A Difference

[Ol' Fighter]

A simple question....


If something life changing was right before your very eyes... would you notice it? Better yet, would you pursue it? Accept it...?

I continue on and say would you notice it? Edited March 18, 2011 by Ol' Fighter

[Korey]

[font="Tahoma"]Well I'd suffice it to say that it would depend on how you're inclined to deal with certain life-changing stimuli. Some people flourish under it, some people reject it, others fear it. Personally I don't like change at all. Having your life be turned upside down (whether for better or worse) is something that a person like me-who likes things to remain somewhat the same- is pretty devastating. But over time you come to deal with things and find some sort of positive outcome from it. Human nature, after all. :)[/font]

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]It probably depends what you mean by life-changing. Potentially almost anything can be life-changing, depending on your approach.

Also, "life-changing" doesn't necessarily imply something [i]good[/i]. It might be something bad, in which case...why pursue it?

You may have to elaborate a bit more so that I can better understand your question. :P[/font]

[Vicky]

How would you know it's going to be "life changing" until you're twenty odd or so years in the future reflecting back on everything?

I'm chasing a few things that might be "life changing", but I don't have a clue if it will be or not.

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Calibri]I am going to the next town over on Monday afternoon to finalise my enlistment with the Navy.

I'm actually hoping it will be life-changing, because that's exactly what I need right now.[/FONT]

[Nerdsy]

[quote name='Allamorph' timestamp='1300494860' post='705788']
[FONT=Calibri]I am going to the next town over on Monday afternoon to finalise my enlistment with the Navy.
[/FONT]
[color=deeppink][/quote]

Oh wow. Best of luck man.



To answer the questions of the topic....

Whether or not I notice a life-changing event will depend on how much quickly it will effect me. For example, if I am witnissing the death of a loved one, I'm going to pretty immidiately see it for what it is. However, if I meet a [i]future[/i] loved one... that's a bit more gradual and I wouldn't know it immidiately.

Would I pursue it? If it is within my interests to do so, yes. But I tend to be pretty passive; unless it's something I absolutely must do, I sort of just let change happen.

I definitely would be able to accept a change in the sense that I would acknowledge that it is happening. That is, I can rationally accept it, but I may not be able to emotionally accept it. There are certain things in my life that I long ago accepted will never change and certain things that I know have to change soon, but by no means am I happy about them. [/color]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='Nerdsy' timestamp='1300519484' post='705790']Oh wow. Best of luck man.[/quote]
[font="Calibri"]Thanks. =)

I feel I should probably clarify my intent with that post, besides the casual-shocker sort of thing that lovely out-of-left-field major decision announcements tend to carry. I don't believe life-changing events are necessarily always out of a person's individual control. I do know it's tough to accept and adapt to changes you don't have any choice in, especially when they don't seem to be good in any immediate way. Probably the simplest example would be just moving, whether it's across town or to another state, or to the opposite side of the country, or to a completely different nation. (Props to you, [color="DarkRed"]Korey[/color], for taking that head-on.) Stuff like that you may not look forward to, or even want at all, so yeah, I'd say it'd be difficult to want to pursue.

But then again, you never know what's down the road until you get there, and three years later when you look back, that's [i]that[/i] much more experience you have now that you didn't have starting out, and once you notice what's happened since the change, you might suddenly realise that you have gained an intangible something in the process that you wouldn't ever want to give up.

And then there's changes that you try to make for yourself, like a person tired of living in the slums their whole life and wanting to better themselves and rise up out of that, or like my decision to join the Navy (which honestly is because I feel I need a swift kick in the pants to get my life back in the gear it by rights should have been all along). These changes are ones you [i]want[/i], so obviously you know they're there, and you've accepted you need them, and you're actively pursing them because you believe you need them. You still don't always know whether they're going to be good or bad for you, but I think you're pretty sure you wouldn't try to go after them if you didn't think they'd help.

As for life-changing events that alter things for the worse.....I dunno. I'm not entirely certain I can agree to such a pessimistic thought. I mean, the best changes can be poisoned by a doggedly negative outlook, and so it holds that the worst things that can happen to someone can be turned into something better if that person chooses to keep their head about them. And I suppose I'm sort of biased as a Christian, since "...we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose."[sup]*[/sup] Doesn't necessarily say everything will always be sunshine and rainbows, but it [i]does[/i] mean that even the ugliest portions of our lives will have an end and will be useful for something, even if it's just helping someone else who ends up going through a similar set of trials.

