ANTICIPATION VS PARTICIPATION pt 1: LEARNING

Don’t let anticipation ruin participation.

 

Here’s the situation: you have a plan to do something you’ve never done before.

This is when every past failure shows up saying, “Who do you think you are?”

Past success whispers, “You’re ready for this.”

Of course we always listen to the reasonable voice, either one.

No matter that task, from going back to school, searching family history, or taking a trip, do one thing:

FOLLOW THROUGH!

Nothing is sadder than the story of good planning, poor execution, and abandonment.

Start with education.

You had every intent on finishing a college degree after high school.

After freshman dorm year you started hearing things nineteen year olds hear.

“This is a waste of time.”

“You don’t need this piece of magic diploma paper.”

“You’re dropping out, not flunking out. There’s a difference.”

The plan for college turns into a job, a punishing job you say you love because it helps you avoid the thought that you’re a quitter.

The TRUTH is you’re not a quitter until you quit trying.

Are you a quitter? Tell the TRUTH, at least to yourself.

EDUCATION ANTICIPATION

 

Contact your old school, get your transcripts in order, sign up for class, pick your schedule.

Not all in that exact order.

The first step from drop out to non-traditional student is getting over the age factor.

Are you older than everyone in class but the teacher? Don’t worry, there’s no grading curve for that.

Do other students wonder what the heck you’re hanging around college classes for?

They’ll get it once they drop out and reengage.

Don’t waste your breath giving new classmates the benefit of your extensive knowledge.

If they’re not smarter than you, they don’t know it, but think they are. Have fun with that idea.

Most important while you struggle making study time, balancing married life, parent life, and full time work life, give words of encouragement to today’s youths, tomorrow’s leaders.

Goes like this:

People break deals and promises and expect you to understand it’s all part of the grown up game.

The fact they are weak minded hosers on the fast track to being strong minded hosers is no concern to you.

But that’s enough about the professors.

If you’ve got the habit of showing up, keep showing up. Show up whenever you say you’re showing up.

Even show up in places unexpected.

You wouldn’t attend The Ballet even if threatened with a chainsaw to your leg? Show up and take a nap.

Who wouldn’t like waking up to live music and dancing girls? And no, passing out in a strip club isn’t the same as ballet.

On the other hand, do you hate piña coladas and getting caught in the rain? You’re not into yoga; you have half a brain?

If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape, then I’m the love that you’ve looked for, write to me and escape.

Rupert Holmes wrote a song that reflects the sort of thinking that made you drop out the first time.

Follow through and ignore the sandy romance ideas of someone who obviously never sacked out on a dune.

Anticipation works best when it lines the road toward goals you’ve set.

It’s exciting. Feel the thrill and get with the program.

PS: What’s your plan?

Bill Gates has a few pointers:

RULE 1
Life  is not fair – get used to it.

RULE 2
The  world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world
will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you  feel
good about yourself.

RULE 3
You  will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out
of high school. You won’t be a vice president with
car phone, until you earn  both.

RULE 4
If  you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a
boss. He doesn’t have tenure.

RULE 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger flipping
they
called it Opportunity.

RULE 6
If  you mess up,it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t
whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7
Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as
they are now. They got that way from paying  your bills,
cleaning your clothes and  listening to you talk about
how cool  you are. So before you save the rain forest
from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try
delousing the closet in your own room.

RULE 8
Your  school may have done away with winners and losers,
but life has not. In some schools they have  abolished
failing grades and they’ll  give you as many times as
you want to  get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the
slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9
Life  is not divided into semesters. You don’t get
summers off and very few employers are interested in
helping you find yourself. Do that on your own  time.

RULE 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people
actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to  jobs.

RULE 11
Be  nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for
one.