"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart." - Confucius
This post inspired by 2 interesting stories going on this weekend:
First, to the Jersey Shore cast members: take the deal, guys. Jersey Shore made you guys, gave you your 15 minutes of fame, you did NOT make the show. Even you, Situation. You're not above the show. A basic phrase that I like to say applies here: Sell high. Your fame is at its peak now, cash in. Sign up for that 2nd season of Jersey Shore while your popularity is still valuable.
But that was only the side story. The real story, for me, was Vinny of Jersey Shore talking about his aspirations for going to law school: how he'd taken the LSAT and was considering taking the plunge. Apparently Vinny's not just a guido, he's also an academic stalwart, scoring a 3.9 GPA in undergrad and in Latin Honors. Being in a similar position as he a short while ago, I'd give him this advice:
Law school isn't for everyone. Not to say law school is a bad investment, I actually am not sure about that right now. I'm not sure how law school will turn out for me. I'm not sure what I would have done other than law school and how I'd be enjoying the alternative. But I DO know this: If you go through 3 years of law school, you better have your heart in it. You better be prepared to work, better be ready to live and breathe law school, to be immersed in the culture, to go on a study abroad to another country called the Law. Because if you don't, you won't be able to put your heart into it, you won't enjoy it, you'll be questioning why you ever did it in the first place, why you're foregoing the prime years of your life (twenties in Vinny's case and mine) to invest in it. For me, I'm not saying it was a bad investment, but I do wish I had known what I know law school is like before I took the plunge.
And since Vinny has alternate career paths (like Jersey Shore season 2), definitely put your heart into more fist-pumpin' and GTL before you decide.
The other story about heart invovles one Justin Henin, who takes on Serena Williams tonight at the Aussie Open final in what amounts to the Clash of the Titans in women's tennis, a fitting way to conclude the 2000's Down Under because both have won it down there, as well as numerous other Grand Slams. It's a great showdown, mano a mano, head to head, winner gets bragging rights sort of match, and unlike a lot of matches in women's tennis it doesn't favor anybody: both players really have a realistically good shot to win the match.
As good of a storyline the rivalry of Henin and Williams is, it's Henin's story that personifies the Confucian quote above. Henin's tennis game itself personifies heart: her frame and stance does not suggest overwhelming power or unparalleled athleticism, but her serve clocks in as one of the fastest in the WTA, she moves up and down the court like poetry in motion, and O her backhand. What's more intriguing, though, is her retirement from the sport in 2008 while she was ranked #1, citing that her heart isn't in it anymore. As much as the timing is questioned by many, it seems interesting to me. If you can't put your whole spirit into something, you have to question why you do it. Especially tennis, where you're practicing every day, running around for up to 2 hours in a match, going from city to city, to tournament to tournament. It's a lot like law school: it's every day, in your face, no-escape, except there's no summer vacation or winter break to cushion the blow. You can't go through hell unless you're having a little bit of fun, and she didn't have any fun. Instead, she put her heart into other endeavors, like going on reality TV, spending time with family, other things that are more enjoyable, for 1.5 years.......just enough time for her heart to crave tennis again, and now she comes back at the top of her game, hungrier than ever and able to put her whole spirit and soul into the game. That's why I like her to win tonight against Serena and take back her #1 position in women's tennis.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
This post inspired by 2 interesting stories going on this weekend:
First, to the Jersey Shore cast members: take the deal, guys. Jersey Shore made you guys, gave you your 15 minutes of fame, you did NOT make the show. Even you, Situation. You're not above the show. A basic phrase that I like to say applies here: Sell high. Your fame is at its peak now, cash in. Sign up for that 2nd season of Jersey Shore while your popularity is still valuable.
But that was only the side story. The real story, for me, was Vinny of Jersey Shore talking about his aspirations for going to law school: how he'd taken the LSAT and was considering taking the plunge. Apparently Vinny's not just a guido, he's also an academic stalwart, scoring a 3.9 GPA in undergrad and in Latin Honors. Being in a similar position as he a short while ago, I'd give him this advice:
Law school isn't for everyone. Not to say law school is a bad investment, I actually am not sure about that right now. I'm not sure how law school will turn out for me. I'm not sure what I would have done other than law school and how I'd be enjoying the alternative. But I DO know this: If you go through 3 years of law school, you better have your heart in it. You better be prepared to work, better be ready to live and breathe law school, to be immersed in the culture, to go on a study abroad to another country called the Law. Because if you don't, you won't be able to put your heart into it, you won't enjoy it, you'll be questioning why you ever did it in the first place, why you're foregoing the prime years of your life (twenties in Vinny's case and mine) to invest in it. For me, I'm not saying it was a bad investment, but I do wish I had known what I know law school is like before I took the plunge.
And since Vinny has alternate career paths (like Jersey Shore season 2), definitely put your heart into more fist-pumpin' and GTL before you decide.
The other story about heart invovles one Justin Henin, who takes on Serena Williams tonight at the Aussie Open final in what amounts to the Clash of the Titans in women's tennis, a fitting way to conclude the 2000's Down Under because both have won it down there, as well as numerous other Grand Slams. It's a great showdown, mano a mano, head to head, winner gets bragging rights sort of match, and unlike a lot of matches in women's tennis it doesn't favor anybody: both players really have a realistically good shot to win the match.
As good of a storyline the rivalry of Henin and Williams is, it's Henin's story that personifies the Confucian quote above. Henin's tennis game itself personifies heart: her frame and stance does not suggest overwhelming power or unparalleled athleticism, but her serve clocks in as one of the fastest in the WTA, she moves up and down the court like poetry in motion, and O her backhand. What's more intriguing, though, is her retirement from the sport in 2008 while she was ranked #1, citing that her heart isn't in it anymore. As much as the timing is questioned by many, it seems interesting to me. If you can't put your whole spirit into something, you have to question why you do it. Especially tennis, where you're practicing every day, running around for up to 2 hours in a match, going from city to city, to tournament to tournament. It's a lot like law school: it's every day, in your face, no-escape, except there's no summer vacation or winter break to cushion the blow. You can't go through hell unless you're having a little bit of fun, and she didn't have any fun. Instead, she put her heart into other endeavors, like going on reality TV, spending time with family, other things that are more enjoyable, for 1.5 years.......just enough time for her heart to crave tennis again, and now she comes back at the top of her game, hungrier than ever and able to put her whole spirit and soul into the game. That's why I like her to win tonight against Serena and take back her #1 position in women's tennis.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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