In short, I guess, if the changes were so slow that I didn't notice them as they were working on me, I don't guess the other two questions would apply. But as long as I knew something was happening, and regardless of whether or not I liked it, I hope I'd have the maturity to know which ones to try and pursue, which ones to struggle with and bear until they passed, and which ones to avoid.

-------
[sup][size="1"]*[/size][/sup][size="1"]Romans 8:28 (NAS)[/size]
[/font] Edited March 19, 2011 by Allamorph

[chibi-master]

[quote name='Ol' Fighter' timestamp='1300451641' post='705773']
A simple question....
[/quote]
FALSEHOODS

It depends on the life-changing thing. I'm 16, so I have no life yet.

[Korey]

[quote name='Allamorph' timestamp='1300494860' post='705788']
[FONT=Calibri]I am going to the next town over on Monday afternoon to finalise my enlistment with the Navy.
[/FONT]
[/quote]

I don't usually go "O_O" but I'll make an exception in this case.

[img]http://wifi.animeblogger.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/snapshot20090917005132.jpg[/img]

[Ol' Fighter]

Alright, to be honest I didn't expect an answer to my question at all. We are all uniquely ourselves right? One person might consider moving to a new country as a change while another considers a change of wardrobe change. Of course it varies.

What I'm getting at here, or rather hoping to accomplish is to see just how different everyone's opinion is on change and I should have totally specified that. [u][b]Life style change[/b][/u]. There.

Also, [b]Chibi[/b] I couldn't agree with you more. A simple answer is nowhere to be found here.

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I just think the question is a bit nebulous. Surely each person's opinion on change will be dependent on the type of change. Even "lifestyle change" is pretty vague.

But on that subject, Allamorph's story reminds me a little bit of my own. Well, kind of. Just after I finished University I definitely went through a period of really having no idea what direction to take. I really felt like I was just doing things day-by-day with no real plan or anything.

So I literally just applied for a job at the other end of the country and I managed to get an interview (bear in mind that until this point, I had not lived on my own/away from home before). I flew over there with a one-way ticket and stayed with a friend. Luckily I got the job and I ended up living in that state for more than a year before returning to my home state.

I guess for Americans it would be a bit like living in New York and suddenly moving to Florida. It's roughly equivalent to that in terms of distance and climate, I guess.

For me, it was a very scary thing to do, because I did it all on my own. When I was on the flight, I did sometimes think "What the hell am I doing?!" But in the end, it worked out really well. In fact, it really did change the entire course of my life from then on. I really can't imagine how my life would be now if I hadn't taken that big leap.

There were challenges and things along the way, but generally I'm so glad that I plucked up the courage to do it. I think Allamorph's plans are far more courageous than mine, though. I am sure that his experience will be similarly rewarding in the end. :)[/font]

[Pumpkin]

[quote name='Allamorph' timestamp='1300573017' post='705805']
[font="Calibri"]But then again, you never know what's down the road until you get there, and three years later when you look back, that's [i]that[/i] much more experience you have now that you didn't have starting out, and once you notice what's happened since the change, you might suddenly realise that you have gained an intangible something in the process that you wouldn't ever want to give up.[sup][size="1"]*[/size][/sup][size="1"]Romans 8:28 (NAS)[/size]
[/font]
[/quote][font="calibri"][size="2"][color="#000080"]This basically sums up my whole arguement. I'm one of those people who RELISHES change. I use to be the opposite, but now I feel like if I don't progress then I'm not happy. It's why I even get bored with my hair so easily, I've been every style/color etc. I feel like life is an experience and if you never venture out then you might be faced with regrets in the future. Everyone I know is getting married/having kids so young (23/24) my age is like the time to start a family and live your life where you grew up. It's why I've been wanting to move east coast (New York) my dream. Because if you never try, then you'll always wonder what if?

If you think change is good, do it. It might be hard to adapt but in the end, I think it will be worth it. I've moved to a different city before, but it was in the same state. I want to experience much in my short life before I can say "wow that was amazing". Also as for bad changes can actually seem bad at the time but turn out to be positive later. For exampe you might have ended a relationship but who's to say you won't meet the love of your life later?

