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Thursday, September 12, 2019

Really been thinking about this lately...

So this lifelong process, to me, is sad. I've been thinking about this topic in general nonstop, how I've been making YouTube videos, thinking about what I could possibly film, thinking about what may potentially come across me later on in the next few weeks, and then... I stopped to think about what made me come onto this path in the first place, because a friend and I were talking about this subject on Instagram.

 Keep in mind this was in the early 2000s, when this was just the tip of the iceberg. I was just going through life as a elementary, almost middle school student, and when I knew it, I was just begging and begging to be included with my peers. During lunch, no one wanted to play with me, no one wanted me to play with them. If I was included, I'd always be the last one chosen, and IF I wasn't chosen or the boys team was filled up, I'd be forced to play on the girl's team. I can't make this shit up, it was real. For one trip to our capital, I pushed the request to room with both of the most popular boys in our grade because it was three students to a room and one of them even said to me, at the end, because he didn't want me in the room with them, 'you got what you want. are you happy now?!?' I still remember my reaction being ...what the fuck did I do wrong..? I'm just trying to fit in. Trust me, it was hell. I don't remember any more specifics and I don't need to because the rest of the middle school grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, were essentially the same.

High school, don't even mention it. It was middle school but magnified tenfold. The physical started coming into play and I was literally, pushed around, numerous times. So yes, I was literally, the outsider. My main point is this. I know how bad the reality is getting. I'm on tik tok. I see those featured videos on the for you page. At least 95% of teenagers out there are afraid of being who they are because they're afraid of being judged. Well, this is what I want to tell you and it's from the bottom of my fucking heart:

Just be you because nowadays, There. Is. No. Gray. Area. People either like you or hate you, but JUST TO BE SURE, know that no one has your back. Especially in school. They would rather film you getting mentally or physically damaged and care more about the footage getting internet fame than help you back up. You know this yourself yet won't admit it. Discover and discipline yourself because you would much rather do your own thing and maybe someone will even join you because that is genuinely rare nowadays. On the flip side, IF it happens, it will be worse in high school. If you're a high schooler, fucking speak up because MORE THAN LIKELY, someone is going through the exact same shit as you are, but they just don't have the will to act on it or bring it up and that's ok, because you're going to be the one to do it. Take initiative, like what I'm doing. Be the fire. Be the walker. Discover your identity and don't let someone's judgement get in your way. Fucking live your life.

Friday, September 6, 2019

My Guess Was Correct...

So, my guess was completely correct. There's a lot of people out there who developed social anxiety because of the judgement happening around them but can people really help it? They can't. Why? The younger generations nowadays don't know any better. What starts off as a...'friendly' tease or insult can be traumatizing for another. Especially with how the internet functions nowadays, the level of understanding of humor, tease, or insult, is pretty much unpredictable because everyone's understanding is literally on a different level compared to everyone else. I posted a video on Tik Tok today after getting my root canal because I wanted to let people know that looks aren't everything; it's personality that makes the impact. A few hours later, a teenager/young adult commented saying they needed to hear this. At first, I only thanked them by saying I'm glad I could help and thanks for watching but then I was like wait a minute, what am I doing? I'm taking it one step further, I want to see if I can actually  help them. So then I DM'd them and also left a second comment telling them I DM'd them. A few hours later, they DM'd me on Instagram.

  We talked and within three minutes, I figured out what their issue was and it's exactly what I had thought, because I went through basically the same thing they did. What's unfortunate is they're in high school so I know what they went through, emotionally, I just don't know how bad it actually is because it's been nearly a decade since I graduated. Holy shit time flies, I just realized that LOL. But then I realized it didn't matter because all human psychological concepts are the same. The healing process is the same, just the experience may vary. So after understanding where they came from, I told them my perspective and what they should work on and even they said it was a good suggestion so that tells me, I'm on the right track. We had a good talk and I even told them if they ever needed to reach out to me, feel free to do so whenever because I'll be here. We need more people doing this, these kids need help, desperately. And with how the world is progressing at the moment, with everything becoming so competitive, it's only getting worse. About 95% of tik tok videos I watch on the feature page has the tik tokker saying they have social anxiety, which is insane.

