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Pursuing your dreams/goals and achieving them. (pg. 10)
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| Halcyon+On+On |
| Anoose was born into ! |
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| Silky Johnson |
| I would say I love them both the same, but secretly I would always love the fart a little bit more. |
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| raveed |
| quote: | Originally posted by zidumare
i think he was referring to the people who get "lucky" because of the connections they have,
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You don't make connections by being lucky. Networking is among the hardest skills to master and you sure as heck can't use deception to leverage your networks.
No one will recommend you if you don't have the credentials to back it up. |
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| Omega_Blue |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Pie
What is it, do you think, that separates those that get what they want from those that don't? Is it simply hard work and focus? Attitude? Charisma? A combination of all three? If all three, what do you think is the most important factor.
I really think it comes down to hard work and the right attitude, and I think that those who don't get what they want really just don't work hard enough - or maybe just aren't that serious about achieving their goals. I think many people believe they are doing enough to achieve their goals, but in reality probably aren't, and generally seem to have a bad attitude. I find that people who get what they want are very empowered, action oriented people who take responsibility for their choices and aspirations. That is, they don't just sit around and expect to happen just because they have high hopes or feel that the world owes them something.
What say you, C0R? |
i think anyone of slightly above average intelligence can do just about anything they put their mind to, and i think what keeps most people from pursuing and/or succeeding in their dreams is straight-up laziness or procrastination, or fear of change. or both. procrastination or lack of motivation is the only thing that keeps me from achieving everything i want to achieve. |
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| Lira |
I know this isn't the point the Pie wanted to make. But since this is precisely what I was talking about at first, and I think this article is spot on, I decided to bump this thread and share it here:| quote: | China's new sports problem - Stop the Linsanity?
EARLY this morning—for viewers in China—the New York Knicks of the new Taiwanese-American hero Jeremy Lin played against the Dallas Mavericks and with them China’s current standard-bearer in the NBA: the 7-foot-tall Yi Jianlian, a high draft pick who has proven a disappointment in America. Mr Yi's Mavericks lost the game, 104-97, but the bigger loser was Chinese soft power.
Mr Lin has quickly amassed a huge following among Chinese basketball fans (and this country does love basketball). This poses a bit of a conundrum for Chinese authorities for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that Mr Lin is an American who is proudly of Taiwanese descent, which would seem to complicate China’s efforts to claim him (and oh how they have tried already—on which, more below).
But there are three other reasons Mr Lin’s stardom could fluster the authorities. First, he is very openly Christian, and the Communist Party is deeply wary of the deeply religious (notably on those within its own ranks). Second, he is not a big centre or forward, the varietals which are the chief mainland Chinese export to the NBA, including the Mavericks’ Mr Yi; and of course he came out of nowhere to become a star, having been educated at the most prestigious university in America, Harvard.
Mr Lin is, put plainly, precisely everything that China’s state sport system cannot possibly produce. If Mr Lin were to have been born and raised in China, his height alone might have denied him entry into China’s sport machine, as Time’s Hannah Beech points out: “Firstly, at a mere 6’3”—relatively short by basketball standards—Lin might not have registered with Chinese basketball scouts, who in their quest for suitable kids to funnel into the state sport system are obsessed with height over any individual passion for hoops.” Even when Mr Lin was still a young boy, one look at his parents, each of unremarkable stature, would have made evaluators sceptical. Ms Beech’s other half happens to be Brook Larmer, the author of the fascinating book “Operation Yao Ming”, which details how Chinese authorities contrived to create China’s most successful basketball star, Mr Yao, the product of tall parents who were themselves Chinese national basketball team players. The machine excels at identifying, processing and churning out physical specimens—and it does so exceedingly well for individual sports, as it will again prove in London this year. But it happens to lack the nuance and creativity necessary for team sport.
What of Mr Lin’s faith? If by chance Mr Lin were to have gained entry into the sport system, he would not have emerged a Christian, at least not openly so. China has tens of millions of Christians, and officially tolerates Christianity; but the Communist Party bars religion from its membership and institutions, and religion has no place in its sport model. One does not see Chinese athletes thanking God for their gifts; their coach and Communist Party leaders, yes, but Jesus Christ the Saviour? No.
Then there is the fact that Mr Lin’s parents probably never would have allowed him anywhere near the Chinese sport system in the first place. This is because to put one’s child (and in China, usually an only child at that) in the sport system is to surrender that child’s upbringing and education to a bureaucracy that cares for little but whether he or she will win medals someday. If Mr Lin were ultimately to be injured or wash out as an athlete, he would have given up his only chance at an elite education, and been separated from his parents for lengthy stretches, for nothing. (One must add to this the problem of endemic corruption in Chinese sport that also scares away parents—Chinese football referee Lu Jun, once heralded as the “golden whistle” for his probity, was sentenced to jail last week as part of a massive match-fixing scandal). Most Chinese parents, understandably, prefer to see their children focus on schooling and exams.
