I have this 55 gallon fish tank in my house and I walked by it the other day and I realized that it was a little dirty. There is algae growing on the glass and on the plants and stuff. There are remnants of uneaten fish food floating around. The water level is a little low etc. You see for the last few months I had been studying for some tests and working on a few other projects that have kept me pretty busy and I haven't really had the time to tend to my fish tank. Now, I don't want any problems with PETA or the ASPCA or none of that but sometimes I might go a day or two and rush out without feeding my fish. I may run out of food and it may take me a day or two or three to go to the store to go buy them more food. Cleaning the tank takes me an hour or two and its a lot of work. So the tank may get a little dirty from time to time. So I walked past it the other day and I said to my fish, I'm sorry that I have been neglecting you fellas. But then I jokingly said to them but that's what you get for depending on me for everything. You eat when I say you eat, your house gets cleaned when I clean it. Then, it dawned on me that people who CHOOSE to depend on other people are no different from my fish. Because of the fact that my fish depend on me to buy them food they have to eat what/when I say they can eat. When I turn the lights off and on in my fish tank my fish don't have any say at all in the matter. If I'm playing my stereo or TV too loud they cant say turn that mess down I'm trying to sleep. I am the one who controls the temperature of the tank etc. Because they are dependent on me, they give up their rights.
Adult humans who CHOOSE to depend on others to take care of them are kind of like the fish in my fish tank, but with one major difference. MY FISH DON'T HAVE A CHOICE! If you CHOOSE to live in someone's house and CHOOSE not get your own, and not contribute, you have to sleep in the room they tell you/let you sleep in and you must leave when they tell you to. If you CHOOSE to depend on somebody to pay your bills or buy your food you have to eat what/when they say you can eat. If you CHOOSE to wait or depend on someone else for YOUR or YOUR businesses success YOUR business wont be successful until either that SOMEONE ELSE CHOOSES to help you or when they can find the time. Even if it isn't with any malice, the other person who you are depending on may just not have the time or ability to continue to carry or help themselves and you.
When we CHOOSE to be dependent on others for our survival we relinquish the one thing that makes us (Humans) different from all other animals. Our ability to reason, rationalize and CHOOSE. CHOICE is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. My fish CAN'T say "Man I'm outta here, I think I'm going to get me a bigger tank". "Geese don't/cant say "you know what I need a change of pace, I think I'm gonna fly north for the winter". Animals act on pure instinct and have built in mechanisms that MAKE them do what they do and they don't/cant question why or do anything about it. We as humans ALWAYS have a choice. So we can CHOOSE to remain dependent on others and get pushed around by others and life or we can CHOOSE to use our amazing working brains and gifts and skills and talents to make our lives become what WE CHOOSE AND WANT THEM TO BE!
I guess what I am trying to say is....
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently IF YOU LET IT. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and KEEP MOVING FORWARD. How much you can take and KEEP MOVING FORWARD. That's how winning is done! NOW, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WORTH THEN GO OUT AND GET WHAT YOU'RE WORTH. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! COWARDS DO THAT AND THAT AIN'T YOU! You're better than that!
-Rocky Balboa
“Success will not wait. If you delay, she will become betrothed to another and lost to you forever. THIS IS THE TIME! THIS IS THE PLACE! YOU ARE THE MAN/WOMAN!”
TODAY IS THE DAY WE WILL GET UP, GET OUT, AND GET SOMETHING!
THE WORLD IS YOURS!
CONGRATS!
PEACE!