So please, please, please, if you can help someone out who's either got social anxiety, depression, or even both, that would be amazing. Who knows, you could be the person to help change their life around. I may have been able to help this young and still growing adult and I'll continue helping as many people as I possibly can. We all need help, let's help each other.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Do Whatever You WANT To Do

It's...that simple. If there's a job you want, apply for that job. If there's someone you like, ask them out. If there's a pair of shoes you want, buy them. It's literally THE most liberating feeling ever. I've literally been doing whatever I want for the past few weeks ever since that saturday and it's been absolutely amazing. Not a care in the world if someone thinks I'm too energetic, or too crazy, or just outright insane. It's me and I want to experience life, and have fun. I started this blog, I went back to doing YouTube videos which I haven't done in years. I brought my camera everywhere with me during the Labor Day Weekend and filmed whatever I wanted, still documenting my insights.

Did I get a lot of looks in Monterey that day? Yes I did LOL. I don't know how much time the average person spends on the internet, but some people still find it amusing how some people hold a camera on top of a tripod and looks as if they're talking to themselves. I brought my action cam to Monterey on Saturday, filmed the amazing drive there, continued filming on the 17 mile drive with plenty of people walking by me, staring at me to see what the fuck I was doing. Ended the day in Carmel, filmed my outro there with a good number of people walking by me again and they all looked. Did I care? Nope. It's for my entertainment and I enjoyed it.

The following Monday, my family and I went to the outlet mall. The day before, Sunday, we went to Union Square up in San Francisco and I had planned on purchasing a pair of shoes to replace my current pair because they were wearing out. I didn't get shoes from Union Square because they were close to $180/pair and I wasn't about to spend close $200 on some pair of sneakers. If it were some classy dress shoes for all types of occasions, maybe the $200 price tag would be worth it but certainly not for some random pair of sneakers. That's why I waited until we went to Livermore the next day. As I walked into the Nike store, I realized they didn't sell the pair of 720s I wanted and I thought oh crap, I might be walking out of here empty handed and I was already ready to accept that fact. But then I walked around and my parent pointed out another section to me. At this section, it was either a vapormax that had a gray body and pink/green bottom or a blue/red airmax 270. At first, I shied away from the 270 but I couldn't help the fact the 270 felt more comfortable than the vapormax and I've always wanted a pair of shoes similar to the 270. Also, I've never worn such vibrant shoes before and I didn't see anyone even give this pair a second of their time so I knew I'd be the only one getting them. For the first time ever, I chose a pair of shoes that were out of my comfort zone without hesitation. I confidently told my mom and sibling I was going to get these. I could tell they were kind of iffy about it because they've never seen me wear vibrant shoes before and all my mom said, was as long as you wear them, that's all that matters. At the time of this post going up, I just wore them out today and got a lot of looks and if I was being completely transparent, they look absolutely amazing in the sun. Not only do they look good, I stepped out of my comfort zone, and no one has anything close to these shoes. I have no regrets.

I'm on Tik Tok now and I had an interesting little chat with a 15 year old. I know that sounds weird but give me a second and hear me out LOL. The background music she used was Nobody's Perfect by, we all know, Hannah Montana. I posted a simple comment saying it was one of her best songs back in the late 2000s because this song, along with two other songs, were one of the few I enjoyed from her best of both worlds album when it came out, and that's literally what I said to her. It must have been interesting to her having a 25 year old guy shooting her that comment out of nowhere LOL but I did it because I like having conversations with different people on Tik Tok. I also asked someone about her caption and which episode of The Vampire Diaries it was from. She most likely didn't expect that either. Side note, yes I absolutely love Nina Dobrev. The good thing about Tik Tok that I absolutely enjoy is having the ability to talk with random people wherever and whenever. It's super spontaneous and keeps things interesting.

So, here's the lesson I learned. Who gives a fuck if other people judge you? They're not living your life. They won't allow you to control their life. Just because they won't do it, are you willing to let them control yours just because their personal fears held them back? Are you willing to give them the cards and let them choose your cards for you? I bet a lot of people judged me already for the shoes, bringing my camera everywhere, and posting those comments on Tik Tok but do I give a fuck? I don't, honestly. It's the most liberating fucking feeling ever, and it fucking feels fantastic and I'm not fucking stopping. What do YOU want to do?

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Who do you feel the most comfortable talking to?

