“We’re going for a walk,” I said to the doormen as I lead Patrick out of the crusty, grungy, bug-infested, compound into the crusty, grungy, bug-infested, street. Left, left, over a highway via a graffiti covered bridge, and then we got to the Burger King. As hungry as we were walking into this third world purveyor of fake beef, there was no chance that we were going to sate our appetites in this attempt of an establishment. Ladies of the night populated the booths, tables, and most importantly, the bathrooms as we ordered our imitation food and waited for half an hour for the meal that we inevitably threw away. We walked back to the compound through the Puerto Rican night with high spirits; giddy with awkwardness.
There is an art to risk-taking, one that some people are naturally gifted at and others never quite master. Like art on a canvas, risk-taking is displayed differently by different “artists” based on their personal stories, goals, and boundaries. People can be categorized as no-risk, low-risk, moderate-risk, or high-risk. No-risk people tend to be the ones who aren’t even in situations to have to try to self-preserve because they are too busy being comfortable in their daily routines and never even put their toes near the line. This is different than low-risk individuals because they at least attempt spontaneity but the urge to “survive” is so high that they very rarely find themselves in dire-straits. Most people worth talking too are moderate risk-takers. They push the boundaries, force discussion and thought, all while “staying alive.” They see the value in a good story and have no problem getting a little dirty. The same people who say “YOLO” non-sarcastically tend to be high risk-takers. Self-preservation is a joke not an instinct as they jump off of buildings, have torrid love affairs, and die before ever truly growing up.
I consider myself to be a moderate risk-taker. I love to do things for the joke, the vine, or the story; as long as I am reasonably sure that I will survive the punchline. I am one of the first people to blast loud funny music as I wobble back and forth well within the fog line and median but one of the last people to race in a residential area. Some of my friends on the other hand could be considered both low and high risk-takers. Johnnie Stupek is a low risk-taker; making calculated decisions that not only look responsible but actually are responsible. He pursues debate, his girlfriend Miriam, and very little else. At the other end of the spectrum I would place Patrick Helmke; my partner in crime from above. It doesn’t matter if there is any physical gain coming from a situation, if he thinks it will be funny he will do it. These opposing lifestyles occasionally cross but it is far more likely that they don’t.
Risk isn’t just a board game, it’s a key part of life. Not everyone can be a Navy SEAL, a promiscuous partier, or a police officer just like not everyone can be an accountant, an author, or an ordinary person. Life is for everyone but truly living isn’t for the faint of heart, even a low risk-taker takes risks each and every day. They are unavoidable. If you aren’t a risk-taker you aren’t a person. Waking up in the morning, falling asleep at night, breathing, all of those things are inherent risks associated with living because the very action of being alive risks dying. Just like how driving, eating, flying, and even the act of standing have potential risks. These risks are generally ignored by the benefits of being able to do any of those things. Now, armed thus with the knowledge that risk is a part of life, go and live.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Most People Need To Be Uplifted
Most people are broken. Most people have things from their pasts they wish they could forget. Most people are doing the best that they know how. For those people you and I need to be strong and decent.
Some people are destroyed.
Those are the people we need to pray for, give time to, and invite into our lives. It's not our strength that they should be revering it's their pain with which we should be empathizing. We know how it feels, or at least we think we do. It's no fault of theirs that they are taking it harder than we think we would. God put them into our lives so that we could help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:10 "If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Divided we can't help but fall. Think about all the people in your life that have helped you up.
Be that person for someone else.
We can never repay those that have lifted us up but we can be that person for someone else.
Some people are destroyed.
Those are the people we need to pray for, give time to, and invite into our lives. It's not our strength that they should be revering it's their pain with which we should be empathizing. We know how it feels, or at least we think we do. It's no fault of theirs that they are taking it harder than we think we would. God put them into our lives so that we could help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:10 "If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Divided we can't help but fall. Think about all the people in your life that have helped you up.
Be that person for someone else.
We can never repay those that have lifted us up but we can be that person for someone else.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
WTF Society
Tears get sympathy, anger gets anger, but men can't cry. Weakness gets help, strength gets witnessed, but men must be strong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCd0M3ct10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCd0M3ct10
Monday, January 12, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Ollie Forsyth Interview
Q:Who are you?
A:My name is Ollie Forsyth. I’m seventeen years old and I started my first business aged 13. I now have my own online gift shop and own online enterprise magazine. I left school without qualifications being heavily dyslexic, I was bullied, I was told I would never succeed in life, so I was determined to reach the top. I am now at an enterprise business college, as I hated school. There is no point being at school if you don’t enjoy it. I am now studying at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy backed by Dragons Den star, Peter Jones.
Q:What did you want to be when you grew up?
A:I always dreamt of being a policeman or a teacher as I liked the cool action stuff, but actually when I was in my teens, I was making thousands and thousands of dollars yearly and I knew this is what I wanted to do as a career. I wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age. My Grandfather was an entrepreneur who retired in his late 20’s. He had the luxury houses and cars until he sadly passed away. So my aim is to be like him but I think it’s really important to give something back when you have become a successful entrepreneur. Always give something back no matter how wealthy you are as people and your nation greatly appreciates it.
Q:Who is your hero?
A:For sure, Richard Branson along with many others including, Lord Sugar, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and how can we forget Jordan Belfort!
Q:Why model cars?
