It's funny how I currently sit at Oakland Airport writing this post.. I guess it's my go to activity more often than not when I'm at an airport to just crank away at adding more to my blog.  Recently, I've found myself giving the same bit of advice to so many young college students with high aspirations: "Block out the external noise and pressure and just do you." Simpler said than it is done I realize. In a world that feeds off social comparison and acceptance, we find ourselves caving into this mold that is being offered to us. I highly encourage you to just say no to this easy option and find your true self instead.

So many individuals agree with my advice but are bamboozled at how I live by it so easily. In all honesty, I would tell all of you that it is hard to break away from the external noise completely since it will always taunt and tease you even when you think you have finally escaped its grasp. Looking at it more concretely this past year as a junior at Cal, I decided to take the brazen decision to not work over the summer in pursuit of pursuing longer term career aspirations through further and more varied exploration. Most people look at me and think that I made a huge mistake by taking this risk given what the more standard route is to follow. To those people, I understand where you are coming from but I've found my inner sanctuary that I can confide within and seek clarity and guidance on all my matters.

To consciously take action steps towards what society views as unorthodox is what leads to the greatest personal growth. As human beings, we tend to take the easiest route possible, and by no means is that a bad thing at all. I'm definitely not an advocate for making things as hard as possible for you. If that were the case, I would have probably died by now LOL.. ok that wasn't really funny sorry. I've found greater personal growth in the past two years than I have in the first 18-19 years of my life due to making this shift in mindset. I know a lot of you won't believe anything from me as just a college student, so let me leave it to a more credible source:

"Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it." - Steve Maraboli

Mind over matter truly does matter. You can have as much of a projected standing and status as you want, but until you realize the superficial nature and lack of self understanding that results from that, you will forever be stuck in the culturescape's grasp that I mention in my previous post. Think of it like this: the further you extend outside of your inner sanctuary, the further you diverge from retaining your sense of purpose and self that is meant to propel you forward with the greatest momentum on average.

The first step is always the most difficult in terms of adapting to a desired change. Take that first step and relish in the discomfort and anxiety it creates. That "pain" is what will lead to the greatest benefit to your life if you are willing to initially endure it. I know I mentioned earlier that you shouldn't have to take the hard way when there is an easier route but this is one instance where you just have to trust the process and trust and move to the rhythm of your own beat for once. Great power truly lies within the choice to commit to yourself above others.

From then onward, you will start to unveil a truly easier and more clear path ahead of you. Nothing will be as confusing as it once was. You will start having a clear vision of exactly what, when, where, and why all of a sudden. Taking hold of that vision for the first time is honestly one of the most beautiful moment's in human existence in my opinion. Vision is such an important factor for direction and growth because it creates purpose and value in the grand scheme. Most people only really have a grip of either purpose or value, if at all, with the given lack of tapping into their inner sanctuary.

The last bit I really want to touch upon with the inner sanctuary is the fact that time is slower and at more ease in this space. More often that not, we try to hurry the process since we believe either 1) we are constantly playing catch up relative to others or 2) we perceive time to be a lot quicker than it actually is. I've already touched upon the first point numerous times. On the second point though, time is going to go by at the same rate as it always has. Nothing speeds up except for you re-framing the construct of time itself. Don't rush the process because the process is ultimately more valuable than is the end goal or product. We just seem to realize this fact way too late as humans since we are all so impatient.

Take risks and confide within your inner sanctuary. You know yourself better than you give yourself credit for and too often overlook the obvious signals your own self sends you. Noise will always be present, but you don't have to play victim to it. Challenge yourself to make good on your own interests and passions. Good luck and have fun with the initial uneasiness that will in turn transition into long term peace and clarity. And now it's time for me to close off this post at... yes you guessed it, yet another airport; this time it being Los Angeles Airport.