Ok, so it will be roughly midnight by the time I finish with this post but I was thinking about tips and tricks on how to get over social anxiety faster while putting myself through this test. I’m taking a wild guess most readers are at least well into their teens. My immediate question to you is, have you ever thought about who you’re most comfortable talking to, even if it was just a casual conversation? For me, other than my best friends who are my age, I did some thinking just now and I realized I’m most comfortable when talking with adults older than I am. I don’t know why but that’s just the way I am. I’ve been that way since high school. Middle school I just could not talk to anyone but it wasn’t until high school I realized I felt most comfortable talking to adults because adults usually asked the questions and all I really had to do was give answers LOL.

But even then, I could still carry on a casual conversation that would last anywhere from 5, 10, 30, sometimes even for a hour long, which was a surprise. And this would literally work without fail. Up to this day, I still sometimes feel nervous when talking to young adults my age but when it comes to an adult older than I am, I feel pretty much flawless. I really can approach any older adult and have a one on one conversation, but not when it’s a classroom full of adults my age. However, I think I might have just ‘hacked’ it. What I realize I have to do, is envision the classroom is full of adults older than I am and implement what I have been doing along this journey.

So now my question to you is, what are your own tips and tricks, and have you discovered who you’re most comfortable chatting with? Because at the end of the day, your ‘presentation’ can always be interactive just like a casual conversation with a bunch of people, unless if there is a guideline you have to follow but in this day and age where interaction is most important, I’d expect you would be able to do a presentation however you would like. What have you realized or figured out?

It's been one week

It's...been an amazing journey so far. A lot can happen in a week. The only downside to this is it is very energy consuming but this is only because I've been living negatively with a negative mindset and constantly forcing myself to live and think positively actually takes effort. However, it's worth it. A lot that has happened this week would not have been possible had I not shifted my mindset; I was aggressive at times where I wouldn't have been. For example, I legit would have missed out on the opportunity to sit in the Bugatti Chiron and the Zagato had I not been persistent in keeping in contact with the salesperson.

Today was Cars & Croissants Santana Row, an event that happens once every two months where supercar and hypercar owners gather together at the mall to put their vehicles on display. I swear I wouldn't have noticed this moment had I not been so keen and focused on what I've been doing. My sibling, my friend, my parent, and someone I was [finally] formally introduced to were sitting down for a break and we were all chatting and laughing about a specific moment where a Ferrari cracked a window by revving. As we were all laughing, this perception came across my mind and I was like goddamn, this is what I want. This is what I want to achieve. We're all chatting about something we enjoyed, our hobby, our passion, and we're having a damn good time. This feeling is fucking amazing. But I want to scale this. I wonder where I could take this.

Again, this is why I'm still doing 'R&D' on the theory that passion can override social anxiety and depression. Truth be told, I flatlined yesterday after the festival and when I was having dinner with my parent and sibling, I kept having to flip that switch on because I was so drained by the activities I attended earlier on in the day. But it worked. I also saw a lot of friends who I've met throughout the year today who I wouldn't have noticed if I was just letting my brain float. Not only that, I also chatted with I believe the marketing person of a brand new electric car brand who just came into the market in competition with the other electric hypercars and this really would not have happened had I not been focused. All of this may make me sound like I'm crazy because it's the norm to most people but this is just the beginning.

Basically what I'm doing right now is, doing all I can by utilizing my passion and pushing it as much as my brain will allow and then using the same 'skills' applying it to other areas. It went so far yesterday to the point where I was going to be stomping on grapes with two other strangers in front of a whole crowd at the Italian festival but we didn't realize we had to sign up prior to the event happening, otherwise that would've been interesting to watch. I wanted to do this because the concept would've been getting up in front of a group of people to entertain them, while getting over my social anxiety and stage fright. It would've been a fun experience, I would've been entertaining my sibling and their friends, and I'd probably also look funny as hell. Had that happened, I would've been able to push myself one step further past my comfort zone, get me one step closer to being comfortable outside of my own skin and feel awesome about it. Next time it will happen, and it will be on video.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Passion really does drive you, step by step

So I'm winding down for the night. I'm seated at my desk consuming more Gary V material with my bottled water right beside my laptop (yes the California heat is no joke). For those of you in California, if when you're reading this and it is still summer, I have never drank so much water compared to the past three or so days. It's scary LOL. Anyways, I'm watching Gary's video about not using these platforms forever (I'm thinking he's talking about Instagram, Tik Tok, and other not-as-professional platforms, and there's one thing that stuck out to me. He was asked to provide advice and suggestions to small business owners and he said they must provide value. So that got me thinking, if I had to, what could I possibly blog about tonight? And then I thought of it.

