Friday, January 19, 2018

Educated Guess

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune." - Jim Rohn

I knew from a very early age that formal education wasn't for me. I remember the first time I received an assignment to do a book report. I thought it was ridiculous that I would have to read a book only to regurgitate the information in a condensed format. The other issue I had was the books we were assigned to read. As much as I hate tooting my own horn, I always had an above average reading level so these books bored me to death. Needless to say, I completed very few book reports as they didn't stimulate my mind. I mean seriously, did teachers really want to read all these little kids' crappy book reports? I absolutely understand the value in being a teacher, as I've had a few opportunities in my life to share knowledge in a formal environment. However, I think the key to successful teaching is catering to your students which the current model of our education system does not do well at all.

What I remember from school, we were supposed to memorize information in order to be able to take and hopefully pass a test, only to never use that information again. This doesn't teach you to think for yourself, this teaches you to waste your mental capacity on irrelevant data. The issue here is that critical thinking is a requirement if you ever hope to be successful in anything.

The only subject in which I felt like I was taught real skills was mathematics. Not because I would ever need to use algebra as an adult, but because it taught me to think about a problem in order to find a solution.

Now I always felt history was captivating and believe it's important because unless we study history, we're doomed to repeat it. I found that there was a heavy focus on dates of events instead of the events and people who partook in those events. Back to memorization...

Science... oh beloved science. Now here is a subject that I appreciate more as an adult than I ever did in school. The beauty of science is that it is responsible for all of the technological advancements we take for granted today. Science is everything and if it had been positioned that way in elementary, I would've paid a lot more attention. But I digress.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the current model of the school system teaches people to follow directions more than it does to think and I believe that to be a critical flaw. The other problem I see is that many people believe that they stop learning when they finish school and I feel that's when learning truly begins.

In my life, I've learned the most from the jobs that I've had over the years. My first job was in a flea market at the age of 12. During that first job, I learned about the psychology of sales and providing value. I also learned how to use humor in a public environment. Not to mention learning the basic economics of a retail business and how many people underestimate their total overheard costs.

I believe I learned the most about language from working at an attorney's office. I'm not sure the majority of people realize how much of the legal system is just vocabulary. I learned the subtlety of design working for a florist and the appreciation of hard work while doing grounds keeping and maintenance for a hotel. I even learned the value of efficiency working in fast food. There's a lesson to be learned in everything you do, no matter how mundane a task may seem.

Not only have I learned from working, but my dad taught me how to change the oil and brake pads on my first car. This gave me the confidence to learn more about mechanics. When my car broke down, I didn't have the means to take it to a shop so I had to troubleshoot it myself which built an entirely new skill set. I was later able to apply that skill set to computers where I ended up making a very reasonable living for a large portion of my life working for a technology company. And to think, it all started with old dirty oil.

The ability to think for yourself allows you to make your own judgements, form your own opinions, and develop your own truths. This is so unbelievably important with the overload of data in the Information Age. So many people these days just believe what they read on the internet or are told by the news when all sources of information have some level of bias. Even what you're reading this very second is biased based on my experiences with the public school system in America. Does this all ring true for every one of the 7+ billion people on this planet? Absolutely not.





Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Passion

I recently learned that the word "passion" comes from the latin word "pati" which means to suffer or to endure.

I think we all have passions, something we're willing to suffer for. The thing that's most interesting to me about passion, is that it rarely feels like suffering as you're enduring it. You make sacrifices that are worth the outcome. There's an overwhelming belief that you're doing something right or for a greater purpose.

Passion can be unpredictable and even illogical but it's rarely a bad thing. Individuals who harness that passion and live with it often see all the possibilities of life in a beautiful light. Passion can lead to accomplishments far greater than one could dream of. Passion allows people to connect on arguably the deepest of levels.

I know I've suffered for my love of photography. Years ago I used to stay up literally all night to photograph raves. I carried a heavy bag full of equipment 10 hours a day for days on end in the hot Florida sun for the Firestone (formerly Honda) Grand Prix. I've gone out in freezing cold weather in order to shoot landscapes and nature. I've committed to shoots when I'd rather be spending time with friends and family. I find that, for me at least, it's always worth it. I never regret or really even think about these "struggles" as they're occurring.

I believe that my dedication to my passion has made me a better person. I'm more patient, diligent, friendly and driven because of it. Photography is my passion, what's yours?