Intention rarely = outcome. There is too much in life left up to chance or luck.

[december_solstice]

Even more so, our pasts don't determine our future one bit. I sometimes look at other 20-somethings who I grew up and went to high school with and can't believe how different all of our stories are – in a span of not even 7 years. This affirms the reality that where you come from doesn't determine where you're going. Good grades, good upbringing, trust fund…having everything at your fingertips does not mean you will succeed in life. Similarly, just because you are poor and uneducated, does not mean you cannot succeed. Sure, one side obviously has a small bump up the ladder, and the other side will suffer greater strides, and in no way am I saying this is fair, but really, it is us, and our actions, that will determine our outcome. Every day we wake up and make a choice about the type of person we want to be. Every day we decide the life we want to live. And, no one, no obstacle, nothing, can keep you from what you’ve already decided to achieve.

Comments

[ringlat.livejournal.com]

even though i've had bad luck in a lot of ways, i also know that if it weren't for that i wouldn't be where i am now (a person with diverse interests who at least knows how to cook dinner and save their money).

i had a classmate whose parents were so lax with the kids that if the kids didn't like what was for dinner, the parents cooked them a special dinner. so they ended up eating instant food all the time, the littlest kid literally only ate microwave cheese pizza and chicken nuggets and had all kinds of health problems - doctor said he was probably lactose intolerant and so they made him drink juice instead of milk but didn't stop him from eating cheese pizza. the middle brother hadn't even had rice in his life and would never try new foods ever (luckily it's a bit better now). the other brother was just a real jerk.

and none of them had to do any, and i mean any, chores. as in the middle brother hadn't ever washed dishes in his life so when he had to since he was at a sort of camp for a few weeks, he messaged me to ask stuff like if you put the soap on the knife or on the sponge. and how do you bake a pizza in the oven. the older brother tried cooking mincemeat meat for his friends without defrosting it first. and the parents constantly drove them everywhere etc, so i was the one who had to teach my friend how to use the bus for example (which i learned how to do at age 14 i believe it was, since otherwise i just walked to town).

so while his parents bought him all the stuff he ever wanted and so on, i still think i'm better off... and he wanted to move abroad but ended up going to new orleans to where one of his friends was instead (without having a secure job there beforehand). despite that he's getting as worried about the state of the US as i am.

[outerspace-bae.livejournal.com]

Parents. Please. Don't coddle your babies!!! Amirite?! Being coddled as a child does very little good. It does the opposite, really. Once a child reaches adulthood, they will really struggle if not learned how to cope with stress and responsibility. If they are carried, how will they learn problem solving and critical thinking? I've seen a lot of cases where a young person is basically LOST once reaching adulthood. I see a lot of people my age with no motivation, no sense of responsibility, lack of work ethic...zero determination -- because, plain and simple -- No one encouraged them to do...well...anything.at.all! We grew up with a kind of privilege that is unparalleled to other generations, yet... the market crashed. We bailed out Wall St. Jobs are still scarce, but who is effected most by the shortage of entry-level career opportunities? Us. We gotta push extra hard to establish ourselves.

I regretted, for a few years, working so much. I thought, why did I throw away a decade of my young life working? I mean why? I have to work for the rest of my freaking' life. I'll have to work till I'm 65 so why work so much now? I've been more or less employed non-stop since I was 15. Today, I'm honestly really glad I got the experience. I have a competitive resume which is vital to getting my foot in any door. I have a strong sense of responsibility, professionalism, and determination in the work place. I have a great work ethic. I might be burnt out, but at least I'm 10 steps ahead in a society where you start 10 steps back.