what will I be when I grow up?
My parents returned from the United States this morning, so the internet is now working again. It died about a week after they'd left and neither my sister nor myself knew how to revive it. My dad used to be a network engineer, and it didn't take him long to get things back up and running. Apparently a password was reset somewhere or other.
Now that I have access to my blog again, I can happily write about how my mum has lost her voice because apparently she was screaming too much. She said that there were over 50,000 people at the 'extravaganza', and that Elton John was hired by Herbalife to perform. Over 50,000 hysterical Herbalife distributors wearing "Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How!" buttons, clapping in unison, listening to Elton John... I too would've screamed until I was hoarse.
If you do not know what a Herbalife distributor is, I will attempt to give you a brief, unbiased description. Generally speaking, a Herbalife distributor is an adult who has been inspired to hope and dream about a better future. 'Financial independence' is a prerequisite for this better future. These hopes and dreams stem from a belief that helping people towards better health through the Herbalife products can be unimaginably profitable. They believe that they can learn how to create such unimaginably profitable businesses through personal growth and by learning from others who have had success.
Fortunately, this emphasis on personal growth and on helping others achieve better health does appear to produce some genuinely successful and happy people, in which 'financial independence' is not a primary contributor towards their sense of well-being. However, for every genuinely successful Herbalife distributor, there appear to be thousands of motivated lost souls who blindly charge forward, thinking that reaching whatever wonderful reality they imagine for their future will, in itself, produce happiness. In this blind rush towards a dream, in which 'personal growth' and helping others are merely useful tools to get to where you want to be, you see a tremendous amount of creepy group-think and unnatural enthusiasm. Rushing towards 'success' at all costs does funny things to people.
My dad wants to sail around the world in the boat he's always dreamed of. My mum's very good-hearted. Her vision is to run a 'Wellness Centre', in which she can help people become healthy, and give people Bowen Therapy free of charge. Even if they don't make it, I hope that somewhere in the midst of the process of trying, they do find lasting happiness.
In the meantime, I graduate this year. I don't want to risk my happiness blindly pursuing some random, high and mighty ambition for the sake of doing something before I get old and die, but I can also see how potentially disheartening it can be to live a life of least resistance. I can apply for graduate positions all over the place like everyone else I know. I can take one of these jobs, do mildly interesting work, feel like I'm of some importance wherever I'm working, get paid decently... I could idly, thoughtlessly end up devoting my life to maintaining a nice, easy level of contentment. At least I know there's more to dream for than that.
Now that I have access to my blog again, I can happily write about how my mum has lost her voice because apparently she was screaming too much. She said that there were over 50,000 people at the 'extravaganza', and that Elton John was hired by Herbalife to perform. Over 50,000 hysterical Herbalife distributors wearing "Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How!" buttons, clapping in unison, listening to Elton John... I too would've screamed until I was hoarse.
If you do not know what a Herbalife distributor is, I will attempt to give you a brief, unbiased description. Generally speaking, a Herbalife distributor is an adult who has been inspired to hope and dream about a better future. 'Financial independence' is a prerequisite for this better future. These hopes and dreams stem from a belief that helping people towards better health through the Herbalife products can be unimaginably profitable. They believe that they can learn how to create such unimaginably profitable businesses through personal growth and by learning from others who have had success.
Fortunately, this emphasis on personal growth and on helping others achieve better health does appear to produce some genuinely successful and happy people, in which 'financial independence' is not a primary contributor towards their sense of well-being. However, for every genuinely successful Herbalife distributor, there appear to be thousands of motivated lost souls who blindly charge forward, thinking that reaching whatever wonderful reality they imagine for their future will, in itself, produce happiness. In this blind rush towards a dream, in which 'personal growth' and helping others are merely useful tools to get to where you want to be, you see a tremendous amount of creepy group-think and unnatural enthusiasm. Rushing towards 'success' at all costs does funny things to people.
My dad wants to sail around the world in the boat he's always dreamed of. My mum's very good-hearted. Her vision is to run a 'Wellness Centre', in which she can help people become healthy, and give people Bowen Therapy free of charge. Even if they don't make it, I hope that somewhere in the midst of the process of trying, they do find lasting happiness.
In the meantime, I graduate this year. I don't want to risk my happiness blindly pursuing some random, high and mighty ambition for the sake of doing something before I get old and die, but I can also see how potentially disheartening it can be to live a life of least resistance. I can apply for graduate positions all over the place like everyone else I know. I can take one of these jobs, do mildly interesting work, feel like I'm of some importance wherever I'm working, get paid decently... I could idly, thoughtlessly end up devoting my life to maintaining a nice, easy level of contentment. At least I know there's more to dream for than that.
posted by Gene at 11:24 pm
Post a Comment
<< Home