Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Real World

“I’m gonna run through the halls of my high school, I’m gonna scream at the top of my lungs.
I just found out there’s no such thing as the real world, just a lie you’ve got to rise above.”

I graduated about a month ago and the only thing that has changed is my temporary address. My boss is still distant, my co-workers still have opinions, I still set my own bedtime, and I still don’t have any money. So where is this real world that everyone in my life up to this point has been preparing me for?

I am starting to think that John Mayer was correct in his accusation that it has all been a conspiracy: a lie to make sure that we pay attention and prepare for the worst. It turns out that I was ready for the “real world” in the 9th grade. If I can survive the ridicule of underclassmen, especially those involved in sports, you can survive anything that the world has to offer.

I guess what my parents and teachers were trying to say was, “You can mess up now and it’s no big deal. But if you mess up in the real world, you’ll be in trouble.” I guess there is some validity there.

Even at an internship, if you mess up there is still the excuse that you are an intern and aren’t being paid to be stupid. But when you are on a payroll to do a good job, you really have to pay attention. Yet, if you pay attention in school, pick up on social things in your personal life, and learn from your internships or first job: you’ll be fine.

There is so much pressure these days to be successful, yet at the same time, the opportunities are slowly dwindling. Even the idea that you can “make your own success” is becoming harder and harder to fathom. Yet I believe that everyone has a gift, a role and a talent that they are meant to carry out in their career, and that belief isn’t snuffed out yet. If you have a dream, it can come true. If you have an idea, it can become reality.

It’s up to you to decide how quick, effective and painless you want your adventure to be.

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