IP Blog

“Playing Small Does Not Serve the World.”

“Play big or stay home.” That’s a phrase we hear often. Well, I do anyway. It commonly relates to sports, but that’s not all. In fact, I have that mentality with almost everything I do.  My thinking is if you don’t play big, why play at all? If you don’t use everything you’ve got, why have it in the first place? Why do something half-you-know-what? Save yourself and everyone else the trouble—don’t do it at all. Success takes the use of both your brain and your heart. Your brain measures your ability. If your heart is in it, that ability is fueled by passion, therefore intensifying that initial ability. By solely using your brain, you are only “playing.” When passion is involved, that’s when “playing” transforms into “playing big.”

In today’s society, if you desire recognition, playing big is necessary. It’s your only option. I hate to bring him up, but Bill Gates did not stay home. He played huge and served the world. I’m sure if you asked 10 random people what the first thing that comes to mind is when they hear the name Bill Gates, most if not all will say “richest man in the world.” Yes, this true. However, most of his recognition comes from his wealth—his billions and billions of dollars—not from how he got those billions. Nevertheless, the guy is definitely known. I do not want to even think about life computer-less. YES, it’s that bad.
Props to you, Bill Gates--you played big and won. Being filthy rich doesn’t hurt either.

Got Passion?  If Not, I’ll Tell You What To Care About.

Here’s a question for all you teachers out there. It’s the one you hear on a regular basis, maybe even daily. It’s the one you dread most. “Can I go to the bathroom?” comes in close second, but you actually get pleasure in your witty response of “I don’t know, can you?” After all these years falling for that trap, I can assure you I will ask my future boss if I may go to the bathroom. Thank you for teaching me to talk properly concerning bathroom use. Anyway, enough of that crap.

“Why do we have to learn thisssss?” (said in a whiny, annoying voice) is a teacher’s worst nightmare. You would rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard, wouldn’t you? It’s that question that teachers don’t really answer, and I never bother asking. Why do we have to learn this, you ask? Well, why did our teacher have to learn it? To teach us the same useless information. It’s all one nasty cycle, really. What’s sad about teaching methods today is that we are still using the old-school way of raising our hands when we know the answer. Brainwashing students with memorization and repetition is another story, and tests are something else. They’re all about how much time a student is willing to spend memorizing fact after fact. Here’s something I know for a fact. Memorizing useless information won’t determine my future success. Why color inside the lines when you can think outside the box? I can’t have passion for every one of my subjects. It is impossible. So what if I don’t seem interested in what you’re teaching. At least I’m not sleeping like the kid next to me is. I can’t change what I’m passionate about, and I don’t want to either. You can tell me what to care about. I just won’t listen.