Okay, so maybe I'm no expert at the real world. But at 22 with a college degree and 6 months of real world under my belt, I know what they aren't telling you in college. Don't look so grim over there with your head down, I was an idealist once too, back in 2008(eon's ago, I know) when I thought everything was possible. I was merely embrassing the notions that society had eluded me into believing. From as early as I can remember I was told by parents, educators, and mentors that "knowledge is power". The classrooms of my formative years were even decorated with posters emphasizing this idea; usually some uplifting poster from the 80's, complete with a rainbow with this very slogan written so largely in block letter's it couldn't be missed. I thought this meant that society had in fact done what my history classes said, destroyed social status, and with the right determination to succeed that anything I could dream up was possible. Maybe I have often wondered if perhaps, I took this too literally.
How could this not be true.
I graduated from college with a decent GPA from arguably the greatest public institution in California, if not the nation. But, suddenly my internships were getting me no where. Instead of packing up my car and driving cross country, or jet-setting to Europe to "find myself" in college, I spent my summers either working or interning. Networking if you will. I was gaining knowledge yes? or was I.
Suddenly I began to realize that the correct mantra is, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" completely flabbergasted by this realization I began to spread my name and develop my professional contact base like wildfire, if they knew me, they'd hire me and give me a job.
But no, that didn't work either.
Today, however, on a beautiful sunny drive through California I figured it out. "Knowledge is in fact power". However, like many things we learn in school this mantra should not be taken so literally. I realized that there are several interpretations of knowledge, it's realizing what yours is capable of and what your potential is that is the most difficult.
It isn't our fault that we so literally interpret these mantra's that are instilled upon us at early ages, it's only natural. Cinderella gets her prince at the end of the movie and they live happily ever after right? Wrong. Today I realized that this is a metaphor for something even greater, getting my degree was getting my prince, and my graduation was the cheesy credits at the end of the movie. It's the rest of my life that didn't come with a mantra, a manual, or a disney movie to reference.
Use that knowledge to figure the next part out, and remember what I talked about in my last blog don't be afraid to learn from your shortcomings. Life is all about the unknown, the people you will meet, the places you will go, and the lives you will change for the better.
Here's to you, here's to me, and here's to 2010. May this year bring you many great things.
Monday, January 11, 2010
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