I’ve been posting a bit less frequently recently, partially because I was in Hawaii last week and partially because I started graduate school. Whatever my reason was, starting now I want to keep up with weekly entries again even if they gradually become shorter. Life is quickly picking up for me from school and work, but I still want to keep this little blog as a constant throughout, regardless of what it takes.

Now, for those of you who are wondering, no I did not grind on anyone or anything while I was in Hawaii! There were definitely plenty of pretty fish in the sea that I got to check out at least (using my snorkeling gear). I was working on a paper most of the nights, but who knows what the hell could have happened if I went to that town party in Lahaina on Friday night. I’m sure islanders know how to party it up!

In all seriousness, I’m referring to a completely different kind of grinding. For several months after I quit my job I was in a period of relaxed exploration while trying to solidify a new direction for my life. I had an awesome time basically living an urbanized island lifestyle: riding the metro to Santa Monica and downtown LA, biking through different neighborhoods, catching up with friends, hiking… It was a short yet necessary period for me to eventually commit to something I am planning on sticking with for at least 5 years. With this new commitment, however, I really need to grind like there’s no tomorrow!

I know our capitalist society frequently gets a lot of hate for putting a dollar sign on everything and pushing ambition past reasonable limits. Without getting into all the negative aspects of our society that this system has perpetuated, I just want to talk a little about ambition. Personally, I’ve always been an extremely competitive person and try my best in whatever I do. School, sports, work, music, doesn’t matter. It’s a trait that I still have and am furthering in my academic and professional pursuits.

In observing people around me and learning about myself, I’ve formulated a stance about ambition that might be worthwhile. Ambition is an essential motivating force for achieving a goal and self improvement that is inseparable from an individual’s will. It enables progress in a certain direction, but I’ve realized that progress for its own sake is pure folly. Who’s to say that it is in the right direction? Progress can clearly be made in relation to some type of leaderboard, but the end result might just be selfishness and alienation.

With that in mind, I thoroughly enjoy fueling my drive to achieve great heights, but I must always remember the importance of keeping track of which direction I am headed. Ambition is a great tool for breaking through difficult problems that can be used to help reduce poverty or accumulate money for its own sake. In developing and maintaining my values, I’m excited to see where I end up by grinding in this new setting! Cup of coffee, please.