This goes back to my thesis that passion really does drive you and push you past your comfort zone regardless what internal issues you may have. I did actually have a flatline towards late afternoon but that's due to having an amazing morning and attending a festival which drained most of my energy. But then I took a 20 minute nap before dinner and felt better for dinner. Anyways, I had been in contact with this dealership for a good few years now. I don't know all of the staff because some members of the staff are constantly switching around dealerships in this area but I know this car had been at this particular dealership for some time now and I just recently learned it was a factory display car. What I didn't know, was when I was going to get a chance to sit in it. You may be questioning why? What's so important about this car? Well, long story short, it's a 3 million dollar car you will never seen on the road. The answer is that simple.

Anyways, the person I had been keeping in contact with, the last time I went, he told me I would've gotten a chance to sit in this particular car but because they had to tow it to Monterey for car week, he let me sit in a Lamborghini instead. Which, was also amazing because I was able to feel the difference between this Lamborghini and the Ferrari I was able to race in Vegas. That day I sat in the Lamborghini, he told me this 3 million dollar car would be driven to the car show I am attending tomorrow. Fast forward a week, to two days ago (Friday), an idea suddenly popped into my head. My sibling has never seen this vehicle before, how cool would it be if we could meet up with them at the dealership and see this car being driven on the road? I proceeded to DM him on Instagram asking him if this was possible. Unfortunately, he told me the car was going to be trailered to the event (later finding out it's due to insurance) but if we had any time prior to the event to go see the car. We set up the time, it was to be this morning.

My sibling and I went to the dealership first thing in the morning, a half hour after they opened and I strolled around, looking at a few cars on the lot while I was looking for him. It took some time as I later found out he was on a test drive. He came back while my sibling and I were checking out a million dollar Aston Martin which was unheard of, as shown below.
I walked to him, we shook hands with each other, then his first question to me was 'ready to go look at the Chiron?'. I was like yes we definitely are LOL. He got the keys, we walked to the car and the next thing we knew... he opened the door. In my head, I was thinking you've gotta be fucking kidding me. I've been waiting for this opportunity ever since this car came out. Some insight, the Chiron is the successor of the Bugatti Veyron. I don't remember exactly when the Veyron came out but it was some time between 2006 and 2008. I waited a decade for this opportunity to happen...but, it was worth every second. To give some more insight, I've probably seen this specific Chiron maybe 3-4 times so it's been at this dealership for a while. But now, the door is fully open, just ready for me to sit inside? However, because of my recent mindset shift lately, I ask my sibling if they would like to get the chance first. They say nope, you first LOL so how could I say no right?

I sit inside and immediately my first thought was holy shit, I'm sitting in a fucking Bugatti LOL. I'm literally trying to absorb the feeling and every second being inside the car but I just couldn't. I mean, I'm sitting in a 3 million dollar car for crying out loud. How could I? So I do the typical thing, immediately take my phone out and start recording everything, which I will be attaching below. Then I noticed how low the seat was and I said out loud 'damn, I'd be afraid of driving this because I would damage the front.' I literally could only see halfway over the steering wheel. Plus with such a large hood, it was actually difficult. But come on, how could you complain about a 3 million dollar car right? You just can't.

I get out of the car, my sibling goes in, I take some photos for her because I know she would want it. At that time, there are two other families present, one is a dad with his two kids. His two kids proceed to climb into the car and I'm thinking damn kids, you don't know how lucky you are. Not everyone gets to do this. After a little while, my contact tells me they're pulling the car out to pull another car into the building, as there was another space right beside the Chiron. So we all stayed just to film the start up and seeing the car being driven out of the building. It was just insane.

My main point is, passion really will drive you to push outside of your comfort zone. You're there for a reason. I was there for a reason. He is there for a reason. He loves cars, he works at the dealership. I was able to talk to my contact about the car, what he thought about it, his experience with it, it's still considered as human interaction.  I'll even see him again tomorrow at the car event. I later on was able to replicate this same action at a food festival because I know already how it'll feel like, just it will be different because it won't be about cars but at the end of the day, it's still human interaction. You can ask about someone's day, you can ask what brought them to where you are, etc. So bit by bit, I am and will push myself until I can get past social anxiety but I strongly encourage you to do the same because I know this will work. I am using myself as my own experiment because I know I can do this, especially since I just made this connection. Everything else I know up to now, has been to deal with social anxiety head on and there will be pain however this method, I'm telling you you can deal with social anxiety in a positive way and still have it feel good. So please give it a shot, it might just take you by surprise.

