Imagination of Ryan Simmons

5. The Opposite Sex

Turned on?

There are two types of people who are negatively affected by the opposite sex. The first one is the guy or girl who chronically falls in love. Every other month they have a new fling who they immediately <3. They do the same things they’ve done with all their previous exes and it ends the same way. The other is the guy or girl who plays the field…forever. They spend a lot of time and most of their money trying to bed a guy or girl they’ve recently met at a bar or party. Once they’ve done that, they move on and the cycle continues. Sadly for these people this achievement is viewed as the lowest hanging fruit on the tree of tangible accomplishments. Finding the right person is beyond difficult but wasting time on the wrong person is downright stupid.

Why I Might Be Wrong: The love between a man and woman or man and man or woman and woman is truly one of the greatest discoveries and most enjoyable journeys we embark on in life. Sometimes, finding that special someone is the missing piece in our lives and helps propel us to new levels of success and happiness.

4. Pipedreams and Circumstantial Happiness

Cats must eat every day...

Tomorrow’s to-do list is infinitely long for some people. The funny thing about tomorrow is the fact that it never comes. Today becomes yesterday, tomorrow is then today and tomorrow remains a hypothetical destination. Lots of us fall into this trap in which we’re waiting for a few things to change or happen and then we’ll allow ourselves to live up to our full potential or fulfill our obligations. Truth is, today is too valuable to waste. Happiness, success and prosperity begin with the actions we take right now. The joy in our lives can’t be intrinsically linked with situations with which we have little control or no intention of ever dealing with. We are the drivers of our destiny.

Why I Might Be Wrong: Dreams and goals for tomorrow can serve as a roadmap for our future. Sometimes the best things in life require a wait or take time. What’s important to remember is that the swell of pride that comes with an achievement is made all the more sweet when you’ve actively worked towards it. When you have the desire to wait, chose to work instead.

3. Weed

Engineering degree at work?

Jim Morrison named his band after the book The Doors of Perception because he believed that drugs blazed a path to heightened levels of creativity. Well I hate to break it to you, you’re not Jim Morrison and until you sell 100 million albums and have a grave featuring your bust in France, you won’t be. Marijuana enthusiasts come armed with an array of facts regarding the benefits of the occasional toke. Some are quite valid, I’m sure. But if your brushes with weed consistently result in a night on the couch, eating a bag of potato chips and spending endless hours watching Netflix…then you might want to reevaluate the relationship you have with your pipe.

Why I Might Be Wrong: I have a Grateful Dead tattoo on my left forearm. This means I’m no stranger to dope-loving hippies. For every 10 people who fit the aforementioned description, I know one person who smokes pot regularly but continues to be a functioning and contributing member of society. Now it’s just a matter of realizing whether you are one of the ten or if you are Jim Morrison.

2. Your Social Circle

Great time last night!

There is an old adage (or maybe it’s just a Hallmark card) that proclaims ‘Friends are the family you chose’. The sentiment is quite wonderful and quite true. So it’s important to examine the relationships we’ve forged with the family we’ve chosen. Are they people with whom we have a deep-seeded visceral connection or are they interchangeable parts on the bar stool next to us? It’s hard to scrutinize the people around us to such a harsh degree but friends dictate how we spend our time and money. More importantly, our friends shape our outlook and path in life. If you’re not where you want to be in life, there’s a decent chance that you’ve surrounded yourself with people who aren’t challenging you to be better or chase your dreams.

Why I Might Be Wrong: Life is boring journey without a circle buddies to share it with. If you’ve found the right people to spend your time with, you’ve struck gold. You have a shoulder to cry on in moments of despair, a body to embrace in moments of triumph and a full squad of cheerleaders to support your every endeavor! (Figuratively of course. Depending on your friends, imagining them in cheerleader outfits might be scary!)

1. The Internet

Awkward...

Do I really need to explain this? Only you know how and how much time you spend on the internet. If you’re using it to cyberstalk your old high school fling, grow virtual crops or look at adorable pets, you might be holding yourself back. Why not ask that fling out to lunch, plant a real garden outside or volunteer at an animal shelter. No matter how you spend your time online, there is probably an excellent way to translate it into real life. I promise it’ll be more rewarding than the pixelated, wifi-fueled version. One second, why are you reading this? Leave this site, go outside and never come back! Live your life!

Why I Might Be Wrong: I’m not (You know I’m not)