I. The Terminal - I like to think of my life as an airport terminal. My thoughts are constantly moving and I'm always on the go. When you step inside of an airport terminal it is unlike any other building - you are instantly connected with the rest of the world. In my entertainment page, I talk about growing up watching The Crocodile Hunter in which the main character, Steve Irwin, travels around the world to educate others about the natural environment around them. This sparked a passion for adventure and travel.
The same principal can be applied to my career page. I am a multimedia journalist who is always on the go and frequently visits airport terminals. I have to be very organized, and when the smallest problem occurs, it can have catastrophic effects on my operation. Balancing school and work is a tightrope act that must be precise in order for both to be successful.
My family taught me to be independent, to never take advantage of anything and to earn what I have. They also taught me how to manage. Just as a terminal manages a variety of situations, from the weather to security threats, no matter what, there is almost always flights coming in and out every few minutes.
My community has taught me to work with others, though good and bad to get the job done. This can be difficult at times, especially for a perfectionist, but like a terminal must be managed.
As I continue to discover more about myself and expose myself to more cultures and experiences, I have learned that to be successful in life you must be able to adapt to any situation. My terminal will always be open and opportunities continue to arrive at any moment, but I will always be moving.
II. Stress - The world values stress. Someone who is busy with 100 things going on at any given moment is immediately branded as successful in life. I would like to disagree with this notion, except I have been put into the category of successful because of how busy I am. The image above is a direct symbol of stress. What I would like to see changed, and what I would like to change about myself, is how someone who is moderately successful but stress free is viewed. If you live an average but happy life you are branded as average or maybe above average but not incredibly successful. This perception of success can be seen throughout the economic history of America. Look at a figure like Steve Jobs, who is regarded as one of the most influencial and successful entrepreneurs of modern society. Yet, he has little personal life and has been regarded as a workaholic and obsessive compulsive over every aspect of his company. Similar descriptions may be applied to Gator Football head coach Urban Meyer who took a temporary leave of absence after his team lost the SEC Championship to Alabama. I would hope in the coming years that society begins to value a stress-free life with moderate success. I also hope to achieve this one day.
III. Stress-Free Life - As stated in section II, I feel that people need to live a stress-free life. I certainly do not, and I am trying to achieve this through reducing professional work and spreading out my curriculum to support a busy professional life in addition to being a college student. After a few health scares this semester, I realized the value of living a stress-free life and leaving the airport terminal behind. While I will always work, there needs to be a set amount of time to relax, take in the experiences you've had and prepare yourself for the next adventure. Life is always moving fast, but sometimes life needs to take a step back and reflect. If the values of success were different, I think more people would take time out for themselves instead of working themselves to death.
