Month: August 2016

Germany: What Have I done?

Life is about experience. If you had asked me a year ago where I saw myself a year from now, I bet you I wouldn’t be saying Germany. Yet a little over year ago, I asked myself a simple question, “why not”? I was taking summer classes at the time when I read an email saying “Hey, Study abroad is pretty cool, come listen to some guest speakers from Germany and Sweden talk about the programs”.  So I went. Sometimes that’s all it takes, a little nudge in the right direction. When I went to info session, I fell in love with the German program and as much as I’d love to say I did hours of research into every country I could experience through study abroad, Germany had me at Oktoberfest. I had my reservations at first but here I stand just a week away from what will be the greatest experience of my college career. So…

Why Go?

Perspective – It’s about understanding. The world would be a better place if everyone went abroad and learned that we as human beings are more similar than we are different. More so than understanding similarities, study abroad is a great way to teach you to value the differences.

Independence –  The great quest of the college student, learning how to Adult properly. You can spend your entire college career thinking you can Adult and are getting quite good at it only to realize once you graduate you’ve been doing it completely wrong. What better way to learn how to Adult the right way than in a foreign country?

YOLO – You only live once. Was there ever a truer statement? Is study abroad a risk? Of course! I could end up living in a box when I get back from Germany because I spent all my money on beer. Who knows? But if we didn’t take risks, face our fears, and live for experience, then we wouldn’t get anywhere in life!

You actually save money! (In theory) – Groceries are cheaper, housing is cheaper, textbooks, etc. As far as I know, I’ll actually be saving money while overseas! Probably not, but one can dream.

But the main reason you should study abroad…

For Blog - Germany entry 1

As I said earlier, life is about experience, or better yet, life is about adventure. If we’re not moving forward, we are either standing still or moving backward. It is absolutely terrifying to take a leap of faith and say “I’m going to live in a foreign country for 4 months”. Yet the very fact that I’m terrified makes this opportunity all the more exciting. When we are afraid, it means we are outside of our comfort zone. Every time we step outside of our comfort zone, we grow. We push our limits and set new standards for ourselves. Our comfort zone expands each and every time we face our fears and that’s when we say “what’s the next adventure”?

 

Embracing Chaos

So let’s start where it all began; The Big Bang. The Universe was in harmony, molecules bonded, planets formed, life was created. The Universe was in order. Every moment that passes the Universe expands ever faster and the unforeseen happens, bringing a little more chaos into our lives. Is it bad? Not at all! I may sound like a mad man, but hear me out.

So, what is chaos? Chaos represents that which we cannot control and that scares a lot of people. Control gives us a sense of stability, so as humans we seek to control the world around us. Yet this is a futile effort. We have this illusion of control, that somehow our lives will be better tomorrow than they are today. This is not guaranteed. Some may say it comes down to perspective, that if you think positive, your life is all sunshine and rainbows. This is a false assumption. Optimism only goes so far and it can be a slippery slope. Being overly optimistic can lead to a false sense of security. It can become easier to ignore reality than face that the world can be a cruel, unforgiving place. “Good to Great” wisely stated (I’m paraphrasing, but you’ll get the gist) that optimists don’t survive in the real world. The people who survive believe they will prevail but set realistic expectations. So pessimists rejoice, you have the right attitude (just don’t have a rain cloud over your head)!

I have spent my entire college career trying to answer what role chaos has played in my life. Like the great human being I am, I spent the the first two years trying to control the chaos with no avail. Then I simply let the chaos control me. And then, I invested a lot of time and energy building myself from the ground up, the typical reinventing that many-a -college-student goes through. What did I find? Once I understood how to control myself, how to self manage and all that good jazz, I didn’t see chaos as such a detriment. I wouldn’t say chaos and myself are BFF’s right now, but I’ve found life to simply be more enjoyable. I know what you may be thinking “hey, he figured himself out, that’s great! But doesn’t the act of finding/creating yourself help reduce chaos?” Yes and no. The way I see it, investing in yourself is the equivalent of being handed a compass. A compass may point you in the right direction but at the end of the day you can choose any map you want to follow. But there’s a difference between looking at a map and having direction vs. actually setting down the path you’ve chosen. All the preparation and tools in the world won’t prepare you for reality, the environment and situations you may or may not come across. You may find that the road you chose to wander down is a dead end. If you are afraid of chaos, you’ll turn around and retread your steps. The familiar will  always give a false sense of stability. If however, you embrace chaos, you might say “this road is blocked, but I know where I’m headed, so here’s another road that’ll get me there”.  So go ahead and embrace chaos, you won’t be disappointed.

