"Life is a box of chocolates", Forrest Gump's mother told him. What she neglected to add is just how massive this box of chocolates is. Then again, Forrest was a rather simple lad and this extension to the life lesson may have confused him.
We can attempt to sample every chocolate in the chocolate box of life but given our time constraint (death) it would prove to be an impossible and silly task. Furthermore, there are ALOT of chocolates. That's why we treat life in the same way we would treat an ordinary box of chocolates. We find our favourites and then stick to them. If you present a pack of Quality Streets to me, I would have already decided upon my selection before you had even opened the packet. This is because when it comes to Quality Streets, I know my niche.
A niche by definition is a situation or activity specially suited to a person's interests, abilities, or nature.
To quote Anna (Misty): "The expression, 'Jack of all trades', is not so much a compliment as it is an insult". It reaffirms and relates to another expression: "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride". The two go hand in hand. No one is ever great at everything. However, we are all good at some things. Therefore the more time we spend wasted on the things we are not good at; the more we impede our growth and prosperity in the things we are. But your niche in life is not solely dependent on where your talents lie. It is rather a combination of ability and interest.
One can be good at one thing and enjoy another. Ability does not always translate into enjoyment. I, for instance, am a rather good swimmer. When I was younger, I would put in the bear minimum amount of training and end up placing in the top three nationally. Did this make me enjoy the sport more? Possibly. The feeling of accomplishment and success is never going entice a negative emotion. If you disagree with this sentiment, take it up with Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. But it didn't convert my hatred of every minute spent in the pool to something more positive. So I put the swimming costume and goggles away and said farewell to my aquatic sporting torture.
"You could have been and olympic medalist", my grandparents constantly remind me.
Yes, I could possibly have been. A suicidal olympic medalist, but an olympic medalist nonetheless.
Some food for thought: If you're really good at something but despise every moment doing it, you're likely to not get much better and improve. On the other hand, if you're rather average at something that you're passionate about and love doing, you'll probably end up in a better space than the afore mentioned bloke. Talent can take you so far. After that, it's up to you. The proverb, 'practice makes perfect', holds true for most sphere's of life. The more you do it, the better you get at it.
So this niche thing; Im still trying to figure out for myself. I know where my interests lie and I know what I'm good at. I just can't decide upon the best combination for myself. I need to find it fast though. Let's wrap this up with a quote: "Above all, be true to yourself and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it." Them words so wise it make you wanna slap yo mamma!
Monday 20 June 2011
Sunday 5 June 2011
Pirates of the Caribbean...should have left it at 3
We all the know the sound track and have probably seen at least one of the films. The Pirates of the Caribbean broke onto the movie scene in the year 2003 and was so successful that the franchise churned out two more box office hits. It was said to be a trilogy and the story was finally wrapped in the last installment, At World's End. A few years later plus Disney's optimistic ambition and the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean was given the green light. This time, however, we would not be seeing the original cast sail the seas, search for hidden treasures and emerge somehow victorious from heavily outnumbered sword fights. No, this time it was left all up to Jack. My apologies, that is, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow. Jonny Depp brought this character to life, putting the cool in pirate becoming a fast film favourite. This fourth istallment of the franchise was to focus on the character Jack Sparrow in the appropriately titled film, On Stranger Tides. This tide was indeed strange and not in a good way.
I was sceptical as whether or not this movie would be worth the R45 I would have to pay to watch it. This weekend I decided to put my prejudice aside, paid R20 parking at the V&A waterfront, got my overpriced popcorn and sat through the entire film. It's a lovely feeling, proving yourself right. What doesn't feel as good is paying the R100 it took to do so. The movie was, as I predicted, a train smash. Sure, the acting was satisfactory on the whole and the visuals and effects were impressive but the plot, if you can call it that, was a shambles.
There was a plot, a potentially good plot, that was butchered. Without giving too much away, the movie revolves around the fountain of youth and the numerous crews' pursuit in finding it. The story line felt slow at stages and a bit disjointed. It became predictable towards the middles and the more they fought the more frustrated I became. How many times can one man outsmart and outfight when outnumbered. This was the case with the film's hero, the beloved, Captain Jack Sparrow. Countless times he found himself in trouble facing an army of armed opposition. In each instance he somehow managed to get out of the tricky situation unharmed, leaving a collection of wounded opponents behind him. I know it's the movies, but come on.
In amoungst the wreckage of the plot, there emerged a side serving of romance. This could not possibly have been more insignificant and cringe-worthy. One of Captain Jack's crew 'maties' ended up falling in love with, wait for it, a mermaid. These beautiful creatures were a cross between America's Next Top Model and Twilight. They were sexy sirens of the deep but when aggravated turned part-vampire it seemed. It was obviously love-at-first sight since the romantic duo had exchanged possibly 5 words between each other before they were willing to risk their life for one another.
I realise it's Disney and with an age restriction of PG one can't expect much. But don't go and set the bar so high with the initial trilogy and then produce a sequel presenting as much tact as an Adam Sandler movie. Suffice to say, I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. It's not worth the time, the money or the disappointment.
I was sceptical as whether or not this movie would be worth the R45 I would have to pay to watch it. This weekend I decided to put my prejudice aside, paid R20 parking at the V&A waterfront, got my overpriced popcorn and sat through the entire film. It's a lovely feeling, proving yourself right. What doesn't feel as good is paying the R100 it took to do so. The movie was, as I predicted, a train smash. Sure, the acting was satisfactory on the whole and the visuals and effects were impressive but the plot, if you can call it that, was a shambles.
There was a plot, a potentially good plot, that was butchered. Without giving too much away, the movie revolves around the fountain of youth and the numerous crews' pursuit in finding it. The story line felt slow at stages and a bit disjointed. It became predictable towards the middles and the more they fought the more frustrated I became. How many times can one man outsmart and outfight when outnumbered. This was the case with the film's hero, the beloved, Captain Jack Sparrow. Countless times he found himself in trouble facing an army of armed opposition. In each instance he somehow managed to get out of the tricky situation unharmed, leaving a collection of wounded opponents behind him. I know it's the movies, but come on.
In amoungst the wreckage of the plot, there emerged a side serving of romance. This could not possibly have been more insignificant and cringe-worthy. One of Captain Jack's crew 'maties' ended up falling in love with, wait for it, a mermaid. These beautiful creatures were a cross between America's Next Top Model and Twilight. They were sexy sirens of the deep but when aggravated turned part-vampire it seemed. It was obviously love-at-first sight since the romantic duo had exchanged possibly 5 words between each other before they were willing to risk their life for one another.
I realise it's Disney and with an age restriction of PG one can't expect much. But don't go and set the bar so high with the initial trilogy and then produce a sequel presenting as much tact as an Adam Sandler movie. Suffice to say, I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. It's not worth the time, the money or the disappointment.
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