Pushing the Boundaries

Okay so two thoughts. This post could be immensely insightful and talk about how people need to challenge themselves beyond the necessary and strive for success. Yet that topic is rather overplayed and something I find completely pointless to talk about, seeing as everyone wants the best for themselves. So today I felt that I'd talk about something I feel rather strongly about and what most people go through themselves when they simply... push the boundaries of friendship.

God that sentence was so overplayed it's not even funny. Still now that I've brought it up, you might as well sit down and listen.

They say the human mouth is incapable of staying shut for long periods of time (I should know) and when we speak without realising, it often doesn't bode well for us. Thousands of relationship have been ruined by a simple 'slip of the tongue', more so in today's day than ever. People all around are listening to what you say and therefore your every view, every word, every opinion comes under constant scrutinising by those you interact with. They dispel your originality, dampen your creativity and block you ingenuity. They are the barriers that hold you back.  

So now how does this all make sense with the what I mentioned in that cheesy first paragraph? Well more often than not it's your friends who builds those barriers. Shooting down your weird but often creative ideas are a given task set by all of those around you. Now while I'm sure that more often than not they mean no legitimate harm and are simply looking out for you. Still if that were always the case then I wouldn't be writing this article now would I?

There are moments, rare moments when you need to give yourself the final decision. Stick to your values for once and don't be swayed by what others think. Having friends is good, but having control of your own life is even better. You need to be able to instil that desire to accept the views of others but remain firm against your own. Simply changing yourself to suit those around you simply delays the chance to express yourself freely. As a person you're both the greatest opponent and greatest support to yourself. When you take to heart what others feel you become your own downfall. It's a bit like defeating yourself before the battle has even begun. I'm liking the expression 'motivational suicide'.

A few weeks ago I realised that despite coming this far in life I still have a lot to learn. I need to stand up for myself once in a while or I'm simply giving in to the idealisms of others. Life is unique to each individual and we should never compromise on our individuality or we risk losing the identity that we perceive of ourselves. There will be times when those close to you will break you down to the the bare foundation that you hold as your own; do not be set back. Get up and rebuild.

The time will come when the joys of life exist in a place that you feel at one with. When you look back and see how much you've grown and realise that you're happy.

The Lone Ranger or The Masses of Sheep?

People don't often realize how the interactions I have with them leads me to learning a life lesson. Certain encounters that I've had have in fact taught me a lot about life. Some lessons were beneficial, others were harsh smacks of reality, but more often than not each lesson I learned would change me as an individual. However I digress from the original topic.

Every person I've met over the course of my lifetime have had different ideals, views and perspective to almost everything and anything. Now while it is true that human opinions are unique, most of the people I met could be classified into groups of individuals with similar characteristics. However there are always those rare few with viewpoints so unorthodox that they question the foundation of everything considered to be the norm. To them, their opinions are only ones they consider worth listening to. Some might say that they are selfish for not taking into consideration the views of others. However it has come to my realization that in the end it is us who makes the final decision regarding any dilemma we face with life, so shouldn't our thoughts matter the most?

Now trust me there are always exceptions to this rule. Some people are so single minded that they are blinded by the desire of others to help them out. They always consider themselves to be right no matter what the circumstances. Whether others think of them as a joke or not, they are their own boss and will fiercely stand by what they say. However their stubbornness eventually leads to their downfall. In essence these individuals are popular to a certain degree. Sadly though this popularity is not one of respect but rather of curiosity. Others are enamored by the resilience of this person who to them is a refreshing break from all the other sheep they interact with. Unfortunately their interest is no more than that of people visiting the zoo and trying to provoke the snakes with a stick. They hunger for the moment when this person finally loses his or her grip on reality and goes spiraling down into a wave of their own emotions.

