Do It Right

I went over to the house of my cousin near Christmas time and found him putting on the finishing touches of his Christmas tree. His tree was very well done, adorned with ornaments and lights, lots of sparkles, with a shiny star on top. I looked at my cousin, a burly young guy who works and play sports, and usually does not take on artistic adventures like the tree. I was impressed and told him so, and he replied, "If you are going to do something, you have to do it right, you know?" It was a simple statement, yet one that resonated with me from that day on. I've kept it in the back of my head, perhaps subconsciously passing judgement on everything I do to see if I have done it "right." 

But when I say I apply this to everything, I mean everything. If I am doing homework, I should have the most correct and complete work. If I am going to eat, I better come back with a full stomach and satisfied smug afterwards. If I am going to play basketball, I should be sweating and focused. 

It stands in my life as a sort of personal motto, and I find value in it for by applying to everything from food to relationships to homework assignments, I gain so much more out of each of my actions than if I had just done the minimum to pass. In establishing "doing it right" as my motto, it has served a lot of the time as my motivation to take on projects or get the extra grade or play another game, which often cause more stress but always provide a more enriching experience in the end. Is it difficult, to give extra attention or time in order to "do  it right"? Yes, it can be. But the more time and effort you put into something, the more you will gain from it. I believe its worth it to gain that extra mile. 

But as a blog that questions the motivation 

behind actions I must ask, why do I hold this as my motto? I have described the incredible gains that are available as a result of doing things right. But I also keep this in high regard in light of the fragility of life. Over the past couple years, through my personal experience and through the experience of others, I have come to understand dearly how fragile life really is, and how quickly things can change. With no guarantees on our lives, I think it is worth it to try to gain all that I can from a situation, be it a gourmet meal or just some quality time with a friend. So moving forward, I will continue to maintain this mentality and keep up my motto. Doing it right hasn't steered me wrong yet and I hope it continues to enrich my life the way it has already. 

 

 

Finding Your Fit

Readers, you have witnessed what I have done with my blog. Taking the lens of Motivation, and then applying to various situations and concepts. I now give this opportunity a friend to explore this same lens. Rohan, who writes his blogs at http://rohan-academy.blogspot.com/, has taken my lens of Motivation and applied it to the college selection process high school seniors face. Read and comment below!

For many seniors like myself, the college selection process is an endless, insatiable pursuit of a home for the next four years. Caught up in the drama of school, activities, and a social life, it’s easy to push the process off until application deadlines. That’s not to say that there aren’t proactive students who spend extensive time researching where they want to end up, and shorten the college selection process by applying early decision or early action to an achievable target school. Nevertheless, many kids ironically conduct the process in reverse. They apply to a wide range of schools, including a handful of reach schools. Then they wait until March to lay all their options out on a table and narrow down schools. Ultimately, us students want our new home to be the best fit for us. I’d like to take a look at the main factors that motivate us to pick one college over another, and how our preferences reveal a lot about our own personalities.

Size

Big, medium, or small? While some students hope to attend a small liberal arts school, others find themselves at home among the unity and school spirit of a large public institution. Many others hope to achieve a balance between the two, searching for a school big enough to interact with a diverse student body but small enough to receive individual attention in classes. A big school atmosphere usually offers a larger variety of opportunities, but to succeed in a big school environment, a student must be aggressive and outgoing in order to avoid becoming “just a number.” On the other hand, students who are less competitive or who don’t want to be pressured into a specific field of study (i.e. popular majors at large schools) may wish to discover their passions at their own pace. Note: for many students requiring financial aid, a state school usually comes out to a lot cheaper, and thus those students may not have the privilege of attending a smaller, private university.

Location

When moving to a new environment, a person has many factors to consider, such as distance from home or the weather. Adventurous students may want to get as far away as possible from their parents, whereas students who stay relatively close to their parents (i.e. driving distance) may value their family relationship. For me, one of the biggest deal-breakers was proximity to a city. While many rural or isolated colleges have beautiful campuses, I crave the opportunities that a larger metropolitan city provides. However, there are many ideal college towns (e.g. Ann Arbor) that have everything students need right on campus.