Go-Givers Sell More: Worth a read?

Short answer, it depends. In my honest opinion, I’d say no. You are much better off reading “How to win friends & influence people” or “7 habits for highly effective people”. This book, while not inherently bad, offers nothing new. In fact, the title gives away the entire book. Read the title and you’re good to go. The premise is if you’re nice to people, you’ll be more successful. This is a lesson you learn just by breathing and living. The difference is that this book places it in the context of “making sales”. The advice given is filler, while decent advice, there’s nothing that makes this book stand out. This a book you’ll read once and put away on your shelf. This book is a business book but as with all business books it can be applied to your personal life as well. Yet most of the techniques I’ve read in the book were watered down versions of what previous authors/philosophers have said before. Building off the ideas of others is a foundation of success, but for all it’s talk about creating value, this book came off as filler. The anecdotes used in the book are bland and boring, offering very little substance to get the gears turning.

Final Verdict:

Time is the most valuable resource we have. While I didn’t feel like my time was completely wasted I still felt that a lot of this book was trying to live up to greater titles such as “How to win friends & influence people”. This book never really found it’s footing. I can neither recommend it as a business book nor a personal book. The ideas presented in this book have been written about before and in a much more entertaining manner.

Jason Bourne: An honest, spoiler free review

Jason Bourne. The ultimate Bad-Ass. Was this movie necessary? Not at all. Was it appreciated. Yes, yes it was.

Worth a Watch?

It’s Jason Bourne, it’s Matt Damon. Enough said. Watch this movie if you loved the trilogy, it’s more of the same. Are you expecting a new Jason Bourne experience? Sorry this isn’t it. The Jason Bourne formula works and is classic.

The Action

If there ever was a movie known for action. Michael Bay may be master of explosions, but Jason Bourne has class. Jason is the weapon and no one is safe. Any inconspicuous object can be turned into a weapon and the newest Bourne does not disappoint. The main setting for the movie is during the Greek Crisis, which I personally thought was a great set up for fight scenes. Bourne is on the move, so there’s plenty of variety in venues and it’s always fun to see Bourne make use of each new situation/environment. Oh, and the car chase. It wouldn’t be Bourne without it. So if you want to feel like Bourne is snapping limbs left and right and actually cringe at the brutality, the movie is worth seeing for the action alone (and let’s be honest, Jason Bourne is all about the action).

The Characters

Jason Bourne is back. Too much Jason Bourne is never a bad thing. The supporting cast is great and serve to push the action along in the typical Bourne fashion. You have the Assassin, the friend, the agency (always out to get Bourne), and the person who plays both sides. Standard cast, nothing you haven’t already seen. The movie gives a little more background into Bourne’s personal life and does a fine job of creating a purpose for Bourne to come back.

The Story

The story, for better or worse, is the same Bourne formula we know and love. Bourne accepts the call to action, is being hunted, sneaks around, fights people, has a car chase, and ultimately escapes. I enjoyed it because it is exactly what I expected. This movie is simply more Bourne.

Final Verdict

I was a little worried when I first heard Bourne was coming out of retirement. The Bourne trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies, so I didn’t want to see the Bourne name tarnished. Matt Damon is also one of my favorite actors, so I expected a quality experience. While the new Jason Bourne isn’t blowing anyone’s mind, there’s plenty of action and I was entertained for the entirety of the movie.

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