A Life of Moments

I just voted for the first time in my life. Political commentary aside, I've seen a lot of hype about that first moment of political participation.

However, throughout the course of my life, I've learned not to put a lot of stock in a simple moment. Time after time, people tell me that a certain moment will be amazing, incredible, or even life-changing.

More than not, upon reaching these moments, I've realized just how over-hyped they were. I believe that the value of an experience has no confine of time. The derivatives are infinite. Attempting to place inordinate enthusiasm on a specific moment is selling short the overall experience.

Here are a few examples of the moments I am speaking of -

• First solo flight
• Getting laid for the first time
• Initiation into a fraternity
• First time voting
• Skydiving
  
• First sight of (any major piece of art or landmark)
• Religious transformation
  

The list goes on....

Ultimately, I don't want to live my life always looking forward to a moment in the future, or finding solace in a moment in the past. Whether it be saying "I do", reaching a seven figure bank account, having a kid... moments are meaningless to me.

Rather, I will endeavor to find value in overarching experience, to live life as a moment.

Recent Journeys

I recently returned from a journey which yielded a vast number of new experiences and enlightenments.

In the days and weeks leading up to my departure, I immersed myself in financial news, succumbing to ever-present talking pundits and info feeds of cable news and the internet.  

My recent journey served as a wonderful release from these info dependency and allowed me to see first hand some of the financial environments of various places around the country.

I traveled to the poorest place I've ever been in the United States (Jackson, MS) and some of the richest (Beverly Hills, Bel Air, etc.).  

Jackson is an interesting place in that the city is absolutely decimated by poverty, yet has wealthy areas.  Instead of pursuing legitimate economic growth to alleviate this blight, the young demographics with opportunity pursue careers of either medicine or law.  It is a place which epitomizes the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Why do our current economic systems seem to always yield this result?  Poverty is very real, and yields destruction upon everyone.  Why do the people with opportunity simply pursue their own prosperity, rather than the prosperity of society?

Three Things

After a recent trip, a friend sent me text message fodder requesting an activity status update.  I responded to her that I was collecting my thoughts on a recent business travel.  Indicating an interest, she asked me to tell her three things in various contexts - 

Three Things I learned about myself - 

• I have a tremendous amount of opportunity.  Over a century ago, various collections of immigrants left Scandinavia for the US in pursuit of an obscure concept known as the American dream.  I represent the tireless fruits of their labors, having potential to bring their efforts into fruition on an exponential scale.
• Possessing various genetic characteristics and learned qualities, I am extremely effective in my endeavors.  While I have not fully realized it in most regards, my leadership potential is vast.
• I carry an ambitious appreciation for the dignity of labor.  Observing the value and improvement I effect on a situation through work serves as an unyielding motivational force.  I intend to harness this motivation and use it to serve me.

Three things I learned about humanity -

• As Americans, we have an unhealthy appetite for inventory.  Too often, we allocate our self and energy to a tangible possession.  These possessions build up and begin to consume our effectiveness.  Our portfolios of accumulation yield graveyards of squander.
• Our world develops on an exponential scale.  We search for comfort and stability, only to cling to an unfound value system.  It is limiting to shield one's self from emerging developments in favor of a proven status quo.
• One of the strongest detractors (or boosters) of productivity is pride.  Capitalism brings with it an economic hierarchy through which there are inevitably under and over castes.  Adhering to this system by basing one's character and sense of self worth on income yields countless downfalls.  Pride for the fruits of one's labor must come from within, rather than external, material rewards.