Why should I get up in the morning?

Sometimes the hardest thing for an individual is to find the motivation required to keep pressing towards their goal. Especially when you've been pressing for a while and still feel like nothing is working or failing to see results. I have always lived by the motto that "If I don't get what you want, then it means I didn't work hard enough!" This is simply because each and every one of us has been given a level of talent and gift that everything you need to succeed has been given within i.e. we all have the resources to transcend limitations which we have placed on ourselves. Why do I feel so strongly about this? Because every single human being has a tenacity about something. When we were kids, we would pout and cry until we got what we want because we really wanted it . . . as we got older, some still pout and whine while others have learned to direct that energy into hard work. My point being even if you're not tenacious enough about your school work or that exercise that you've been trying to plan or that money you've been trying to save, it's not because you don't have that power to be tenacious about it, it's just that you've forgotten how or haven't been able to make that transition from pouting to focusing on making things work.
The one book that I read that changed my line of thinking was "The 7 habits of highly effective people." Habit 1 stated that "One should learn to be Proactive (rather than reactive)" i.e. instead of reacting to your situations, take the stand to move things forward on your own. Somehow, I don't know how I survived the 21 years before I read that book not realizing that this was probably the most fundamental thing about being a mature human being. I learned that I basically had all the ability that I needed to make things happen because I have been blessed by God (and we have all been blessed). I remember one time when I was at church and the pastor said "Why should you pray for God to do something that you can do on your own?" At the time I wondered why he said that because that almost seemed like saying "Do you really need God" Over time though I found this to be true. It's like your father giving you the textbooks you need for school and then you go back to ask him for help in handing the money over to the cashier. The money is already in your hands . . . do you honestly need help to hand it over? I think not. In the same way, we are all blessed with ABILITY, all that's left is that motivating factor and the realization that you can do whatever you set out to do.
This brings me back to my initial question: Why should I get up in the morning? The honest answer is really simple: The world would be missing out on what you have if you didn't! You have something to add to this round globe and it starts by belief in yourself that you have something to add. Once you have that vision in front of you, all it takes is putting your energy into the training required to present that talent in the manner in which it will be beneficial: you into music? Practice. You into business? Read and get mentored. You into science? Solve problems. Without the training required, your talent/gift will die and another part of the world becomes dark because your light bulb went out.

Think about it

Weak . . .

So the past couple of days have been non-stop work. I've spent every night since thursday at the laboratory. I feel like I am about to pass out, but I keep going on. I feel like a weight-lifter who knows that they have to push past that last rep and pummel each muscle with pain. It's the same way in which I try to approach the work that I do. I know the sooner I get down with this degree, the sooner the rest of my life can start and as I look around at my surroundings, it's about time I left this environment. I can't grow any more than I've already grown at O.U. Everything there was to learn about the States I learnt here: from women, school, politics, spiritual life, socializing, debt. My first job was here, every first sexual experience happened here, scholarships here. I also remember that the rational side of me took over when I stepped out of Athens and lived in Columbus for a year. It took some time, but I am at the point where I can be in Athens and not be swept away by the now of everything. Not too long ago, I lived for the thrill of the weekend, alcohol coursing through my veins as I danced up and down at parties and at the club. I'm not exactly miles away from that life, but I realize that there's is a balance and I find that balance in the results that I am seeking: Work hard to succeed intellectually, Play hard to succeed mentally, Save hard to succeed financially. When these results start to appear, then I know that I was balanced all along. Till then I'll just keep working at each aspect.

WOW!

WOW!!! 0.25 of 2008 is already over. That's unbelievable because I feel like I was just in New York ringing in '08 with B and 3 months have passed since then. An even bigger WOW in the sense that I have been in a relationship for 10 months and counting. I guess it's safe to say that I am beginning to complete another phase of adult life: the act of settling down. Currently it's a state of mind as I am still nomadic since I won't be living in Athens forever. Speaking of, the biggest WOW is that I am officially a PhD student. Yes sir, more nights in the basement of Stocker Center for another 2 years or so. I can't complain though, I'm enjoying what I am doing: the theory of solid state physics and the empirical nature of fuel cell testing. The best part, when one section gets too slow, I turn to the other one to At the present time, I'm looking forward to writing a paper on frequency calculations which will be my first foray into an actual academic publication. It's exciting stuff, but it's taking forever to get the results mainly because these computers are really slow. Ah well, the experiments have been suffering from neglect so I am focusing on those now.
In less mind-numbing news, now that football season is over, my interest has switched from ESPN to CNN and the on-going drama in the current presidential nomination. It's strange though, when I first arrived in the U.S. in 2000, the election was well on the way with Al Gore going against George Jnr. Even stranger is the fact that I was on Bush's side. Why? I honestly don't remember why. I didn't even know either person's platform neither did I know an iota about American Politics. I think it was because everyone at the house was supporting Gore and the "Sore Loserman" slogan (a word play on Gore Lieberman) was catching. Ah well, 8 years have passed and I'm much smarter now than I was then and although I can't play a part in the voting process, I know that there is only 1 of these candidates who can truly make a difference and change how American is viewed by the rest of the world. Anyone reading this knows who that is and if you don't, you need to reach deeper than my words and you'll know.
I look over my last post and strangely enough, that was put up around the same time as I am writing this. It just goes to prove to me that the moments that I spend awake (when everyone is sleeping) gives me the moments I need to be introspective and think about personal progression. It only makes sense though, spending the day moving others forward and spend the nights moving myself forward and being on the path to being the optimum Dammy.
Well it's back to work and hopefully an hiatus that lasts less than 1 week.