Friday, August 23, 2019

possible cure for anxiety/depression? maybe

So, it's late. Almost midnight here on the west coast, I'm sleepy but this topic is keeping my brain running. I had the sudden idea to...look up social anxiety and anxiety hashtags on Instagram on the explore page. As what I had thought, there were a lot of posts in the context of what I was looking for. I looked through a good number of them. I didn't even think about depression because I have depression worse than anxiety but I know both can be helped in the same way. It's crazy to me, to think, the possible source for a way of improvement, breaking out of our shell, and 'fixing' our issues could be hidden within ourselves. This ties back to our passion for what we love doing in our own, individual, lives.

When you're passionate about something, you know how to approach the subject. You know how to talk about it. You know what questions to ask another person who's interested in the same topic as you. You know exactly when to take the next step in order to dive deeper. You feel absolutely amazing. You can talk hours on end with someone you don't even know, but you have one common interest. Might even become best friends, right? Who knows.

But then when it comes to a completely different field, your brain freezes up. You don't know how to communicate. You start sweating. Cold chills down your spin. Voice is shaky. Everything you want to ask and everything you want to say you instantly and automatically assume you're wrong. You're afraid of being judged. Yes, I completely understand, been there done that, plenty of times LOL. But, what if you could take that same attitude from your passion and transfer it to this new subject? Sure, you're clueless about it, some may laugh, but there are always people out there who are willing to give a helping hand. That would fortunately be your first anchor. They get to know you, you get to know them, and then next thing you know, a chain reaction happens. You start learning about the field. Difficult to interpret, but possible. You keep at it for days, weeks, maybe even months on end. It becomes a norm to you.

If you think about it, this is the exact same process you go through every single time you venture into something new. Well, at least for people who have social anxiety and perhaps, depression. You will know how to tap into every other, new field using the same steps because it's overall the same concept. Sure, the internet [nowadays] kind of complicates it a little bit because people will be expecting you to do a little bit of research before going in full send but are people really that mean? Some people aren't. As long as you have just one person willing to lend you a hand, you're pretty much set. You build on from there. Won't be an easy journey, but possible. The few times I've done this myself, it has worked. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the friends I'd have today. And if it is working, push yourself a little and have fun with it. Who knows where it could bring you. At the end of the day, just keep finding ways on improving this aspect of your life but in a way you feel comfortable, but be truthful to yourself and be yourself.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Use your passion/interests to network?

I was talking to my friend just now and we were talking about the people who we've met. They told me they like chatting with women who have interest in cars and even though it may not end up as anything, he just likes talking to them. And then that hit me. Let me ask you just one, question. Are you an introvert? If you are, I really do have a solution for you and this would be it. There is a way to break out of your introvert shell.

Take me for example. I live in a section of Northern California, won't mention city name because I don't want stalkers LOL. I barely go out, or at least I used to just stay around my small home town a lot. Didn't like going out at all, didn't like going out exploring. I run a public car group here in the bay area and that's the only time when I actually do go out and try to socialize. How do I socialize? That's where passion comes in. If you are passionate about something, you have the knowledge, you're just afraid to speak out, right? I know exactly how you feel. But then that depends on how mature your peers are and whether or not they judge you and how they judge you. Because of cars, I've been able to reach out and connect with people from all over the bay area and I'm very antisocial and very introverted.

One of my best friends at the moment, we didn't go to the same high school. We most likely wouldn't even have crossed paths with each other. He was one of the first 50 members to join my group and when I first met him, he was a giant. The guy's 6'1" if I remember correctly? At first, I didn't even know who he'd become. Little did I know, he'd become one of my best friends and I'm truly fortunate he's in my life. He's a genuine person.

This person, this is an interesting and funny story. She had been in my group for a good solid few months and joined with her other friends, but had stayed silent until I happened to travel to my home country for a few weeks. I still remember when we first started talking, I had posted I was back in my country and out of nowhere, she pops up. I'm like where did you come from? LOL. Turns out, we talked for a solid month before agreeing to meet up. Guess where? Up in the city, San Francisco. I swear I've never made so many trips to SF before in my life, before we started seeing each other. Things didn't go too well, we separated shortly, but up until we started seeing each other, the furthest I traveled to on a regular basis was maybe to the mall in Palo Alto, I'd say maybe a half hour south of the city?

