What's more fulfilling?

Why do we fill up our time with so many frivolous, meaningless things?  We allot so much time to things that are fleeting and so little to the enduring things that demand the most.  And yet, many are upset when things don't work out the way they want, when they knowingly put so little effort into them.  I can be called many things, but apathetic isn't one of them.  I know I'm passionate and that translates directly into the things I care about.  I try to cut out as much of the meaningless crap as possible in order to get down to the core.  The things I care most passionately and deeply about deserve and demand my time and effort.  I refuse to live a life where I sit back and watch the things I love slip right through my fingertips.  I'll resist indifference with everything that I am.  Giving in or giving up are never options for things that you love.  I'll pour myself out over and over into what I love until the day I die.  I'll die with as few "what-ifs" and regrets as possible because I'll continue to live with passion and purpose.

Meet Michael

These are the things that seem to consistently describe me and my philosophy. They are reciprocal and tie beautifully together.

These are in no particular order.

"Everyone has purpose and meaning."
It is my calling to show people this, that they have value.

"Authenticity and truth at all costs."
This is how I strive to live. For me, there is no other way. Living otherwise is not fulfilling and is a waste of time.

"Community."
I desire to build community. I believe that our culture has little sense of what real community is or what it looks like. I want to see this beautiful change and see how people's lives change for the better.

"Great things are costly."
Pursue the things that are worth something to you. If it's not worth the effort, then it's not worth much to you.

"Commitment and faithfulness."
This is the simplest way I can describe love. If I'm committed and faithful to anyone or anything, then it's safe to say I love that person or thing in some way. Affections may lie dormant at times, but commitment and faithfulness live on, as does love.

No more fears, only hope

We all have these fears.  Deep, dark, unsettling fears.  We push them back, so they are out of sight.  But there they stay in the back of our minds.  We ignore them, as if they don't exist.  And yet, they remain.  Sometimes these fears keep us up at night.  We refuse to address them.  We refuse to talk about them because we fear the response as well.
We care deeply about these issues, but why do we continue on as if we don't?  Why do we keep what holds us down?
We hate vulnerability.  We hate being uncomfortable.  But we try to settle, attempting to suppress the uneasiness.  We consent to the fear.
It doesn't have to be this way.  Our uncertainty doesn't need to be what shackles our souls.  A pessimist sees the rockiness of the road ahead, fabricating and envisioning countless obstacles.  An optimist imagines what greatness lies ahead, the possibilities of sweet, beautiful life that we have yet to experience or have only had a glimpse or taste of as of now.  Let's look toward the future with expectant hearts, with a vision of what we want our lives to be and what they can look like.  Let our past and fears have no authority over the trajectory of our lives.  Allowing them to do so would be to actively seek the destruction of our hopes and dreams.  We must address and crush our fears with hope.  To move on isn't to not look back, to move on is to look back and see no future behind you.  So we move on, one step at a time, seeing progress as we close in on our hopes and dreams that lie before us,

Invest it all

At the end of 2008, Elon Musk nearly lost both of his companies-- Tesla and Space X.  At the time, he had a difficult choice to make.  The circumstances couldn't have been much worse.  How much was he going to invest?  and which company was he going to invest in?  Fortunately, both companies made it through that difficult time.

"For sure, if I had not invested everything, then there would've been no chance." - Elon Musk

He chose to invest it all.  When we truly, deeply care about something, this is the response that makes the most sense.  Did Elon want things to work out?  Of course.  Was he sure that things would work out?  Definitely not.  He chose to risk everything.  He was scared and it wasn't an easy decision, but he did it.  He believed that it was possible for everything to work out.  It did.  His other option was to give up and settle.  This wasn't an option for Elon.  There is no satisfaction in giving up.  There is no closure.  He was willing to fail because he couldn't live with the regret.

So what do we do?  Invest!  Work hard at the things YOU want.  Pursue it.  It's worth every effort.  Don't let thoughts of possible future failures overtake your mind.  Don't let past failures keep you from future endeavors.  Don't dwell on what other people might do, what other people might think, or what other people might expect.  Don't let any of these things hold you down or hold you back.  Like I have said before, great things aren't free.  Great things are fought for.  Fight for what you want, what makes you happy, what you believe in, what stirs your soul.

Overcome

Confused
What's happening here?
Troubled
The present and future grind
Restless
Longing for action
Burdened
This weight I drag
Fear
The unknown approaches

Clarity
Speak truth
Hope
In every shadow, behind every corner
Confidence
One stride at a time
Relief
Stronger together, never alone
Joy
Love and purpose abound

Don't simply pass through

Chance and seemingly random events have led us to where we are. I have no desire to ponder on alternate histories that never were and never will be. We are here now and that's what matters. I don't want to live comfortably in the "known world". I want to break those walls that hold us back. We have those walls, but for what? We are scared to move forward to what may seem like risk, but in the back of our minds we crave to end this complacency. With the little time we have and the great speed of this life, why live in such narrow space when the potential for greater things is on the cusp of existence? Let's end the dormancy of the fantasies in our heads that rattle the cages we've placed around them, longing for liberation and embrace. Let's dare to be vulnerable and pursue these things, or else they may drive us to regret. I think of what I'm giving up to be where I am right now and what I'm willing to give up to be where I want to be. It's worth it because I have already chosen to overcome these borders that threaten to contain my passion. I have eradicated the monsters that guard the edges of the abyss. I go now, a brave explorer, with nothing but my heart for a compass, searching the depths toward the light that beckons me in the distance. When I come critically close, I refuse to draw back, nor will I simply pass through. I will embrace what I pursue wholeheartedly, with everything that I am. There is no other way to live this life. We must push past what holds us back, on toward a more meaningful life that we desire and have been too afraid to submerge ourselves into. Now is the time to do so because the only thing I really fear is that if we don't, what we never pursued will slip back into the cracks of a narrowly avoided history. I don't want to live with those "what-if's". So, sometimes it's necessary to close all of those doors we've walked through incessantly just to finally take that first step in the right direction-- the way we really want to go, but have avoided out of fear.

Great Things Aren't Free

I remember seeing a post that was circulating saying "the greatest things in life are free". I'd say the opposite. The greatest things in life are costly. They require time and effort. This stands true for friends, family, and romantic relationships. It also stands true for careers and any skills you can develop. So work hard for the people and things you care about. Pursue relationships and interests wholeheartedly. It may be taxing, but if it has meaning to you, it's worth every effort.
Even after you attain what you've pursued, it still takes commitment to maintain. This holds true for relationships, careers, or any skill based interest. Don't let these things slip through your fingertips. Continue to pursue what you love and care about, even when you already have it right in front of you.