Alexander Richter

The Road to your Dreams

April 8th, 2019

Achievement is a destination that we all wish to see.

We wish to achieve our goals and succeed in our dreams, but how do we get there?

The road to our dreams is not always an easy one. We get setback every time we take a step forward, but what if I was to tell you that’s normal?

The road to your dreams won’t always be paved with glory and riches. The road to your dreams has potholes, caution signs, and road washouts, but the destination will always be worth it.

One of these days you’ll look back and smile at the road behind you.

Let the world be your ocean, and your dreams be the ship you sail on.

Rejection is the first step to success

Rejection is inevitable.

You record your debut song, finish the first draft of your novel, or your finish the first cut of you film only to be pulled apart by vultures and rejected. Rejection is the worst feeling you can experience, especially when you put your art out there, but never allow rejection to hinder you.

Every great person in history has faced rejection or opposition. It’s only natural for someone to oppose your dreams.

Martin Luther King Jr faced opposition from those who believed segregation was lawful. His goal was for every man, regardless of color, to have equal rights, and he fought for that. He spent time in jail, and died for that dream. Now, I’m not saying you need to do the same. This is an extreme case but it’s one to recognize. If someone could achieve something so incredible, then why can’t you?

You can, and you need to convince every single person you know, that you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. Fake it until you make it. You need to sell your dreams to others so that they buy into that vision.

The journey is just as important as the destination

You’ve probably heard a million times that, “the journey is just as important as the destination.” It’s a phrase that people say to set realistic expectations, fearing that the destination will be a letdown once reached.

As an avid hiking, I can empathize with that statement.

I’ve pictured many hikes in my head ending in perfect sunsets and stunning views, only to end in an anticlimactic way. It’s disheartening, but that’s life. Surprisingly, those anticlimactic hikes have always had the best journeys. Including the best conversations, the best occurrences, and the deepest meanings. When you weigh the positives of the journey, it greatly out weighs the negatives of the destination.

Regardless, welcome every minute you spend trying to achieve your goals as a friend. Smile at the whole picture. Remember that it always takes time to get where you’re going. It’s never an occurrence that happens overnight.

Welcome caution signs

People will try to warn you of the road ahead. They will go as far as to persuade you to turn back before it’s too late. They’ve tried to do the same things that you’re doing, and had no success doing it. So they believe it’s an impossible feat of man to accomplish.

Listening to caution signs can always be very helpful. They’re wise lessons to keep in our minds, but don’t let that halt your ship. When someone offers their stories of defeat, listen, and pass on. Anything can be achieved merely with a shift of perspective.

Perspective is everything, and having fresh set of eyes seeing a dream come to life is the best perspective you can have.

Never let the dream die

Never, never, never, ever let the dream die.

If something doesn’t work, try a different approach.

If you’re not reaching the audience you want, try a different tactic.

When things feel routine, change it up. Make sure things remain fresh.

And when you don’t believe you can, have someone around to encourage you otherwise.

If we all have one life to live, then we should really live the life we want to.

So remember, never let the dream die.

Never.

Ever.

Paradise is on the horizon.
What’s it Like Being a Twin?

April 4th, 2019

Life as a twin is one of the coolest things. You’re born with a natural best friend and you get to grow up and experience life together. I’m so thankful to be a twin. Life was much easier in many ways for me, and although I’ve never really thought about the advantages and disadvantages until now, I’m still very grateful.

My story

I am the oldest of a set of fraternal twins, born on March 28th. I am five minutes older than my brother, who will tell you that doesn’t count.

We both were born with drastically different features. On the outside, we have different hair color, eye color, and skin tones. On the inside, we’re two completely different people with polar opposite minds.

Just a side note, being twins at birth, doesn’t mean that they’re similar in everything. Twins are just as different as siblings born years apart.

Naturally, we had different interests and hobbies. These differences have carried on into our adult lives, as we both have pursued completely different career paths. I’m a white-collar worker and he is a blue-collar worker.

I think the hardest thing for many people to understand about twins is their differences. Growing up, my brother and I were looked at as the same from many people, and that was always aggravating to the both of us. Although we share this unique bond, we are still two individual people.

Afraid to be different

Twins are compared to each other all throughout their life.

We wore the same outfits, had the same haircuts, and maybe that’s just out of practicality for our parents sake, but it was damaging to live up to the comparison.

Always having a friend
Social Anxiety

March 29th, 2019

noun

Medical Definition of social anxiety

: a form of anxiety that is brought about by social situations (such as meeting strangers, dating, or public speaking) in which embarrassment or a negative judgment by others may occur

We’ve all been there before. The uneasy feeling you get when you step into a social setting. You become hot unexpectedly, a sweat starts from your brow, and you feel like you could puke at any moment.

Technology has partially attributed to the birth of social anxiety. Currently, we live in the dawn of an age, where sitting behind our screens creates an environment where we don’t have to be face to face for social occasions.

How Social Anxiety has affected me

For much of my life, I’ve suffered from social anxiety. The oldest memory that I can associate with it would be in primary school. Primary school introduced me to the idea of girls and dating. I wasn’t very social, and when girls approached me, I’d run away.

During high school and college, I came to a major crossroads. I needed to either overcome it or keep making up excuses. Occasionally there were times where I did overcome it, but more often than not, I ran away from it. Making excuses to leave class early so I wouldn’t have to participate in group projects became normal for me. I went as far as avoiding classes that I knew would force me into those situations.

After college, I believed that phase was over, because like every other person says, “it’ll go away eventually, don’t worry.” But I’ll tell you right now, it’s not that easy and it doesn’t just go away.

At work, meetings are a nightmare for me. I dread them, and I think sometimes my peers know that. From the moment I walk into the conference room, I have to calm myself down and act like someone that I’m not. Someone who is a social butterfly and participates well in a group setting. It’s extremely hard for me to do.

I perceive social anxiety not only being the feeling that one would experience when they’re in a social setting, but also the feeling of watching people in that setting socialize. You can start to analyze their every movement and their speech patterns to the point where it makes you cringe. “Turning off” your ears becomes the only obvious thing that you can do, but people start to notice you.

Above all, I think, social anxiety could be related to a place of belonging. I’ve never felt like I belonged in various social settings, with work being the most obvious one.

Where do you go from here

So how do I combat my social anxiety? By a very slow process of putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Sounds counterproductive right? But it’s the only way to ease my nerves about it. By volunteering to be social rather than be forced to, I’ve made significant progress in moving past the social anxiety that I’ve experienced much of my life.

Basically, in some cases, social anxiety can become a lot my manageable if you want it to be. In the process, you discover a confidence that you never knew you could have, and find people who understand how you feel.

If I’m to give any advice, it would be patience and trust. Be patient with others who have social anxiety and trust that others aren’t out to embarrass you. Although siblings and family will always do just that.

The Road to your Dreams

Rejection is the first step to success

The journey is just as important as the destination

Welcome caution signs

Never let the dream die

What’s it Like Being a Twin?

My story

Afraid to be different

Always having a friend

Social Anxiety

Medical Definition of social anxiety

How Social Anxiety has affected me

Where do you go from here