Never settle for less

Hi everyone,

I was inspired to write this to help anybody out there who feels stuck with no way out of a life they do not want to live. Throughout my years, I have changed my plans multiple times, and yet am still figuring out who I am, what I want to be. The concrete decision I have made is to not settle for less. Why would you not try to live the most extraordinary life you could?

In this world, you can be anything you want to be. If you work at a dead beat job, it is because you choose to. If you have not found anything you are passionate about, it is because you have not tried hard enough. If you think you cannot become someone, then you are not around the right people. Above all, if you have not taken any risks, then you really are not living.

No matter how terrible your situation is, you will get out but only if you believe in yourself. Presidents were once children who played in the sand with toys. These Presidents grew up, but I believe in the bottom of their hearts, they still carried with them that passion and curiosity to learn about the world and prove themselves to it as they did when they were small.

If you deny who you are to the world, it is a crime against humanity. Get off this computer now and chase after your dream. Success is a journey, not a destination. I have had to learn this the hard way through multiple failures in my life, but that has given me the drive to never stop chasing after what I know I can become. I have graduated college, lived in Japan, and am on my way to the Air Force. Learn from me when I say, there are no failures in life except for when you do not try. I will not settle for an easy life. I will accomplish everything I want to in one life because that is the only thing for certain we have. I will never settle for less.

Claiming we can be anything we want is a very biased myth perpetuated from the upper-classes in a given society. Those born into poverty can't be anything they want lacking the same options someone on the other side of town will have. Same too with race, if you're white you can be anything, but if you're not you're going to have a much harder time realizing your dreams. And pretending this isn't the case isn't helping anyone.

Not aiming this at the op personally, just setting the record straight as it were.

Also, and while it may be too late, as ex-Navy I'd recommend if you wanna serve your country in the military, unless you wanna have to try falling asleep each night musing on how you're a hired murderer or aided and abetted hired murderers, join the Coast Guard and actually save lives instead of ending them. The US military isn't being used properly of late and is simply an extension of corporate entities stealing energy reserves throughout the middle east via warfare. Hasn't been about protecting America for quite a while since all these wars of choice are only pissing everybody off against us endagering, not securing us.

Distant Angel,

Thank you for that. I know what you are saying and how you mean it. A friend of mine used to say, this is your life up till now, the rest is up to you. I miss her. Thanks for bringing her to my memory.

whenlmeetsm,

Thank you for that. I know what you are saying and how you mean it. A friend of mine used to say, this is your life up till now, the rest is up to you. I miss her. Thanks for bringing her to my memory.

You are very welcome! I hope you do not settle for less and make your dream a reality!

HesDeltanCaptain wrote:Claiming we can be anything we want is a very biased myth perpetuated from the upper-classes in a given society. Those born into poverty can't be anything they want lacking the same options someone on the other side of town will have. Same too with race, if you're white you can be anything, but if you're not you're going to have a much harder time realizing your dreams. And pretending this isn't the case isn't helping anyone.

I see the truths in what you have to say, but I think we have to agree to a gentlemen's disagreement. I believe our mindset is the most powerful tool we possess, and with passion and determination, even those in poverty can escape it if they choose so. My family was one of them. Not to mention President Obama is a shining example that America is beginning to realize Martin Luther King's dream that we are on the way to not judge people by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.

Do minorities still face stigmatization, yes of course. Are the rich pulling away from the middle class at an unacceptable rate? I think so. Can having more resources at one's disposal make life unfair at times for others? No question. But at the end of the day, we have to either accept these facts and sulk or we can be the ones to go against the grain and fight against the old ways so that a new and better world can be formed. That is what I am trying to do, and I believe that one day we can truly make this world a paradise to live in. We just have to change.

Distant Angel wrote:

HesDeltanCaptain wrote:Claiming we can be anything we want is a very biased myth perpetuated from the upper-classes in a given society. Those born into poverty can't be anything they want lacking the same options someone on the other side of town will have. Same too with race, if you're white you can be anything, but if you're not you're going to have a much harder time realizing your dreams. And pretending this isn't the case isn't helping anyone.

I see the truths in what you have to say, but I think we have to agree to a gentlemen's disagreement. I believe our mindset is the most powerful tool we possess, and with passion and determination, even those in poverty can escape it if they choose so. My family was one of them. Not to mention President Obama is a shining example that America is beginning to realize Martin Luther King's dream that we are on the way to not judge people by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.

Do minorities still face stigmatization, yes of course. Are the rich pulling away from the middle class at an unacceptable rate? I think so. Can having more resources at one's disposal make life unfair at times for others? No question. But at the end of the day, we have to either accept these facts and sulk or we can be the ones to go against the grain and fight against the old ways so that a new and better world can be formed. That is what I am trying to do, and I believe that one day we can truly make this world a paradise to live in. We just have to change.

From personal experience, as a short biracial man born to two incredible parents, I can tell you that the motto: You can be whatever you want to be, is largely a myth. I've tried almost every path I can think of (hospitals, school, the military, love, drugs), but the most potent medication for my soul is the Truth (or Art). My parents have lived this Truth all of their lives - but where are they? They're suffering now, because the economy is bad.