Academics

Finally, academics should be at the top of the list for deciding on a college. An education is vital in this increasingly competitive job market. Ambitious students will seize the best opportunity for a great education that they can get. But things become tricky when students are admitted into a few colleges with similar academics. Once an academic standard is established, then a student can turn to the plethora of other elements involved. Since it’s hard to predict a four-year college experience from one campus tour, many turn to the Internet for help. My favorite website is College Prowler, which offers ratings in everything from dining and housing to the attractiveness of girls (yes, high school boys actually take that into consideration) at a particular university. In the end, the best advice given to me was to go with my gut. If a student fits in well at a college, the chances of success in that environment are much higher.

Why Hasn't Derrick Rose Returned?

Derrick Rose. Chicago Bulls Star. 2009 Rookie of the Year. Three time NBA All-Star. 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player. 2010 FIBA World Championship Gold Medalist. Torn ACL. His Return, A Mystery. 

As April rolls around, it is a difficult time for Chicago Bulls fans as we reminisce almost a year ago when Derrick Rose fatally tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first game of the NBA Playoffs. His injury cost him the rest of the season, but also left the Bulls at a huge loss. But while multiple players injured around the same time as Rose (Ricky Rubio, Imam Shumpert) have already returned to playing, Rose still remains outside the grasp of the Bulls organization. Let us investigate into why Rose hasn't put on the uniform since last April, using a psychoanalytic lens to conduct this. 

First, the injury recovery time is great. The ACL is one of three important ligaments in the knee, and after arthroscopic surgery, the preferred route for repairing the ligament, there is a recovery time of surgery and rehabilitation for 6-12 months. However, this can be made shorter due to the physical condition of the person. For people like Rose, he is a professional athletes with youth and athleticism on his side, thus enabling a strong recovery. Here comes into play Rose's Id, responsible for a person's desires. Derrick Rose is a fierce competitor. He is a very focused and serious player. He has remarked that he doesn't enjoy dancing at the NBA All-Star Game, or even playing pick-up games. He plays to win and plays with a drive we do not see in many players. For such a person, imagine how much it must hurt him not to be able to return to the court and play. Rose's Id must have been going in overdrive, wanting him to hurry the process of rehab, working out often, and returning to the court as soon as possible. The Chicago Bulls also made roster changes, dealing away much of the bench players. The Bulls were beginning a new season with almost the team being new members. Rose was needed for the success of the team, and he would have understood this need as much as any player. With all these factors, it would only make sense that Rose would return as soon as he could, the projected date being March. 

March came and left, with no Rose in its wake. The Superego, source of morals and ethics, of Rose could be to blame. Many players have received injuries, and have tried to play after a short period of recovery, often times aggravating the injury further and causing an even longer recovery time. Rose is a smart player, very conscious about his health.  Referencing his Superego he said, "I'm not coming back until I'm 110%. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It's just that I'm not coming back until I'm ready." Indeed, he does not want to re-injure his body, but still be able to return from this rehab just as good or better than he was. 

This is most likely what has been keeping back from returning. He must recover the remarkable play he once had, while trusting the very knee that had collapsed under him. It is now to consider Rose's Ego (his conscience/balance between Id and Superego). The Bulls have been successful this season. Sixth place in the Eastern Conference they have clinched a playoff position. Without Rose and plagued by injuries, the Bulls were still to reach this good of a position, mollifying the immediacy of Rose's return. But more importantly, the regular season ends April 17. This contains roughly 9 games for him to return to playing before the playoffs begin. Is it still worth him returning? He certainly cannot jump into playing a playoff game without playing any regular season games, and thus it makes imperative that he plays soon. But with only so few games left, would it not be advisable to not return, prepare even greater during the offseason and return even better than "110%" on opening? Though this could be good for him, it would greatly disheartening for all Chicago Bulls fans awaiting our star's return. Looking at Rose's Ego from the outside, it would seem to make the most sense for him to play at least the last five games before the playoffs. It means he could continue to recover while still getting a chance to play and play in the playoffs with the Bulls. We can only hope to see the return soon of Derrick Rose. 

