Recent Articles
On Making a Difference,
Recently I have been experiencing a tremendous amount of sadness and frustration surrounding the cultural norms and expectations of our country and current generation. I wouldn’t say that this is a new feeling by any stretch of the imagination. However, I feel like the more I know and learn – the more helpless I perceive that I am in bringing about change. This feeling originates from the idea that “knowledge is power” (scientia potentia est), an idea that came from the philosophical work of Sir Francis Bacon.
Despite its origins, I am feeling an incredible, visceral, passion toward wanting to “do something” about the world we live in. To influence our culture; to make a difference in some way. This passion does not go away after getting a long night of sleep, nor does it waver when I am overwhelmed with responsibilities. It sticks with me, as if it was built into my very DNA.
A Reflection On Humility
My personal understanding of what it means to be humble has changed drastically over the last nine months. Historically, I have held the view that true humility is a denial of all praise, skill, ability and gifting I am told that I have by others. This denial has always been an honest one, out of a fear of feeling guilty for not embodying Humility as I perceived it to be. As I subconsciously seek acceptance and approval from others, this has been a difficult worldview to hold. I always knew something didn’t click with this belief, but I also didn’t know the right way to view it.
It wasn’t until I began to reflect on this definition of Humility that I really understood what it means to be humble:
Chance
Some believe that fate has us on a predetermined path that we create for ourselves based on the culmination of our actions, behaviors, thoughts, history, knowledge, wants, needs, fears, anxieties, desires, passions, perceptions, and the influence of others. Yet, the universe is also governed by what philosophers and mathematicians like to call randomness or ‘chance’. Those who have been lucky enough to encounter such an event in their life claim that it presents an opportunity that can completely flood the worn road of fate.
I used to be a skeptic of such once-in-a-lifetime events. It wasn’t until chance herself showed up one night and took me by storm that I was able to understand her power and mystery.
Beauty Culture
The following is an excerpt from a conversation that I overheard while getting a haircut the other day:
Little Girl: I love my Barbie! I bring her everywhere I go.
Hair Dresser: Do you like her blond hair?
Little Girl: I guess so.
Hair Dresser: You are never too old to want to be like Barbie. Every little girl should want to grow up to be and look like her.
The hairdresser’s name is Kate. She is 34 and has two kids of her own. It was difficult to listen to the rest of the conversation because I started to think about America’s beauty culture, and its implications on our society. To be candid, I immediately thought: How can a parent hold such an unhealthy belief and probably instill the same values in her own children? It was obvious that Kate believed what she told the girl, not exclusively from her words, but it was also clear from her towering heels, the superfluous amount of makeup on her face, and her noticeably fake bleach-blond hair. This woman physically reflected her own words. At least she was consistent.
Disclaimer
The ideas and thoughts expressed in these posts do not reflect the beliefs of any organization or individual, except my own. Ironically enough, however, these posts may not even reflect how I currently think or feel. I have grown and changed over the years - and rather than delete or edit old content I have decided to leave my posts as I originally wrote them to preserve their authenticity.