From the Halls of Kentucky II

I am continuing the featuring of some of the blog entries written by some of my youth. This one is from a young man named Justin and it deals with the idea that we all must compete in the "Beauty pageant of Life". It has some very poignant thoughts and should hit home for many people. It has been edited for some content.


LIFE


"You give them what they love. That's how it is everyday all over the world." -The Green Mile

This is a quote from the movie The Green Mile, and when I heard it, it really made me think and it hit home for me in a way. I thought it was very profound and truly relates to anyone and everyone.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, has done what this quote talks about before. Some may do it more than others, but everyone is guilty of it to an extent. If you are sitting there shaking your head and thinking to yourself that you've never done something just to please some one else, then you might as well just stop reading this.

It's the truth. It doesn't matter how often you do it. A lot of people do it just because it's in their nature. The types of people that do it simply to please others are nothing more that "people-pleasers". It’s not that it is a bad thing to be that type of person, but but if you spend your whole life trying to please everyone else, then you're going to end up miserable and unhappy. It is impossible to make everyone happy, so don't try so hard and do something for yourself every now and again. That is the only way to truly be happy.

The other group of people who are constantly trying to please others are doing it to gain acceptance from others, and if I can give these types of people any advice, it is to stop trying. You can't make everyone like you just by going along with what they say, and even if you could, what would be the point? If the people that you're trying to please do eventually accept "you", would you want them to? I put you in quotation marks because those people aren't really accepting the true you. They're accepting what they want you to be.
I just watched the movie Little Miss Sunshine today, and there's something in the movie that one of the character says that I totally agree with it....... (edited for language)

"Ya know what, forget the beauty contest. Life is one beauty contest after another. School, then college, then work; Forget that. And forget the Air Force Academy. If I wanna fly then I'll find a way to fly. You do what ya love, and Forget the rest." -Little Miss Sunshine

When I was watching this movie, and this character said that quote.. I fell in love with it. For me, that quote says it all. When it says that life is one big beauty contest, I couldn't agree with it more. Because life truly is a beauty pageant in a way. If you aren't like by people.. then you generally fail the beauty pageant known as life. But honestly what can anyone do to change that. That is how society has been from the beginning of time and that's how it will always be.
I also really love the last line of the above quote. That is one of the truest things I've heard in a long time. You have to do what you love, you have to. otherwise you might as well just give up on life. Because life is there for you to have fun. So do whatever you want every now and again and just block out all the other stuff, at least for a little bit. Because you can’t just turn your back on all the garbage in your life.. you will have to deal with it eventually, but every so often just take a break from it all.

So quit trying to impress other people so much, and just do what you love. And when life gets to heavy to deal with, then just take a break.

-Justin