Fallacies
Hey all,
It's been a busy week, so here are just a few ideas from me today:
1.
Getting all of what you paid for is not the same as getting the most out of what you paid for.
Just because you paid for college or the buffet doesn't mean you have to go to every event or eat every piece of food possible. There's always loss involved in doing something that takes up your time, the question is, where you draw the line.
Always ask yourself, how worth it is to eat that thing, attend that class, or even take that "small" job, even if these things are free or make you money.
2.
Inspired by David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
Often its better to be the best person within above-average surroundings than an above-average person within the best surroundings.
Being the best at what you do has a lot of upsides: confidence, personal training, and the opportunity/free time to take on challenges of your own making. Even in the best school or job, being above average only gets you higher-level challenges and a rat race to compete in.
Some metaphors:
Even if you can reach it taking the higher rung is often incorrect. Take the lower rung on the ladder and use your extra leverage to climb higher.
Sometimes, being the smartest person in the room is stifling - especially if there's no one to learn from. However, if there are willing teachers and open resources, moving to the little pond and taking what's there might be better than competing with the big fish in the big pond.
3.
Even if you don't deserve it, there's nothing wrong with free practice.
Sometimes in life, we get opportunities that seem meaningless. Sometimes, you get a chance you don't deserve and sometimes, you know you'll get cut no matter what. These opportunities are what I like to call free practice - endeavors that don't matter.
But, by not mattering, these endeavors are the best chance to learn and the best chance for you to perform without regret. There's nothing better than going into a game you can't win, and in turn, using that experience to learn how to perform on a stage you aspire to be on. Take the freedom of insignificance, and use it.
That's all! See you next week!
-Ethan