I have kept my promise and I am back to continue what I have started. Last night before I made my first posting I watched a movie that most people may not have heard of called Skills Like This, which was a phenomenal movie that I would recommend viewing. What stood out for me was the fact that I was almost ready to dismiss the movie because it seemed to be very low-budget and the beginning did not show much promise; but I was pleasantly surprised with the scenes that followed. After the main character noticed that he was not good at writing he decided to give it up. His friends questioned his choice because he had quit his job to become a writer, but his answer was profound. The response he gave was that people lie to themselves on a constant basis about what they are good at. This was the realization or turning point for him that he lied to himself about being a good writer and wasted a large amount of his time trying to do something he had little proficiency in. (Skills Like This, 2007)
The man in the movie above decided to go rob a bank and he did it without a hitch. It went so smooth for him and it brought him joy to realize that there was something he excelled at. Yes, I would not advise anyone to go out and do any illegal activities no matter how skilled they are at executing them; but why be discouraged by a dream that cannot be obtained? The point here is not to not crush dreams; but to find new ones that are within reach. Even if it is barely within the reach of the tips of your fingers it is worth going after; but it would be foolish to want to be an astrophysicist if one lacked skills in simple mathematics. But if we find that we have the slightest amount of skill-sets to be a good public speaker why not go after a dream of being a Public Relations Agent for a large corporation, a celebrity, or a sports franchise? One of my personal aspirations is to do Public Relations on a large scale and I will get there someday.
Beyond our goals and dreams what else do we lie to ourselves about? Are there times in your life when someone has asked if anyone in the room was skillful in a certain area, but doubt and dishonesty to the self caused you to be silent? When we know that we are right about something that should be changed what keeps us quiet? When we witness something unethical or unlawful occurring why do we not speak up and help to remedy the situation? Here in America people have become very individualistic, which has its benefits, but does that mean we see helping others else as a waste of our time? And in an age where we are connected more than we ever have been why do we feel so disconnected?
My rut of depression that lasted for almost five years would most likely bother others. Questions might arise of whether I feel that I wasted those years of my life not seeing the silver lining, living in the past, and having distaste for the present and future. I agree that it was not healthy to be depressed for so long; but in order to know what it feels like to be truly filled with bliss one must experience the polar opposite. It is a cliche to say what does not kill us only makes us stronger. Such a cliche has a great deal of truth.
On May 19, 2010 I decided to make a life change and put the overweight Darin behind me. There were healthy years in my life and I know that my body was not designed to be obese. It was that day that I did an extreme diet that might have been the reason I recently lost my gallbladder, but as I have pointed out, the silver lining was that my cardiovascular health has never been better. I feel like I am eighteen again and I want to stand on the bow of a ship and yell "I'm King of the World," but I I would prefer that ship not sink. (Titanic, 1997)
I cannot believe that losing over 68lbs and I exercise four to six times per week could have such an impact on my not only my physical health, but also my mental health. Six months ago I could not even walk a mile and now I can run over three miles. My brain is stimulated by the natural endorphins that it was lacking due to my recently heightened physical activity. I will leave you with this. If you are down and feeling alone in the world please reach down inside yourself and find the human spirit that is buried beneath pain, suffering, and turmoil. Once you let this spirit free it will help be the driving force to better oneself and the road to happiness will be paved two or three steps ahead of your stride.
(For Now I must leave you again and I hope that this posting has brought forth some insight and helpful advice in assisting you be the very best you can be. There are no real roadblocks in life if your goals are realistic. Do not give up and keep plugging away and soon the fruits of your labor will be ready for harvest. I look forward to posting again. Please feel free to comment on the postings because feedback is essential in knowing whether or not my words have merit or benefit you, the reader.) ~Darin
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