A:Because I love cars, I used to collect model cars as a kid and I used to make some extra money by just buying this from eBay. I now have a collection worth roughly $15,000. They are just sitting on my shelf going up in value. But as well as this, I like the big toys. I have three classic cars, 1960’s Triumph GT Mk1, 1974 Herbie Beetle and a 1930’s Austin Ulster. I thought to myself, there’s no point having money in the bank, so every penny I’ve earned so far, I’ve reinvested and it has certainly paid off. My aim is to be a millionaire before I’m 20, so I can fund and support as many entrepreneurs as I can. As soon as I’ve made my first million, that money will be used to provide loans for startups or investments in startups. I believe entrepreneurs should support future entrepreneurs, so this is what I am doing.
Q:What was your first business idea?
A:My first proper idea was an online gift shop for Teenagers. Looking at the market, a lot of gift shops where either very tacky and not expensive or very expensive but luxury. But, these did not appeal to teenagers. So I thought to myself, there must be a way to start a gift shop for teenagers, so I did. I started off by selling Friendship bracelets, then I grew the business to 250 products. I received so much support from the media, celebrities including, pop stars, billionaire and millionaire entrepreneurs and great actors and actresses. I contacted as many people as I could and received great responses. Myself and the celebrities raised money for charity though my gift shop. Myself and the American pop star raised £5,000 alone. I then developed the gift shop and named it Ollie’s Shop. Sweet, pure and original. Having had a great turnover within 4 months, I received my first breakthrough when I wrote to my local newspaper. They were very keen to write about me. Since then, I’ve appeared in over 45 newspapers and magazines in three years. Having started Ollie’s Shop and appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, those magazines didn’t provide the key steps in starting a business, some did, but being heavily dyslexic, I had no clue what they meant, so I developed a magazine that is much simpler to take in. The magazine has been going 3 months and we have thousands of readers already, The Budding Entrepreneur Magazine.
Q:What do you see for yourself in 5 years?
A:I see myself as a well recognized young entrepreneur who is helping, supporting budding entrepreneurs. I would also like to help entrepreneurs in third world countries who do not have the resources to start their own business. We need entrepreneurs like this, if we did, this world would be a very different place.
You can find Ollie at:
@oforsyth
Or either of his enterprises:
www.tbemagazine.com
www.ollieshop.co.uk
A:My name is Ollie Forsyth. I’m seventeen years old and I started my first business aged 13. I now have my own online gift shop and own online enterprise magazine. I left school without qualifications being heavily dyslexic, I was bullied, I was told I would never succeed in life, so I was determined to reach the top. I am now at an enterprise business college, as I hated school. There is no point being at school if you don’t enjoy it. I am now studying at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy backed by Dragons Den star, Peter Jones.Q:What did you want to be when you grew up?
A:I always dreamt of being a policeman or a teacher as I liked the cool action stuff, but actually when I was in my teens, I was making thousands and thousands of dollars yearly and I knew this is what I wanted to do as a career. I wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age. My Grandfather was an entrepreneur who retired in his late 20’s. He had the luxury houses and cars until he sadly passed away. So my aim is to be like him but I think it’s really important to give something back when you have become a successful entrepreneur. Always give something back no matter how wealthy you are as people and your nation greatly appreciates it.
Q:Who is your hero?
A:For sure, Richard Branson along with many others including, Lord Sugar, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and how can we forget Jordan Belfort!
Q:Why model cars?
A:Because I love cars, I used to collect model cars as a kid and I used to make some extra money by just buying this from eBay. I now have a collection worth roughly $15,000. They are just sitting on my shelf going up in value. But as well as this, I like the big toys. I have three classic cars, 1960’s Triumph GT Mk1, 1974 Herbie Beetle and a 1930’s Austin Ulster. I thought to myself, there’s no point having money in the bank, so every penny I’ve earned so far, I’ve reinvested and it has certainly paid off. My aim is to be a millionaire before I’m 20, so I can fund and support as many entrepreneurs as I can. As soon as I’ve made my first million, that money will be used to provide loans for startups or investments in startups. I believe entrepreneurs should support future entrepreneurs, so this is what I am doing.
Q:What was your first business idea?
A:My first proper idea was an online gift shop for Teenagers. Looking at the market, a lot of gift shops where either very tacky and not expensive or very expensive but luxury. But, these did not appeal to teenagers. So I thought to myself, there must be a way to start a gift shop for teenagers, so I did. I started off by selling Friendship bracelets, then I grew the business to 250 products. I received so much support from the media, celebrities including, pop stars, billionaire and millionaire entrepreneurs and great actors and actresses. I contacted as many people as I could and received great responses. Myself and the celebrities raised money for charity though my gift shop. Myself and the American pop star raised £5,000 alone. I then developed the gift shop and named it Ollie’s Shop. Sweet, pure and original. Having had a great turnover within 4 months, I received my first breakthrough when I wrote to my local newspaper. They were very keen to write about me. Since then, I’ve appeared in over 45 newspapers and magazines in three years. Having started Ollie’s Shop and appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, those magazines didn’t provide the key steps in starting a business, some did, but being heavily dyslexic, I had no clue what they meant, so I developed a magazine that is much simpler to take in. The magazine has been going 3 months and we have thousands of readers already, The Budding Entrepreneur Magazine.
Q:What do you see for yourself in 5 years?
A:I see myself as a well recognized young entrepreneur who is helping, supporting budding entrepreneurs. I would also like to help entrepreneurs in third world countries who do not have the resources to start their own business. We need entrepreneurs like this, if we did, this world would be a very different place.
You can find Ollie at:
@oforsyth
Or either of his enterprises:
www.tbemagazine.com
www.ollieshop.co.uk
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