Change is good. It's just most people are too scared to realize the possibilities. Just because you live doesn't mean your alive. [/color][/font][/size]

[Ol' Fighter]

[quote name='Pumpkin' timestamp='1301643915' post='706168']
[font="calibri"][size="2"][color="#000080"]This basically sums up my whole arguement. I'm one of those people who RELISHES change. I use to be the opposite, but now I feel like if I don't progress then I'm not happy. It's why I even get bored with my hair so easily, I've been every style/color etc. I feel like life is an experience and if you never venture out then you might be faced with regrets in the future. Everyone I know is getting married/having kids so young (23/24) my age is like the time to start a family and live your life where you grew up. It's why I've been wanting to move east coast (New York) my dream. Because if you never try, then you'll always wonder what if?

If you think change is good, do it. It might be hard to adapt but in the end, I think it will be worth it. I've moved to a different city before, but it was in the same state. I want to experience much in my short life before I can say "wow that was amazing". Also as for bad changes can actually seem bad at the time but turn out to be positive later. For exampe you might have ended a relationship but who's to say you won't meet the love of your life later?

Change is good. It's just most people are too scared to realize the possibilities. Just because you live doesn't mean your alive. [/color][/font][/size]
[/quote]

Absolutely. That's my stand on change as well.

And to share a li'l something epic that I did that I probably wouldn't of have ever done if it weren't for a little encouragement was my hitch hiking adventure from Michigan to Colorado to Hawai' i.

My friend and I were just kind of chilling out and looking outside and we're both just thinking screw this it's cold so, let's go somewhere warm for a bit. Our choice was Hawaii and we got plane tickets under $300 because we booked them way ahead of time, but the extra time was needed because we decided we were gonna hitch it. In the middle of friggin' winter. Now, if that isn't crazy I don't know what is, lol. We thankfully got a ride through most of Illinois courtesy of our friends who were just going to Chicago but decided to take us that extra mile or two and we found ourselves stuck at a truck stop for 3 day which was agonizing for me because I can't sit still for crap, but we eventually scored a ride from some kids our age who drove us to the airport in Davenport, Iowa. Now, we ran into them once already and they were busy at the time but said they'd come back. I didn't put too much stock into that, but it weirded me out when my bud and I went to Mc Donalds and ran into their little cousin (also about our age) who was waiting to meet them there. After a burger and cig break or two they drove us to the airport. We stayed there for the night then continued our venture by city bus to get us to the next truck stop and there lady luck really favored us because the first trucker we asked was like, sure why not? I say we were really lucky because most truckers--if they work for a company that is--can't allow any one else in there trucks unless they too have some type o' license. I forget what type exactly, but we found that one guy who again happened to be our age and was a freelance trucker. On top of that he was going directly to Denver, Colorado and that was were we needed to go. So, after about 2 or almost 3 days of chilling with this trucker on the road who, was a rather crude guy but hilarious we made it to Denver. Beautiful place, man. There we set up base in a Starbucks to find a place to crash. I made a few calls and got us a future place to crash while my pal got us a place for the night. It pays off to be a part of the couch surfing world, lol. So, having a week to kill until our flights we just messed around and chilled with a lot of random people. We later on made it to Boulder, Colorado home to the so called "granola children" of Naropa University. Honestly though, I thought most of them were stoners if I may be so boldest to say, but nope, totaaaaal hippies... cool ones though, lol. After that we hitch a ride from a random guy while walking on the highway. Funny thing was I actually talked my friend into walking 20+ miles to get back to Denver. Irony here is the fact that later on while in Hawai 'i I end up walking 23 miles in just over 1 day which put me in the hospital, lol.

Now, it was January 23 which was my 21st birthday and my friends back in Michigan sent me some money so I could party even harder. Got god knows how many drinks and woke up with a werewolf mask... on... for some odd reason...? I don't know either. We met up with our other pair of travel pals apparently. I don't remember that very well, lol. Continuing on from that drunken episode we chilled out, sobered up and made our ways to the airport and waited there for our flights to wonderful Hawai 'i.

I wanna talk about what all I did while in Hawai' i but man, it's a lot to say. I'll rap it up and say that I love change because you never know what'll change in you, about you, about someone else... Change is awesome.