What I have described in the previous paragraph is an extreme measure of one person's view on an individual's opinion. The polar opposites are in fact far more common then their counterparts. They are those who are addicted to what is considered popular by the masses. Also regarded as 'sheep' these people are always willing to bend their own opinions to suit the generally agreed view. While popular, it is quite likely that in the future, just as trends fade away, they too will not be remembered.

So now the question lies as to where some of you stand in terms of listening to others and having a voice for yourself. As with all things good and evil, tolerance is key. We should not allow what others say to hurt or influence us too greatly. Similarly we should not let wise words spoken go to waste. Each person has something to say. What matters is whether it's worth listening to or not.

Why everyone is related to Pinocchio.

Yes it's true. I bring you startling evidence that deep down inside we're all made of balsa wood and are blessed by a fairy to one day become a real boy (ladies sorry for the gender bender, blame Disney not me). Now let's see, there are three aspects of Pinocchio that I can remember from my childhood. The first two, while useful to understand I find less significant  compared to the third element.

For starters Pinocchio is a wooden boy. Now I can get all fancy with my choice of words and tell you in 5 different ways of how this is useful to know. Instead though I'll preserve my dignity (and your interest) and lay the whole thing out simple. So being made of wood is a real bummer. I mean splinters everywhere. It also means you're completely at risk of your surroundings with the greatest threat being mankind. Similarly there will always be people in your life wanting to cut you down and turn you into toothpicks (the minty kind with the green tips). So should you let that get you down? Damn straight you shouldn't! You should be like little Pinoke and always have faith in yourself. The little tyke believed that he was a real boy and he eventually became one. Follow in his wooden footsteps..

Our next big reveal is that Pinocchio had an issue with lying. Now if you're as bad as me when it comes to lying (I blush like crazy) then obviously this isn't an issue for you since nobody believes you anyways. However for the rest of you more skilled at this fine art, lying really is like a time bomb waiting to go off. Now I'm not saying that your nose will grow or anything, although think of how epic that would be, but it's definitely going to bite you on your behind later on. Trust me, I have friends who I know still regret not being upfront when faced with a difficult situation. They learned 'big time' that lying, never works. However this rule only applies to lies you use to save your butt, I mean lies to keep people's dignity intact are still sorta okay.

Our final element of this amazingly confusing post is that Pinoke was a puppet, and in reality so are we. Now this is a bit more difficult to explain as there quite a few ways in which strings have been stitched through our ligaments. Let see, there are firstly those who are influenced by the media. People sporting designer bags like it actually matters. A bag is a bag, status symbol or not; if the world ever does end up being destroyed by a giant fireball, that shit is toast. There are also those led astray by social pressure. Peoples actions, harsh remarks, and snide jokes directed towards you can usually push you against a wall of your own decisions.Eventually you'll be forced to climb it only to fall down flat on your back. Finally and most importantly there are those who are led astray by individuals. Deceivers, two-faced friends and sadly people who toy with your emotions have all in some way been part of our social circle. The part that most of you won't believe is that each one of us has played these roles as well, although till this day we may remain blissfully unaware of the harm we caused to people. For those of you on the receiving end, the effect is almost painful to witness. It destroys your belief in humanity and trust when your perception of a person is completely changed by that one sudden action that deep down inside you'd always hoped wouldn't occur. Wow I sorta lost myself in my words over there, but I really hope I didn't go overboard like I usually do.

So now that I've mercilessly analyzed a simple Disney movie better than any literature teacher could, I guess I'll let you in on why then the movie still brings a smile to my face every time I see it... his name is Jiminy Cricket. Our conscience in the form of a friend. Someone who's there to see you through the wrong and guide you into the right. True he is a bug and max has a life span of what like 6 weeks, but at least he's useful enough to keep around (totally wrecked that emotional moment).

Wow I didn't know Disney had so much thought involved when they wrote the screenplay for the movie. Or maybe that's just me and my crazy overactive imagination. Still I now have an outlet, even it's a small one. I guess this is the end? Till next time my brain decides to go haywire this is me saying 'buh-bye'.