get up off your ass...and learn for once.

face it. we all, pretty much all the time, take the easy way out. that means we need to all pull our heads out of our asses and take a challenge. I realized today that I don't want to make the same mistake I made during high school: I don't want to pick a course or a topic that will seem "easier" just to alleviate some of the burden. I don't think I missed much in terms of high school projects, but I could have certainly learned more, explored more. I envision myself as this intricate, complex, constantly changing character with a wide range of interests and knowledge -- pretty much the person that I won't be unless I actually challenge myself to learn things I didn't already know.

maybe I can phrase it up in the common idiom, "staying in your comfort zone." you know what you know, you like what you like, you know what you like, you like what you know. I do it, we all do it (this isn't just a silly generalization). how many times have you, or I for that matter, done a project or a paper on a topic you were already knowledgeable about for the sheer fact that you (or I) didn't want to work as hard and invest as much energy to get a good grade?
...I'm embarrassed to raise my hand.
point proven. and here I stand, ready to go to college and be an adult, ready to face psychological, emotional and physical challenges...and I'm not mature enough to step out of my comfort zone and invest more effort to learn something new?

now I'm not one to stay within my comfort zone. I've done different summer programs each year, I have ventured to foreign countries by myself, I take classes by myself, I have a job (which gives me a totally new group of people I expose myself to), and the list continues. but, when it comes to schoolwork I always want to relearn things so I can get a good grade as opposed to new knowledge. it's time I grew up, and quite frankly, cut the shit. how will I ever change and grow and develop as a person with real interests if I don't explore new interests when I have the opportunity to? I have my whole grown-up life to live when I'll be expected to be knowledgeable on certain topics, and a to be a neophyte when it comes to others.

therefore, I challenge myself the following:
when it comes time for college, electives, summer programs, papers, projects -- any opportunities to expose myself to something new, I will try my best to take interest. I will push myself to learn new things. it sounds silly, but it's going to be surprisingly hard. in learning new things I will sacrifice the time I'll have for things I already love. no matter the outcome though, I'll come out with new knowledge -- maybe it'll reinforce my preconceived beliefs, maybe it'll shatter them; either option is a good thing.

and hence, time to step out of the comfort zone.

aside from taking up an extra pilates class (with a new teacher, mind you!) and trying free yoga, I'm also seeing the strokes on thursday with my older brother. and there you have it: breaking out of the comfort zone.