The Need for Talent

There has been a talent explosion. Not exactly in the creation of new talents but rather, a need to have talent, or multiple talents at that. I clearly saw this in the process of applying to colleges. No longer is it enough to play the piano when competing against the girl who plays piano, violin, and guitar all very well. A friend who listed Spanish as a second language was outmatched by the boy who was ethnically Chinese and learned the language from his parents, but also learned French and Spanish in school. In addition, kids are achieving much more as well. He made a hovercraft at age 13 while she conducted research and discovered new fungus before even graduating. Indeed, these are true stories from of people who are all applying to colleges. But why is it so? Why must kids have extraordinary talents? Why should they have achieved such tremendous feats? What motivates them to do this?

This can be reduced to a core few reasons. First, people can do and achieve all this simply because they can. At our day and age, we have a many great resources surrounding us at all times. From the information that is available, a motivated child can learn to play multiple instruments. There are programs for children interested in math and science or leadership conferences for middle school students to inspire their drive to achievement.

However, the availability of resources only answers how kids can become exceptional students. Genuine interest is a huge motivator. Their want to learn, play sports, or start a foundation allows to them to work and achieve. But I believe a great factor is "success." To reach success and the happiness that comes with it is a sort of subconscious goal that exists in these highly motivated kids. A general description of success would be living happily, perhaps with a family, working at job that you enjoy yet pays well. Your enjoying a social life of personal relationships, friends, good employment, while still having the cash flow to afford a comfortably large home, a good school for children, and a nice car. This intention of success has several grounding factors leading up to it. A good job with the income it provides comes as a benefit of a good collegiate experience. We then reach the ultimate question, how do I get into the college best fit for myself goals and needs? By making yourself individual and different from the masses so that the college can remember your application and call you soon. Thus, kids are exploring multiple talents and achieving new and newer feats to turn them into an applicant a college cannot resist. They can follow through now to become successful, and then live life merrily.

Almost everyone would like to be "successful" in their later life, a state entirely defined by them. But by having multiple great talents and achieving tremendous feats, they can better enhance their chances of reaching this success.

Money and Power Behind it All

Personal gain has always been one of driving factors behind the actions of people. But recently, I have seen this emerge in the form of corruption, men and women who use their positions of powers and connections to receive greater personal benefit, more often than not through illegal means. Coming from Chicago, a city whose corruptness is noted in its nickname of the Windy City, corrupt leaders have come and gone. Let us look into a few examples of men to understand their motivation for corruption. 

A primal example is that of former Governor Rod Blagojevich. Initially arrested in 2008, he was convicted of committing 17 crimes, eleven of which came from his attempt to sell the newly opened Senate seat. From what we can understand here is that Blagojevich's motivation stemmed from wealth. He found that his greater success and prosperity lied in achieving greater wealth. Alas, the means by which he attempted this was wrong. Money and wealth have always attracted men and women to act in different ways in order to achieve them. This case is not very different. 

Another factor is simply power. This can be seen looking at the Chicago political machine that used to exist. A domination of politics in Chicago, leaders such as Richard Daley led this machine to control almost all of the state's function, effectively "ruling" Chicago. Working under the spoils system, almost deliberate corruption, Daley was able to live, "govern" and run Chicago for over twenty years. Corruption here, lies the pure power that Daley held. Chicago was his pawn, and he ran it completely. To have that significant of power must have been so desirable, enough to take the necessary measures to reach that power. 

