It’s been a while since I’ve written posts other than my summer activities and guest posts. I kind of miss writing, but I’m usually drained by the end of the day or too lazy to update with heavy-duty thought-writing.
I’m pretty tired right now – had a really fun weekend, and although I’m looking forward to work tomorrow (we’re in the second phase of our intern project, and it’s getting good), it’ll be pretty busy. So why not take this time to just…write?
I’ll keep it random and spontaneous. Whatever I feel like talking about. I might write for a bit and come back to it later. I guess we’ll have to see.
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Let’s start off with summer. Summer has been absolutely amazing. I’m enjoying my internship and I love the ownership part of our own intern project, plus I’m working on projects that directly affect how the Macy’s website will appear to users.
I’m playing a lot of basketball and biking lots – biking in the city is so much fun, I almost look forward to each day just because I’ll be dodging cars and racing against myself to see how quickly I can get to the office from the bus station. I’m switching off between my two bikes, and I’m considering selling my road bike and upgrading to a nicer one, maybe at the end of this summer.
I’ve also become a weekend warrior (so this is what it’s going to feel like in 20 years…), traveling to different places with friends and having a blast. I’ve gone to two swimming holes, Lake Tahoe, concerts, picnics, and I’m looking to do more fun activities in the coming weeks. They’re a great way to recharge from the week and enjoy nature. I love it.
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I realized how much my musical tastes have changed since high school. I don’t realize it because I still listen to a lot of the same bands and artists from back then, but it’s the bands I no longer listen to that really shed light on this phenomenon. The past few weeks, I’ve listened to some old music that made me realize that I’ve really moved away from certain genres of music in only a few short years.
I wouldn’t say it’s bad, or that those bands are bad. I guess it’s very natural for preferences to change with the passing of years, not just in music but in virtually everything else.
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I also came to a realization several weeks ago that being fine with uncertainty is a sign of maturity.
As a fourth-year undergrad, I naturally get asked a lot about what I want to do after college. As recent as a semester ago, I thought I had a clear idea and path to what I wanted after graduation. But since then, I’ve grown a lot more uncertain what it is exactly I want to do.
I said it before and I’ll say it again: uncertainty is not necessarily bad.
I see my future as a wrapped present, and I’m excited for whatever appears once the wrap is torn off and the box opened. Life is good – make the best of your situation, roll with the punches, and have fun.
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Speaking of career choices, here are some career choices that I’ve considered since high school:
– Entrepreneur (this remains my dream career)
– Journalist
– Teacher
– Traveler/hobo
Let me clarify the last one. I’ve had crazy thoughts of just dropping everything and traveling the world. You hear these insane stories of people actually doing this and using their wits and resourcefulness to get by, and it just sounds so appealing and so much fun. I believe that you can learn the most about yourself and the human condition as a traveler, because you’re always in for new experiences, cultures, and sights and sounds.
This vision will probably never come to fruition, but I’d love to do something similar over a shorter period of time (like the summer, or taking a year off from work).
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I was reading a Wired article about Steve Jobs’ life, and how his life and life choices are both an inspiration and a cautionary tale. It got me thinking about what I wanted in life.
What do I want in life?
I think in very broad terms, I want to make a positive impact, I want ownership and autonomy, and I want to be happy. Who wouldn’t want these things?
But it seems that for many, these things get lost over the years because people compromise, grow tired, or simply lose sight of the big picture.
Call me idealistic and naive, but I sincerely hope that I remember these things as I move into the next stage of my life post-graduation. Always know what you want, and remember the bigger picture. Don’t buy into what others may say if it means settling for less.
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There’s a difference between feeling lonely and being alone. One is a state of insecurity and the other not necessarily so. You can be perfectly fine with being alone and actually enjoy the time.
The key is recognizing the point when being alone causes loneliness. For some people, that line is drawn much closer than for others, but just remember that it’s perfectly okay to be alone. Savor the time and use it to learn more about yourself. Turn off all noise and you’ll realize how loud your thoughts can be. Might take some getting used to, but I think it’s something essential and often ignored in today’s society.
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This is getting kind of long, so I’ll end with a couple of “life hacks” that I’ve been trying/thinking of trying.
The first is jotting down your thoughts and ideas as you think of them throughout the day. I’ve been doing this to varying degrees this past summer, and I find that it’s actually extremely effective. Usually, when I have an interesting thought or an idea, no matter how crazy or unrealistic, I’ll jot it down.
Some people prefer writing on notebooks, but I have two sources: the notes section of my iPhone and an email draft in my Gmail account. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just writing down your thoughts and ideas allows you to refer back to them and most importantly to act on them.
The second life hack is something I’ve been considering for a while, but I’m unsure whether I’ll actually follow through. I’m a live-in-the-moment type of guy, and while it’s nice to not over-worry about a lot of things that others might get bogged down in, I tend to just forget about people.
The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” perfectly describes my mode of living. If you don’t hear from me for long periods of time, it’s not that I’m mad at you, hate you, or don’t care about you. Chances are, I just forget, nothing more, nothing less.
I’ve been working to improve this aspect of myself, and one way that I thought of is actually printing out pictures or showing pictures on my computer of my friends and family, basically people I care about and love.
This won’t necessarily mean that I’ll initiate contact with all of them, because I’m sure I would go insane if I tried, but at least I’ll have them on my mind and be able to think about them.
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That’s it! Whew. If you read all the way through, congrats, you’re awesome in my book. If you skipped over everything to get to the end, you’re awesome too! I had a good time writing this – definitely felt great to be writing again.
Maybe more to come in the future. Night!
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