Challenging the Status Quo
I’m not quite sure if this post applies to everyone, but it certainly applies to me. The definition of the status quo is literally “the state in which”. It is the situation you are in. I was introduced to this Latin term watching National Treasure in 2004. In 2004, I had no idea what the status quo meant. Today, I find it to be one of the most intriguing things in my life. What happens when your completely content with life and yet yearn for something more exciting… more life changing… more impacting? That’s where I draw my desire to challenge the state in which things are.
The Status Quo
Work – I’ve got a good job working with people that I like. In fact, two of my close friends began working with me this past month.
Friends – I’ve somehow managed to coax my friends into doing two family dinner nights a week. It’s mostly centered around my cooking and just having a good time, but I love creating the experience for my friends (We live in Redding and thus suffer from an assemblage of bland and uninspiring fare). I’m not currently dating anyone, but I feel like I’m beginning to do relationships really well. The true indicator of this statement is during my recent trip to Los Angeles, two groups of friends drove incredibly long distances just to see me. (SHOUTOUT: I really want to thank Tim & Thao George and Lorien & Rachel Patmore for making my trip phenomenal and making me feel incredibly loved.)
Health – I’m probably in the best shape of my life. I recently ran in a half marathon. Put into perspective, I’ve never in my life run a full mile prior to this year. In January, I ran 6.8 miles in about 1 hour 8 minutes. Last week, I ran 13.1 miles in 1 hour 45 minutes. I had shaven 2 minutes per mile off my time.
Family – Last but not least, my brother and I probably have the best relationship of our lives. I visited him in Los Angeles recently and realized how much I really missed him since he left in April. We ate well, shopped till we dropped, and had the greatest time bonding. I can’t remember anytime in recent history that we actually enjoyed being together. He’s the best brother in the world. Seriously.
The Challenge
Despite everything going well in my life, I always have in the back of my mind… how do I make this even better? How do I do things differently to avoid the monotony of day to day life? To me, perserving the status quo is the most boring thing I could ever think of doing. To really live is to challenge it and make life the world better. I’ve recently been thinking about how to make the world better because I know it’s messed up. I know people are dying of diseases, malnutrition, natural disasters, etc. I could get totally engrossed in the bad news, ignore it all together, or do something about it. I choose to do something about it. If my life is so incredible, how do I make it incredible for everyone else? Remember why I coaxed my friends into doing two family dinners a week? It’s because I love creating the experience for people. It’s in that passion that I want to create that experience for people around the world. That’s why I challenge my status quo. It’s not because it’s convenient or easy… it’s because it’s fun! I’m not sure where I want to start, but I do know that I’ll be making big steps to challenge the status quo in the near future. It’s not because my life sucks. It’s because my life is incredible and I want it to get better.