While the list of factors may go on, I feel these two of money/wealth and power are often the backbone behind corrupt leaders. Our society has become very focused on those with wealth, turning it into a unsatiable ideal that many will try to achieve. This is followed closely by the respect, influence, and power that can either lead to wealth or has come by way of wealth. Both of these ideals have become focuses in our society, ideals large enough to fuel corruption everywhere. Is it a product of our own fascination with what can wealth do? Or what those in power can do? Is this something we change? A complex question that only time can answer. Alas, we must simply content ourselves in understanding that what we have come to love, wealth and power, can often motivate us to act corrupt and tread a path that often does not end well.      

Entertainment, Finding a Story of the Public

One of the greatest issues for anyone in the entertainment industry is procuring an audience. Getting people to become consistent viewers. It is only through doing so, can a stand-up comedian or TV show be successful. But how can a new producer bring something fresh to the table but still garner viewers? People use different methods. A sports oriented show might discuss the scores of games targeted at simply sports fan. The dramatic and theatrical audience will be looking forward to the next episode of Glee, while that audience that revels in suspense and mystery are excited for the upcoming episode of Suits. Each of these are independent of each other, but yet are bound by the one unifying fact of entertainment: "if you tell stories that people want to hear, the audience will find you".

That quote, from the article by David Carr, describes perfectly what all those part of the entertainment industry are subject to. Every producer must sit down to consider what story are they going to present, be it drama, mystery, or sports. But the question becomes, must all producers follow this lesson of entertainment. Yes, they must. For being part of the entertainment industry is, in the end, another occupation to make money. An occupation that relies on the number of people who watch your show. If a new TV show was not tailored to a particular story or audience, it will not sell and cannot be successful, no matter how good the quality of the show may be.

The entertainment industry is reliant on the people: what is trending, what is hot, what is the story that want to hear. To stray from this and present your own story will be difficult to make the numbers of viewers as people may not be wholly interested or have any appeal to that story. What am I coming to say? The entertainment industry is heavily based on appealing to the masses. And by appealing to them, presenting a show or game or song that contains appealing story to the public, they will attain viewers and subscribers and can be successful. Entertainment, the industry of creating a performance designed to please others, is derived by the public by its own definition. Thus, all entertainers in the end must seek to find a story of the public.

The Othered Muslims

Renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung, credited with founding analytical psychology, developed the idea of "the other". A critical line from this definition is "Others may be not-us, and so we can see how we are different from others. Otherness thus creates alienation and fear." Indeed, the other is often the embodiment of what we reject, what we seek to repress. Often we may other certain qualities of ourselves, creating a shadow reminding of us what and who we really are. But societies can other(verb) people different from the mainstream or modern society. In America we might reject this, considering ourselves the melting pot and lauding ourselves on our diversity. Yet subconsciously racism and prejudices persist, resulting in the othering of people. This has taken its most recent turn regarding Muslims in America. 

Muslims are othered. After our twin towers fell, the word "terrorist" took on a different meaning, one associated with Muslims. A harsh stigma against Arabs and more specifically Muslims was created not intentionally but just as notion of society. Many of us have had no need to face this stigma and thus it is easy to forget that it exists. But these men and women are still othered, even today. Islamophobia is a term now in use. This othering includes actions too, not just opinions. There are many stories of men and women unjustly searched or detained at airports under false presumptions. This article from BBC details hearings that are given to Muslims under the threat of terrorism, though most people are just average Americans who are practicing Islam and have no such affiliation. Yet in the land of the free, there are still many people who are being othered.

 Why do we other? I don't think we can avoid it as per the society we live in. For one, we are a very nationalistic nation and when our leaders declared enemies, us citizens followed suit. This is similar to the situations Japanese men and women living in America were facing during WWII, though not as extreme. But in both situations, we were attacked by one group of people, only to stigmatize and "other" all those even related. Our society also has standards of right and normalcy, and expressions too different from these standards also face the cold shoulder immediately. It is by our nature to support some and oppose those against. But we cannot continue to preach tolerance and not act upon it. As a society we have to learn that it is wrong to give unjustified prejudices to people of which only a very select few deserve. A tall order some may say, but we are the melting pot. And if we are to stay true to our name, then we must make the moves to do so.