My main point is, it is absolutely ok to be an introvert. However, everyone knows networking is key nowadays but do not feel pressured if your parents and friends are the one forcing you to network. Do it, but do it at your own pace. Communicate through your passion and interests. As you meet people with similar interests as you, have them help you expand. Why? Because they'll want the best for you. People with similar interests tend to watch out for each other because they become 'siblings', that's just basic human instinct. I did this plenty of times so I know it works. Feel free to reach out and share with me if you've done so before and let me know how you felt about it. If you haven't, will you try it now? Worth a shot right?

Why are people not documenting?

Why? Times change, society changes, the standard changes. Anyone out there with an iPhone or a camera with 720p recording capabilities can create. Everyone can be a creator. Fact is, society is just so used to creating now but with creation, comes the process. Think about the process. Let's say you're just starting, right? You have to invest hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars in video equipment. If you don't have a computer, you have to invest another hundred to a few thousand, depending on which brand you want. In total, you're bound to spend a few grand. That's not fun, now is it? And then what, you get the motivation because you're watching other YouTubers highlight reels and then make a few videos. You're not getting the views, you try for a few months, and then give up because you can't find the right demographic. Why's that?\

Something Gary Vaynerchuk brought up really struck me. A good majority of the people are creating content but they're just putting up a front. They're creating to create. Creating doesn't show the grind, it doesn't show the process, it doesn't show the behind-the-scenes. I know this all too well. That's the reason why I stopped doing YouTube vlogging a long time ago, just right before clickbait started. I wasn't generating the views even though my niche was automotive car culture, long before anyone started. This was back in 2011. Why? I was only showing the important aspects and highlights. I wasn't showing the behind the scenes because in my eyes, no one likes seeing the raw material. A lot of people want to be content creators because they see successful content creators having all the time they have in the world and even more importantly, it gives them the freedom.

Documenting, however, is a whole new ball game, and there's a reason why not many people are doing it. Documenting means filming and recording everything, from start to finish. The power Gary has through documenting is scary. He can be filming the whole day, an idea pops into his head, and he can just cut out a 30 second to two minute snippet from his whole day of filming and generate leads. That, is powerful.

People do not document because they don't want to show the world their flaws. They want everyone to see they are stable and for the most part, perfect. The ones who really have no time, that's understandable, to an extent. People who do not like their 9-5 jobs can document during their 1-2 hours worth of downtime before their dinner or sleep. Students can document before or after school. The most important aspect about YouTube life now, I believe, is more documentation than creation, than ever before. Anyone can create, but it takes guts and self confidence to show your true self and document your life. Especially nowadays when society is competitive against each other and every industry is competitive against each other, it's the documentation that really counts. Gary's right, people want to see the grind. Anyone can show the results, but few are willing to actually broadcast and show the process.

This is why I want to start documenting. I have nothing to lose. I've already put out my most vulnerable self out there on the internet. I got nothing to hide. From someone who has extreme social anxiety who gets sweaty palms, cold chills down my spine, to a shaky voice from just asking a simple question, I'd really like to show people it is possible to completely break out of that boundary and grow to be able to conversate with anyone.

What's stopping you from documenting?

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

We lack stimulation

No, I’m not talking about sex, get that out of your head.

I was just out getting some groceries, and on my drive back home, I was thinking about...what sparked my ideas and my thought process about what caused me to act on Saturday, and what made me write 'Be Yourself', my previous post and then it hit me; unaccounted variables. I had a really, really good talk with my long time best friend the other day telling her the only times when I felt 'alive' at all is when I'm out driving on the road and/or driving on cruises with my friends. Why? This dullness is a result of some aspects of my personal life which I'm not willing to get into but I had to figure out why I was feeling this way. I feel alive driving on the road because there are a lot of unaccounted variables that can happen and not only gives me an adrenaline rush, but also gives me something to look forward to.

