How Do You Define Yourself?

The education system has been a big topic of discussion in the ongoing presidential debate. A couple weeks ago Prana posted a video that inspired me to write this blog post. Check out the video below:
I am currently enrolled in my last year at Northern Kentucky University, and I find that the most popular question asked to students is, "What do you want to do when you graduate?" Too often the answer is, "I have no idea." I honestly believe that society has been brainwashed to think that everyone needs a college education, and then everyone with a college education deserves a well-paying job that they enjoy. I'll see students that graduate with a degree, and I'll ask why they chose to major in physics, or math, or criminal justice, or whatever they decided and the typical response is, "I don't know; I just did." These are the same people that graduate and get blue collar jobs and work for minimum wage while trying to pay off mounds of accumulated debt. It is not their fault they don't earn big salaries with their own offices or really nice homes with multiple cars. These people did exactly what they were suppose to based of what society dictates as normal and essential to a living a great life.

Yes, I think everyone should have the opportunity of a great education, but not everyone should pursue that great education. We have been molded to believe that mistakes are wrong. That if we make mistakes then the consequences are far to severe to recover from. Mistakes are ESSENTIAL to personal growth and learning. I have made many, many mistakes in my life, and I have learned from every one of them (Some took multiple times to learn from). I strongly believe that people need to personally educate themselves, and decide on a path that they wish to take before taking on the commitment of a college education.

I'm not saying college doesn't help you figure out what you want to do next, but I am saying that experiences are far greater than any education you can receive. I can attribute 99% of everything I know about marketing from working at Venturepax, and from various internships that I took part in. Not until Venturepax, did I fully decide on what I wanted to do with the (sorry for the expression) rest of my life. College didn't help me explore different internships and jobs. Giving myself the title "College Student" helped me explore different internships and jobs. College is a gateway for some people, and for others it's a large investment with a very small return.

My experience is different from others. What the Prana video taught me is that people need to be encouraged, not only to pursue a great education but also to harness their gifts and talents and share them with others. Some people were meant to be doctors, nurses, lawyers, and politicians, but some people are also meant to be blacksmiths, musicians, artists, gardeners, and zookeepers. To encourage certain professions and discourage others is a flawed system. Happiness comes in many different forms and from many different paths. A strong education is just one road to a sustainable, happy society. Unless we encourage other paths like apprenticeship or craftsmanship then we are going to continue to be stuck in one hell of a traffic jam!

The world doesn't need a better education system, we just need society to stop controlling us like puppets. Everyone is different and to generalize happiness isn't feasible and it is wrong for a society to do. In the end, our jobs are not what define us, but the relationships we make and the actions we take do. How do you define yourself?

When Exhaustion Outweighs Productivity

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment" - Buddha

Today was a really tough day for me. You could say that my productivity level wasn't the highest. I've always wrestled with this problem of being productive and efficient one day and being a waste of space others. In a perfect world, I would be productive everyday and live life to the fullest. But, I guess that is why some people say we live in a less than perfect world.

Once I finally accepted the today was going to be an off-day, I started to contemplate why I wasn't focusing. I went to bed early-ish the night before. I ate a good breakfast. I didn't drink at all this weekend and I even exercised. The more I thought, the more confused I became on why my brain was dead today.

I finally stopped and added up the amount of work that I accomplished over the last week, and compared it to the amount of rest time that I had. My lifestyle can be described as extremely busy but consumed with activities that I love. So slowing down is hard when you have so many different things you want to accomplish. I finally went home and tried out this new beginner yoga video that I downloaded and afterwards took a nap. I woke up feeling energized and finally started getting items checked off my endless list of to-dos.

I've come to the understanding that sometimes you're not on your A-game and that is completely fine. There are times where you have to push through it and finish your task at hand, but there are other times when folding your cards is a definite alternative. No one expects you to be 110% 24/7. It is sometimes more unproductive to push through something and produce undesirable work then stepping back, taking a nap, and crushing it afterwards!

Everyone needs rest in their lives! When the opportunity arises, take advantage of it and rejuvenate your mind. I'm sure it needs it!

The Power of Getting Outside

 

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. " - John Muir

 

About 2 years ago is when I went on my first camping trip. It actually turned out to be a camping, rock climbing, spring break trip with the climbing club at NKU known as the Vertical Frontier Climbing Club. Being that I had never really camped before you could say I was less than prepared. Biggest piece of advice I can give someone is to ALWAYS bring a sleeping pad when camping in below 40 degree weather.

We stayed at what is now our usual hangout spot, Miguel's. Miguel's is an amazing pizza and climbing shop in The Red that has climbers crawling out of the cracks. The entire weekend unlocked so many doors that now remain open in my life. I now climb regularly and #GetOutside as often as I can! I realized from that first weekend of climbing and camping that the outdoors were about to play a big role in my life.

Later that year, I met Danny Stull who founded Venturepax.com and he invited me to join the team. I have now been working at Venturepax for over a year and now, and work on the weekends at my favorite outdoor shop Roads Rivers & Trails! The great outdoors has had such a huge impact on not only my life but millions of others. No matter what happens in everyday life it is good to make a practice of stepping back and enjoying some fresh air. Listening to the birds sing, and walking in the woods will do wonders on your stress and your overall health.

I started this blog to reinforce our core beliefs at Venturepax by inviting everyone to #GetOutside more often and share their adventures in hopes to inspire others to also #GetOutside.