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Humility and Dreams.
Well ladies and gentleman,
A Merry Christmas to you all. (Early for next year.) I had my first CrossFit (CF) workout in over a year, it was a rather humbling experience as it’s been over a year since I had attended a CF workout, and a good 2 months since I’ve been consistently working out. I finished last in the group I was with, and there was no way I could have finished if it wasn’t for the group that was me. And so here’s my thoughts.
Why is it that we are taught to be independent? Now don’t get me wrong, some independence is good. But it seems that theres strange dogma in leaning on another person, or admitting that sometimes the support is well, necessary. Do you guys see this problem? Maybe in yourselves? Anyway, after today I realized that I for one want to surround myself with positive, open minded, challenging, passionate people. Its like my friend Brad says, “If 9 of your friends are broke, chances are you’re going to be the 10th.” Or the old saying, “you can judge a man by the company he keeps.” So I ask you guys this, do your friends say about you?
But before I begin to expect to be around passionate, successful, positive people, I must first work on becoming that man myself. (Sorry Megan about all the tough questions.. haha)
There seems to be to many people who let themselves be pushed around by life.
“Life pushes us around. Some people give up and others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people, it means they need and want to learn something. They learn and move on. Most quit, and a few like you fight.”
- Rich Dad, Rich Dad Poor Dad
I for one am tired of being pushed around. I mean no offense by this, but I really am tired of hearing I should go to college, or that I need a degree to be successful. I don’t feel like I need a $20,000 piece of paper to say I’m qualified. But hey, if your calling, or passions require to go to school, then by all means, go. Just please don’t impress you views onto me. I can’t imagine many people like that.. I do want to offer this thought though, where in college do they teach you how money works? I only ask because it seems that since most people go to college to get a good job to make more money, then you should at least learn how it works. Not just know how to work for it.. “More money equals more debt.” Why was this not the case, 50 years ago? 100? 200? When going to college actually meant something. It was a prestigious thing to do. Now it’s expected of you. I feel this is not the way things should be. It creates to many bean counters. Not enough entrepreneurs. I watched a lecture on Ted.com (great way to pass some time) on why a man thinks that there isn’t enough innovation in America, and I have to say, I agree with the man in that we are raising our children to “play it safe”, Security and Safety are most important. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, you know high paying, stable jobs. So I choose to follow Robert Frost, and walk the road less traveled.
I ladies and gentleman, choose to run headstrong in risk, animosity of my peers, and shed some light on the fact that we are truly stronger then we want to admit, or even imagine. I want to be true friend, not the good one. To be the one who will say and ask what need to be done said. Not whats easy. I choose to do something epic with my life, and live the life I WANT. Not the one I’m told, or brought down to live.
I leave you all with one final question, What’s more important then your dreams.?
All the best in your journey,
Inventor of Dreams -
So the journey begins..
Hello everyone!! My name is Matthew Semegran, and I have decided to drop out of college (yes, again), and start from square one, to become a student of life. This is, the beginning of, my story.
I have decided to start a blog from the request of my best friendas I forge my own path from a road less traveled.
But first, a little bit about who I am, and how I have come to where I am. So here it goes…
Growing up, I always thought that all my success would come from strong, academic success (boy was I wrong..haha). From a young age, I have been in advanced math classes, and have had strong success with little effort. Paired with being rather competitive in nature and wanting nothing but the best, I always thought I would attend a prestigious University (Harvard, MIT, Cal Tech, etc. etc.). So when I was informed about an exciting opportunity called the Missouri Academy, a 2 year early acceptance to college program, I was sold from the first moment. As a bonus, at the end of the two years, you receive both your Associates Degree of Science and High School diploma.. I often compared it to a minimum-security prison, (because when you are 16, 10:30 P.M. is early on a Saturday night). I knew these rules going in and understood that being a 16 year old kid on a college campus with complete freedom can lead to some not so good publicity. But after a year of the program, I decided it wasn’t for me. (I will mention more about the lessons I learned later.)