Here I am, driving towards success rashly, while my folks are suffering from a lack a purpose in today's American life. All they want to is work and support themselves quietly. They are commendable in every facet. And yet, they suffer because there is no hope in America for change. Everyone is "too busy" to alleviate the environments illnesses and woes.

But, I admit, I am different from them. I'm different because I don't give a damn how stupid my society is - I know that this stupidity is a fiction. Really, everyone is smart in their own way. But society doesn't tolerate difference... It's a violence to their creed of violence, money and sex. Understanding cures everything... But society has never tolerated understanding: so while I am here, getting encouraged from all angles that I will become a prominent artist someday, no white man with the means will help me out. I feel stuck. And the only reason I am stuck is because my folks and me have been tricked and screwed over by men who "know the game."

How am I supposed to compete in this "game" if no one well-off will do something as simple as, say, solicit my manuscript? The idea that we can be all we want to be is only subjective. I know I am an artist because I refashioned myself (post-mental-illness) in such a way that is extremely artistic, artistic to the point of self-destruction. But people will remember me for my deeds, not my Truth.

Point being: People play a large role in who we are. If the right people aren't there, you'll fail miserably trying to capture that lovely heaven of Grace. If the right people fall into place, you'll rise above yourself and come to see the world from a True perspective. But will society accept this Truth as it is? No. Because they don't have the experience to make such determinations. Only YOU can make that choice.

How am I supposed to compete in this "game" if no one well-off will do something as simple as, say, solicit my manuscript? The idea that we can be all we want to be is only subjective. I know I am an artist because I refashioned myself (post-mental-illness) in such a way that is extremely artistic, artistic to the point of self-destruction. But people will remember me for my deeds, not my Truth.

Point being: People play a large role in who we are. If the right people aren't there, you'll fail miserably trying to capture that lovely heaven of Grace. If the right people fall into place, you'll rise above yourself and come to see the world from a True perspective. But will society accept this Truth as it is? No. Because they don't have the experience to make such determinations. Only YOU can make that choice.

I completely agree with you ColdWeatherWriter, the people around you do define who you are and what you are capable of, to a point. Like you said, our fate rest ultimately on our shoulders, and nobody else's. If the right people aren't in your life, it is time to seek them out. I've had to do the same myself, and now that I've found people that I can succeed with, there is no going back.

You can still be friends with your older friends, but I believe that you have to do what's right for you. If you aren't reaching new heights or getting to where you want, then it's time for a change. Anything is possible in this world because nobody else wants exactly what you do!

If you want something, you have to go out and get it. "Believing" won't do a damn thing on its own.

Getting what you want out of life is a skill just like other things are skills and most people are better at some parts of it than others. You can sit on your arse and "believe" as much as you want, but if you don't do anything you won't get anythying. You won't get anywhere by settling for less either though. The problem happens when people don't believe they can learn the skills or don't believe point blank that they can do anything else with their lives.

If you can't go out and get what you want, clearly some personal issue is stopping you, or you're lying to yourself about what you want.

Speshul words with speshul capitals? Vomit. lol That's not what its about... if that's what you see you're missing the point...
Its easy to take the piss because it takes away the potential for letting go of being a pile of happy misery

I think the reason most self-help $#%^ puts so much emphasis on "self belief" is because most people don't even believe they can get up in the morning and walk down the street the other way, they think they're stupid, inferior, etc. but when they allow other people to dictate what they think its no surprise they end up that way. Self belief isn't going to magically "cure" any person of not making what they want of them self in life.

Hear all the jargon... miss all the practical $#%^ that matters? Your loss lol. Enjoy being miserable...

I think that it's great to have this sort of mentality (not to settle for less than your dreams) as long as you need to start moving, to find the drive to change your life. And also along the way, but maybe not for the rest of your life.
I think that constantly having this idea that you should never be content with a lesser result than your initial plan can become quite tiring. I mean, it's great that this works for you now, but I think that after years and years of working for your dream, and never wanting to settle although you could maybe be happy with less than that ultimate dream - that could just put way too much sustained pressure on your life.
You should refuse to settle if the current situation isn't making you happy, but if you find happiness before reaching your dream, you could just stop and enjoy it. Ideally, we should always try to evolve, but also be ready to accept that sometimes we're not meant to work our entire lives for that dream, but just settle when we feel content.
I'm saying all this, because I personally sometimes find it hard to accept that being happy might mean just having an ordinary life and not having any extraordinary achievements like I sometimes dream to.

I'm saying all this, because I personally sometimes find it hard to accept that being happy might mean just having an ordinary life and not having any extraordinary achievements like I sometimes dream to.

ersteonnenstrahlen,

I completely agree. What I was trying to get at was if you feel your life is less than what it could be, don't settle for that. Get to a point that makes you happy and take pride in the achievement. People like Jay Z or Eminem came from the bottom of the bottom and worked their way to the top. That's what they wanted inside, and that's where they ended up. If Person A wants to make $100k a year as their ultimate goal, while Person B is happy with $50k, that works too.
I also feel like I should have wrote that learning never stops, and neither should we. Continuous learning is the best way to keep the mind sharp while adding variety to your life. "Variety is the spice of life," as the old adage goes.