Alienation

The ironic thing about alienation is how you’ll always be a subject to it and you’ll always subject others to it. But rarely, will we see it for what it is. We only speak of alienation when we’re not happy about it. We will speak of it less frequently when we are the object of alienation.
Times when we alienate others are the same times that we typically or not concerned with alienation or when we don’t feel alienated by others. And vice versa.
It really starts to get interesting when we are alienated and we alienate others. Why would we do this? What is it that we believe in so strongly to ostracize ourselves from the people around us?
In my case, it is my future. I believe that by sacrificing more of myself ahead of time to learn more, to achieve more, that I can accomplish much more sooner and grow wiser and closer to God because of it. I didn’t expect to have to struggle against those closest to me to achieve it. Why do I perceive those that are closest to me to be the biggest threat to my accomplishments.
Sometimes it feels like I could’ve been slacking off for the last number of months, years, etc. and I would’ve received the same treatment. It frequently comes back to that… you’re still a punk kid who thinks he knows everything. This goes against so much for which I’ve struggled for so long to achieve. Now the people in my way are the same people who have taught me and instilled these values in me. Why would they do that?
Do they intend to get in my way? Are they just too preoccupied with their own problems now to remember what they’ve taught me? Do they believe they’re helping me by doing this?
        

A World of Opportunity but None for You

Have you felt as though you’ve been surrounded by opportunity but you feel powerless to take advantage of them? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of young Canadians are full of potential, see many opportunities but feel incapable of doing what is necessary to do any of them.
This is due to a number of reasons: don’t know how, don’t know if you have the energy or the will to do it, can’t decide on what to pursue, don’t have the money.
Why is it that we stick to those things that don’t bring us any closer to our dreams or what we think are our dreams.
Here’s the thing…
WE FEEL SAFE WHEN THINGS STAY THE SAME. We probably hate the fact that we’re too afraid to sacrifice our comfort for what we proclaim to care about. This just means that we care for the status quo more than whatever dream we may have conjured up.
So what’s the solution? Is it a blind move after what we think we want? Is it giving up what we have in some attempt to let go of our comforts?
I say we team up to help each other out. It’s easier for us to do something if we feel accountable to someone else to make it happen.
IF THIS RINGS TRUE FOR YOU, THEN PLEASE EMAIL AND SHARE YOUR STORY.
Mustapha
    

Relaxed and ready to compete

Relaxed and ready to compete
Originally uploaded by Stapha.

This is a picture taken in February 2005 at Simon Fraser University right before I represented the University of Calgary at the CaseIT competition 2005. We got THIRD!