This lead me to dream #2: the U.S. Army. I had known since I was 10 years old that I wanted to join the Military. The concept of serving a purpose bigger than me, and a chance to do something great with my life,was a truly appealing aspect. So in May of 2011, I enlisted into the U.S. Army Reserves as a Psychological Operations Specialist. But of course the matter of my High School diploma still remained an issue as I still had a year left. I was referred to something called the Missouri Options Program, by my former Vice Principle. I finished the program in a record time of 4 weeks (previous record being 6 1/2 weeks) and I had some time left before my ship date, January 9th, 2012. I decided to take a History and a Sociology class at a local Community College. Both were rather interesting classes but I was ready for something more.
January 9th, 2012: One of the days my life was forever changed. I won’t go into what the experience was like yet. ( I may in a later post) But I can say that I have never learned more about myself than I did from any experience before.
6 months later: As my plane touched down in KC, I remember feeling a strange combination of euphoria and bewilderment. It is a strange thing, making such a dramatic shift, to go from having every aspect of your life planned and determined to having the wonderful liberties that civilians enjoy.
August 2012: College begins (again). This time it was round 2. I returned to, Northwest Missouri State University, to begin anew. I am/was majoring in Nanoscale Science with a Biology Emphasis. (For those who are wondering what planet you just landed on, see here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanobiotechnology ) I was more motivated and determined than ever to prove those nay-sayers wrong. (Yes we know, “haters gonna hate.”)
The switch: Now before we go any further, know that this has been a long time coming. My brain’s creativity has always come in the form of inventions and business ideas. But the one that started it all was this, http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?productId=0222_4272_020. See I bought a hat similar to this one my freshman year of high school, and have received hundreds of comments on it over the years. So I began to wonder how I could improve it and start my own line of them. I began doing some simple and sloppy (but free) market testing by asking everyone who commented on it if they would purchase one and how much they would pay.
The BIG event: I walked into my Computers and Info Tech class, like any other day, and I was doing my (sloppy) research on my hat, when one of my Graduate Assistants commented on it. I did the usual questioning, but she responded with something in return that would change my life forever… “Well have you ever considered doing Verve?” I stopped and said “Wait, what?” I had seen her drinking a can of something called Bode everyday in class and had heard her make various comments about it to the professor who had also taken notice of it. (Both Bode and Verve are owned by the company Vemma.) She proceeded to send me a few videos about the drink and I haven’t looked back since. Just know, this opportunity has shifted my whole paradigm. (Maybe it will for you too.)
The WHY: I decided a few weeks ago, that I will no longer be returning to NW, or to any college for that matter, next semester. I have instead decided to do Verve, learn to count cards (Blackjack, yes like 21, and no, it’s not illegal), become a real estate agent, “mess around” in the stock market, and most importantly, become a student of life. When I told my best friend Drew (a future senator) about this, he asked that I keep a journal, as he is rather curious what it will be like. He also thought it would be a little fun to live vicariously through me (lightbulb!). So here I am, at the beginning of Hell Week at NW and as everyone crams for finals, I am trying to “plan” what I am going to do with my life.
The road ahead of me is bright, open, and challenging, but it is also the most rewarding path I can think of. So for all of you out there who either don’t have the courage or intentions to tell your parents you’re quitting school to pursue other paths of life or to live their own dreams and not anyone else’s, I offer you my new blog. Use it to live vicariously through me. And (hopefully) to INSPIRE, to DREAM, to LIVE. I hope by reading about my courage, about my alien path before me, it will shake up your life, in a similar sense as it has mine.
I will update it when I have a moment of inspiration, or “brilliance” (as I like to call it). Along with weekly updates of where this entrepreneurial life leads me.
I will leave you all with this quote,
“Map out your future – but do it in pencil. The road ahead is as long as you make it. Make it worth the trip.”
- Jon Bon Jovi
Best of luck in your journey,
The Inventor of Dreams
