Last week I spoke of having a positive attitude, and this week I'll talk about rising above ignorance. You have to these days in order to maintain an attitude. Throughout the week, the average person faces more than their share of ignorance and ignorant type behaviors. First, practice the two wrongs don't make a right theory. Having an ignorant response to an attitude you don't like with only make situations worse. Be the better person, and keep it moving. Don't waste time and energy on waging senseless battles, or holding grudges over situations most everyone else had forgot about. If you have a grievance, say something and try to resolve it in a civil and adult manner, don't internalize it and have it to stew on some months down the road...
A big point to remember in rising above ignorance is to not empower an "ignoramus". This is someone with idiotic ways, behaviors, thought processes, beliefs, actions, and personas. Often someone you would think of as immature, shady, uneducated, and irrational. An "ignoramus" feeds off of anarchy, disorganization, disagreement, and strife. Cut their food supply off at the source. Don't buy into their schemes and childish ways. An ignoramus lives just for elevating your blood pressure and getting under your skin, but they can only do this if you let them. Strip them of their power; ignore them. Build your "dynasty" on stilts, to stay above the choppy waters an ignoramus can stir up. Remember - they travel in flocks. So if you find yourself surrounded by a herd of ignoramus...
More often than not, you'll find yourself around someone who lives off the glow of others, instead of going out and making their own glow. Don't let others steal your shine and glow, but don't think you always have to call them out on it. You should always remember that fool's gold will be proved false under both examination/ pressure. It may pass the eye test in the beginning, but whether given a more thorough screening or put under pressure, it will not hold up. True 24k gold will endure. It won't crack, weather, fade, peel, flake, or turn you green...
Take this week, and prepare a plan for making yourself a better all-around person. Call it your "Top Tier Candidate Program" - TTCP. You want to be the best candidate for whatever you're going to apply yourself for, so be sure to take this week to make a plan and lay out how you can do just that. Whether it's getting back in shape, furthering your education, repairing relationships and networking, etc. Call it your spring cleaning if you need to; your goal is to further your growth, and move closer to living unconquered...
Until next time,
J. Junior II 5/9/11