Why is society so dull nowadays? Society pretty much became dull and on autopilot when the first iPhone came out. Can we blame technology though? Truthfully, we can and cannot. The iPhone was the first breakthrough in technology and cellphones. Humans are attracted to new things and are especially attracted to new things that make how we live more convenient and at ease. However, no one was ready for the biggest drawback of the phone; a constant need to check on what everybody else was doing, and not themselves. But this is where self control and responsibility comes in. The only exception, is when your job requires you to be on your phone. Other than that, our lives have been taken captive by our phones. Literally. Sure, it is a lot complicated now since a lot of money can be made through an iPhone, but we still have and need the basic instincts, right?

So, having had this conversation with my friend, this very reason is why I said ok fuck it, if I miss any photos because I'm having a fun time with my friend at this car event, I am completely fine with that. It's the possibility of constant stimulation and unaccounted variables I was looking forward to, in conjunction with my passion for cars? That's the best combination. I went, on Saturday, with literally no expectations other than seeing cool cars. Whatever happened after that first click of the shutter, is just going with the flow.

Why do people who have 9-5 jobs and/or are full time students look like zombies? Because school and work is the only thing they know. Think about how much time you spend on elementary and middle school. Then continuing onto high school. Then applying and getting hired for a 9-5 then having that substitute for your time in school. Not only that, you have your parents pressuring you to do well in school but of course, most parents do not know how to correctly and effectively communicate with their children that reality is, they just want you to be secured for life. Doesn’t matter what you do. If you’re not a doctor or a lawyer? That is ok. At least that's what I later on got from my parents. They really just want me to live a good life and be secured. Especially with how the world works now, you can literally be successful in anything as long as you are passionate about it and put your mind to it. Brain stimulation is what we, as humans, need in order to be creative and imaginative. This can be anything from going to concerts with friends, to [if you’re 18 and older] going to a bar with friends, to going out with family for the weekend. Hell, even when you’re with friends and you make fun of yourself for the hell of it and make your friends crack up. All of these are just a few examples that can keep your brain fresh and running, and will allow you to enjoy life. Start off with your hobbies first if you're an introvert. I started mine with photography and a car event.

I look forward to stimulation and unaccounted variables daily now because I crave it and because I know our brain needs stimulation, whether good or bad. Now my question for you is, are you active, or are you dull and dry? Do you feel fulfilled or do you feel like you’re missing something? If no, what can you improve on? If yes, what are you doing yourself that you’re not seeing others doing? Shoot me an email and let me know. Let’s have fun with this.

Be Yourself

It's been...a while since I've touched this. A while since I've actually blogged about anything or even thought about blogging. I've done some long posts on Instagram but I figured it is not the best platform [for now] to truly express my thoughts, emotions, and feelings for what I am going through in life. I'm only 25 years old, I've got plenty of journeys and adventures ahead of me. When it comes down to it, Instagram, really isn't the best place to...pour those ideas out from my mind. I even thought about googling what the most active blog sites are nowadays and this [blogger] and Tumblr [surprisingly] were listed as top 10 on one website. I chose to write instead of vlog because I express myself better in words than in video. It's just how I am. This, is what brought me back.

I thought about writing this piece because, it has recently shed some light on my own life and has shown me, within the past 48 hours, what the world can give me if I decide to stay on course. Before I really go into detail about it though, let me share my life history in a nutshell. End of elementary school, all throughout middle school, and high school, I was always pushed around or as the world knows it as, bullied. My peers would always criticize and scold me saying I wasn't good enough or qualified to do anything. To this day, I still suffer from the aftermath. As anyone would have it, if the condition of the victim was bad enough, they would continue to live a life of torture and negative self talk. To this day, I negative self talk almost daily, because I am afraid of judgment. My instinct, is still to back down whenever I get hit with a challenge or back down whenever someone says no because I always tell myself, I am not good enough. Well, this past weekend, August the 17th, 2019, changed everything.

This past weekend happened to be the ending of Monterey Car Week, the most anticipated week of the year for both small time and big time Automotive enthusiasts. It's an event called Exotics On Broadway hosted in Monterey on Broadway Avenue. It used to be on Cannery Row but due to their attendance of well over 30,000 people last year, they outgrew the venue. Prior to this, just the night before, I kept running over and over and thinking what I did last year, was a success. I know myself, as a photographer, if someone gets in my way as I grabbed what I believed was the perfect frame, and they were trying to get a shot themselves, I would be more than pissed off. So, last year, I had that in mind, as it was my second year of attendance if I remember correctly and I had my Canon 70-200 F4 telephoto lens. Instead of squeezing with the crowd, I instead led my sibling and my friend to the end of the road and was shooting photos of cars from the far end instead. Everyone else was surrounding the cars trying to get close ups. I, for one, was trying to get a clear image of the vehicle with everything compressed in the back to drive attention on the vehicle. But, more importantly, I was doing so out of everyone else's way. Worked in both the other photographers' and my favor. 

