applies to life. Once we find that which we are good at, we tend to stick to it. Nothing wrong with that. Where that thinking goes wrong is when we settle for what we can keep doing minimally, and stop growth because it is too risky.

On the other hand, the Tortoise plugged on slow and steady, winning the race. Great idea, right. We too fall into the mentality of the Tortoise as well. Plugging on the trail, trudging toward success. Measuring satisfaction in winning the race against the “Hare” so to speak.

We look at things in life, looking to win the race instead of looking at what we can do to learn from our EXPERIENCE. We look at the race as something we have to win, if nothing for pride itself. Inherently, there is something a miss there too.

So when we look at our societal affinity toward burnout, we can see that both these ideals, “Fast and Furious” and “Slow and Steady,” are readily present. Each one staring each other down like winning will bring happiness through pride.

The truth of the matter is that, in the long term, life satisfaction is reached through balance. Balance is achieved through mindfulness and self-improvement. It is being neither tortoise and hare: it’s striving to become a Unicorn. And if you can imagine a Tortoise and Hare racing, you can probably imagine the existence of a unicorn.

In this case, the Unicorn is not concerned about SPEED or EFFICIENCY. It’s concern is BALANCE and EXPERIENCE. After all, life is a JOURNEY and not a RACE.

And if you disagree, ask yourself, what is the finish line of life?

Next Week: We explore why it’s a great idea to have a guide.

Continue to join me every Tuesday on this lyrical quest for balance.

Until then, Strive for Functional. Live for Idealism.

-The Functional Idealist

“Debbie Just Hit The Wall.”

-Bowling For Soup “1985”-

*This post was originally posted on December 10th, 2019 on my blog on Medium*

It was the second campus I had ever been assigned to. A program I had rebuilt to great success. And in one decision, out of my control, it was gone. No more. Finished. For me, a young, idealistic, and dashing (ok… that might be pushing it) professional, it was a stab in the heart. For someone to say, “Sorry, it’s all over,” it was a crushing blow to my purpose. I felt helpless. Lost. Frustrated.

I became listless and declared to many around me that “my idealism was dead.” I defined myself by the success I had experienced, by the lives I affected change in, and by the campus I had helped improve. But in actuality, my idealism was just bruised. So when that success was seemingly for not, my purpose seemed to become useless.

My work suffered. Relationships suffered. And as it fell apart, so did I.

However, PERSPECTIVE is everything. It took me two years, lots of struggles, and the help of friends, family, and mentors to realize the culmination of purpose did not lie in the end result. Idealism wasn’t the problem. My definition of success and who I perceived myself to be was the problem. I was seeking exterior success, which can at times be a distractor from true purpose.

In being consumed in work, I forgot that work and life should work in harmony. My happiness should not be defined by work. My work should be influenced by my happiness. Thus I began this journey to pursue life satisfaction as the driving force toward the balance I wanted to create in my own life. To be compelled to pursue life rather than to be pushed to live it.

To dance on the hood of White Snake car.

Next Week: We delve into the subject of complacency.

Continue to join me every Tuesday on this lyrical quest for balance.

Until then, Strive for Functional. Live for Idealism.

-The Functional Idealist

“It’s the Good life. That’s What I’m Told.”

-Good Charlotte “The Anthem”-

*This post was originally posted on December 3rd, 2019 on my blog on Medium*

As a child I grew up around successful professionals who, day in and day out, devoted their all in the pursuit of their career. Their belief is that, by pouring themselves into their work, they could earn a life fulfilled for their families. They toiled at their careers, reached for their career goals with the hope that someday, their work would be fulfilled, and they could spend their time in the pursuits of their family.

They clocked in without fail every day, sometimes even when they were truly ill. They sacrificed time with family and friends to reach that next level. Their career choice, though not their first, was a means to an end. They believed that, if they could keep going, success would buy them and their family happiness.

I admire these people, and their efforts and achievements. They no doubt strived for perfection. But at what cost? Health? Time with Family? Happiness?

Time is a resource that cannot be replenished. We can’t save it, because we are not the ones spending it. The world is. Children get older and form their own lives. Our bodies move toward entropy. In sum, life continues to move.

What if there was a way to find fulfillment in career, earn the income they deserve, achieve happiness, health, and truly enjoy life?

I believe that there is a way to do this. This is what I seek discuss in this Blog. My Manifesto, so to speak. And do it in the vein of punk rock/ emo lyrics (Think “Xanga” or “LiveJournal Style).

Call me an Idealist. A Functional One.

Next Post: My Revelation Moment. The moment that lead me to this mission — To help people find purpose.

Will you join me on this journey? Posts coming every Tuesday!