The Last Christmas Party

I don't know if it's because I've gotten older, or if it's because of all the Hallmark Christmas movies I've seen lately, but I'm feeling quite nostalgic about Christmas past. It dawned on me that the Christmas parties have changed over time. Some people have died, some have divorced or moved away... the Christmas parties I used to have as a kid, which annoyed me at times, are gone.

"The last time you're doing something - knowing you're doing it for the last - makes it even more alive than the first."

-Gloria Naylor

Nobody can predict which Christmas party will be the last. We could say that you need to enjoy every moment of it but the reality is that they're not always enjoyable experiences. It's when you remines that you come to understand that the frustrations of these gathering were part of the experience and their might come a time that you actually miss them.

If you don't consider yourself a family person, I would encourage you to put these feelings aside and reconnect with your family. Life is short!

Happy Holidays!

Tradition Based Decisions

A mother bear will teach her cubs what it takes to survive as a bear in similar fashion than a human will teach his child what it takes to be human. The difference being that the teaching humans are going through is beyond the basic survival instincts and is more geared towards how to survive in the society that we've built. The problem with this inherited knowledge is that some of it is brought down generations without much thought. 

Since my father thought me "X" then I will teach my children "X" but is "X" really all that useful in today's world? It seems that the longer these teachings have been around the more difficult it is to challenge.

The best example I have of this is with religion: A parent born within a certain religious belief will often spent his life not questioning it and pass on the knowledge to his children not really knowing if it make sense to do so but still convinced that the religion is true none the less with the only thing making it true was that it was passed down to him from his own parents.

Another example could be with our educational system. The parents that choose to homeschool their children are often told that they should put their children through the public system instead not because it's better but because that's what we've been doing. Whether or not it's better to homeschool a child is besides the point. The point being that those that challenges established beliefs are met with oppositions by those that have grown content with it.

The focus is always on the next generation and how to best prepare them for the society of tomorrow and sometime that requires the omission of some things in favors of others. What is something that you learned from your parents that you decided to not teach your child?

Use the Things

Roughly a decade ago, someone from my entourage had her car in the garage and something fell on it leaving a dent. Since she didn't want to drive around with a car that had a dent in it, she had it fixed. The entire thing was covered by her insurance which went up as a result.

The question of the day is essentially this: Why do we need to have things look like they haven't been used? Why can't we live with a scratch on the car? Or why do we need to have our house look like someone isn't living there?

None of it matters...

Even if a phone has a case on it, a screen protector, with an extended warranty ... the day will come when you will still get rid of it. Keeping things in premium conditions comes at a cost to you and the result will be the same in the end; the item will be gone.

Some people seems to associate premium condition, of their items, with some sort of social status. It would look "bad" on them to have a scratch on the car. They use their items as a symbol of their wealth.

Again: None of it matters... 

This superficial way of living adds worries in places that shouldn't have any. Items are meant to be used not taking care of like a member of the family. How can you enjoy a car, like they're supposed to be enjoyed, if you worry about scratches?

We have much bigger problems to worry about than to keep our items in pristine condition.

Growing Up

"We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public" 

-Bryan White

One of the greatest mysteries we can have as a kid is the type of person we'll become as an adult. It's a mystery that slowly unfolds with each passing day. The point at which we become an adult is dependent on both biology as well as life experiences. A person is more likely to understand what it means for be an adult, for example, when he accepts the responsibility of being a parent.

“When you’re young; you learn. When you get older; you understand.” 

-Unknown

What does it mean to be an adult?

Being an adult is taking responsibility for your own life. It's understanding that you're essentially the same person you were as a kid only now you're the one that needs to discipline yourself rather than having a parent do it for you. 

“We spend most of our twenties discovering all of the hundreds of things we can be. But as we mature into our thirties, we begin to discover all of the things we will never be. The challenge for us as we reach our forties and beyond is to put it all together-to know our capabilities and recognize our limitations-and become the best we can be.”

-Catherin B. Ahles

The older you get, the more you come to understand the fragility and limitations of life which brings with it a sense of urgency for the things that you want to accomplish.

You decide the type of adult you want to be...

"We're changing everyday but growth is optional." 

-Tim Marks

Those that don't embrace the self-improvement philosophies grow up to be the result of their environments. there's nothing wrong with this but if you want to become all that you can be then you need to make education a companion throughout your life. The type of education you need depends on the type of person that you want to grow into.

Have you grown to be a person that you like?

If you're an adult now, then ask yourself if you are where you want to be in life. If not, then there's still time for you to make whatever changes that you want to make.

Your life always was your responsibility but, as an adult, you understand what it means.