This year, I had the same situation in mind and did the same thing but I didn't want to lug around three lenses. I brought my 85mm for distance shots and 35mm for close up, detail shots. It went as planned. But the other thing I thought about friday night, was not just how I was going to shoot. It was also about, why I was going, and who I was going with. I was going not only for photos, but also to spend time with friends and have a good time while making awesome memories. I specifically told myself I am going to get photos but if anyone happened to want to take the same shot as I did, I'll let them, because it's not the end of the world, if it comes down to it, I will get to see this car again sometime in the near future. I'm there to shoot photos and have a good time with friends. Photos aren't everything. Guess what happened? I did miss a few photos but I did not mind at all. Why? Because when that happened, my friend was also with me and we just laughed about it haha. It makes for a good story, discussion, and memory, and that is what friendship is all about. 

This last and as important situation I wanted to discuss, was me trying to get a selfie with an Instagram model/celebrity and automotive enthusiast. My friends who know me, know I become very awkward around women who, in my eyes, are attractive. This also happened on Saturday, at the car event. I wouldn't have known about her had I not come across her YouTube Channel but I saw her car rolling in and I thought wouldn't it be cool if I could get a selfie with her? Her car, by the way, is a Porsche with an insane wrap on it. Just thinking of the idea of getting a selfie with her, to me, was unbelievable. Literally. I didn't know if I could, honestly. A little while later, she was hanging out with her friends by some hypercars which was fenced off, and my friend and sibling were telling me they were heading towards another direction. I kept telling them give me a second because I had a lot of thoughts running through my head as she was standing maybe 10, 15 feet at maximum away from me. I told myself if I didn't get a selfie with her, that's alright, I'll possibly see her again sometime in the near future. If I do get a selfie with her, that would be insane. 

Someone in the staff who was physically near her was someone I follow on Instagram. It was either one of two ways should I get the selfie. Either 1) ask him to ask her for me or, 2) wait for her to walk over and I discreetly ask her for a selfie. Somehow, given at the right moment in time, the staff member stopped talking to his friends and I jumped at the chance. Called him, asked him if he could ask her for me and off he went. I was thinking, and these were the exact words running in my mind: no fucking way this is happening. I even heard him say "hey ____ you've got a fan who wants a photo with you!" I was like LOL SERIOUSLY? YOU REALLY HAD TO SAY THAT? She started walking towards me and I was thinking no shit, this is really happening. But somehow, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I asked her if she would like to take the selfie for us, she said sure, and *click*. After, I thanked her, I told her I loved her current and previous wrap and walked off. As I was walking off though, I was looking at the photo and was thinking what the fuck did I just do? what just happened? Then later on, I realized I wasn't as nervous because I indirectly connected with her through a common passion without realizing it right there and then. We both love cars. That's it, that's all it took. 

So, my main point, and why I titled this post, 'Be Yourself', is because it is ok to fear. It is ok to have insecurities. I mean shit, we're not robots haha. We're humans, and we each have our own problems and issues we deal with. But, life is boring without fun and entertainment with friends and family, however at the same time we cannot prevent someone else from having fun just for our own sake. The situation with the model, there are four key aspects: First, be willing to walk away with nothing because it is ok. If you get lucky, you will come across them or it again. Second, do what you can and do it at the best of your ability. Third, expect the unexpected. Last but not least, let the outcome play out by itself. This is exactly what happened with the model and it played out in my favor. I know I'm just the average person, a nobody, but given the shit I've gone through for the majority of my life, I hope I can inspire someone out there to do the same. I wouldn't put something on here that I made up and with how society is nowadays, let's be real, I truly believe everyone of all ages should be able to live their lives the way they want and to enjoy it. We have enough negativity with all the noise out there, we don't need more, especially not internally. You have to discover yourself. Feel free to reach out to me and share your own experience(s), I'd love to hear about it. If you haven't, give it a shot. The outcome might take you by surprise haha.