In America, meanwhile, athletic excellence actually can open doors to an elite education, through scholarships and recruitment. Harvard does not provide athletic scholarships, but it does recruit players who also happen to be academic stars. There is no real equivalent in China.
So China almost certainly has its own potential Jeremy Lin out there, but there is no path for him to follow. This also helps explain, as we have noted, why China fails at another sport it loves, football. Granted, Mr Lin’s own path to stardom is in itself unprecedented, but in America, the unprecedented is possible. Chinese basketball fans have taken note of this. Mr Lin’s story may be a great and inspiring proof of athleticism to the Chinese people, but it is also unavoidably a story of American soft power.
Some authorities in China have responded, as might be expected, by trying to appropriate Mr Lin. The Chinese city of Pinghu, in coastal Zhejiang Province, sent a missive to its recently remembered former resident, Mr Lin’s grandmother on his mother’s side; officials crowed that she was pleased by the attention her hometown is paying to her grandson’s success. Xinhua, China’s official news service, published a fanciful article urging Mr Lin to take Chinese citizenship and join the national team of the People’s Republic.
Mr Lin’s Taiwanese family background seems to pose a special problem. China Central Television (CCTV), the national monopoly that broadcasts NBA games, has not joined in Linsanity. A game featuring Mr Lin a week ago, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, was broadcast on Beijing TV’s sport channel, but the broadcast included the forbidden image of the Taiwanese national flag, held proudly by fans in the stands. (The flag is typically blurred in China if it must appear in news footage). Chinese netizens noticed, and wondered if that would bring a punishment, or a tape delay. CCTV, for its part, told Netease, a Chinese internet portal, that most Knicks games couldn’t be shown due to the “time difference”, “but if time allows, games of the Knicks will definitely be broadcasted preferentially.”
That remains to be seen. Fortunately for Chinese sport fans, the internet provides a ready-made alternative to the state television system. Most of Mr Lin’s games are being made available by live stream on the portal Sina.com. This morning’s game against Mr Yi’s Mavericks was a rather interesting exception, a mysterious little black hole on Sina.com’s NBA schedule. Frustrated Chinese fans had to go looking for dodgier streams elsewhere online. What they found was a closely fought game between the two teams, with Mr Lin again starring and leading the Knicks to victory. More poignantly, they found their countryman, Mr Yi, remain on the bench for the entire game, reduced to the role of spectator. It was a glimpse of the Chinese sport system versus American soft power. Perhaps it was not fit for viewing.
(Picture credit: AFP) |
[Source]
So, in a nutshell, you can pursue your dreams all you want: if you're not in a favourable environment, this will obviously hinder your progress, and may bring your project to a halt. |
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| Silky Johnson |
Since random talking is closed, I will make my post relevant to this thread:
I've been pursuing the goal of learning to drive my car/refamiliarizing myself with how to drive manual transmission, and oh boy is it fun! :D |
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| Acton |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Pie
Since random talking is closed, I will make my post relevant to this thread:
I've been pursuing the goal of learning to drive my car/refamiliarizing myself with how to drive manual transmission, and oh boy is it fun! :D |
I was actually going to question that when you posted the pictures of your Golf, as I saw it was a manual (proper) car.
But you live in Canada, right?
I know Americans are allergic to manual transmissions, but I wasn't sure about Canada..... are most cars automatic transmission over there? |
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| Silky Johnson |
Well, I think a good majority of people drive auto transmissions - despite that it costs extra. It's so lame...I mean you're not even really driving! I can see why people living in busy cities with stop and go traffic may opt for it, but it's still lame imo. Lol.
Anyway yeah. I couldn't buy a car like this and NOT drive it myself. Would defeat the purpose of owning it!
I drove around for 3 or 4 hours today and I'm not as rusty as I thought I'd be. Plus the brand new clutch is making it really easy. :) |
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| Acton |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Pie
It's so lame...I mean you're not even really driving! |
Correct! You control the gearbox, instead of the gearbox controlling you.
It's more fun, right?!
Most of the new cars in Europe now come with dual transmissions, which gives the best of both worlds. |
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| wienerschnitzel |
| I hate automatic transmissions. I currently drive an automatic because I needed mum wheels in my budget (2009 toyota rav 4) so I got the AWD but no standard transmission . When the kids are a bit older we'll buy another standard jeep or truck. |
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| srussell0018 |
| dananana nananana dananana nananana MUM WHEELS |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| I used to hate autos (can’t roll start them if the battery is ed!) but after having one for about 5 years I appreciated how convenient they are if you’re smoking and eating fast food at the same time :) |
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