when goals are set, these goals are more likely to be accomplished. if you've had the privilege of surviving to the age you're at now, you have set and accomplished at least one goal. whether it was to get that job you wanted all your life, or simply to get insanely blackout drunk, you have set and accomplished a goal. i'm talking about goals tonight because growing up i wasn't much of a goal setter. my goals were trivial, such as setting time aside to see a movie, or talking to a girl. it wasn't until my senior year that i truly decided to set out serious, but still realistic goals. but when dreams become goals, thats when things get interesting. when the seemingly impossible begins to take shape in your mind, and it seems as if once un-obtainable goals become reachable, it is at this point, where life begins to have serious meaning. you start working daily for this dream. everything you do and say is in favor of this goal. you pinch pennies, teach yourself any skill or art you need to reach your goal. this is the desire of every man. to reach that impossible dream in reality.
are people born for specific moments in life? was george washington born to lead the United States in the Revolution? was adolf hitler born to persecute and commit one of the largest genocides in history? were lebron james and michael jordan BORN to be phenomenal basketball players? or did these tasks capture their ambitions through acts and witness? it is easy to argue that george washington was just the most capable person at the time, and he considered it part of his duty to fight the british. as with adolf hitler, some would say his unusual childhood and upbringing created his extorted view of jews and other minorities. maybe lebron james saw michael jordan play basketball, and then he wanted to be that good. the same of michael jordan and the greats of his childhood. these are all goals. to gain freedom, to persecute and destroy, to dominate and win. but are we pre-destined to discover our deepest desires? or are they impressed on us?
i say all this because i haven't found that "born to" goal yet. yes i love diving, its exciting and hard. but was i born to do it? absolutely not. but i am young, and there is much life ahead of me. i think we all have the capacity to be great, but some choose to use this capacity, while others choose to squander it.
i'll end this novel with a word of advice. be great. to yourself, and to others.
here's some historical context in regards to your "born to" theory. followers of Calvinism (i.e. the Puritans) beilieved in the doctrine of double pre-destination, which meant that some people are destined to go to heaven and others to hell. how do you know if you're going to heaven? according to Calvin, you will have a "calling", something you are born to do, which god will "reveal" to you. as a result of this brainwashing, most americans have this weird idea that they have one specific "calling" in life that they are supposed to discover & fulfil, and whatever it is, it's the ONLY thing that they are supposed to do. in reality, we are all born with certain talents and abilities that predispose us to be good at certain things. those traits lead us to be attracted to certain careers and goals. i think the worst thing anyone can do is to devote their life to just one thing. everyone should do & experience as much as possible, and you are definitely doing that. good job.
ReplyDelete