What do you do when you realize that the passion you had for something was dormant for so long–only to have that passion be reawakened with a kind vengeance (a paradox, really) on the time that was lost to other supposed endeavors?
When it comes to rating systems, it seems like they almost always are accompanied by the 5-star system: 1 being the worst, 5 being the best. However, after realizing how often I use these 5-star systems….I realize in the end, they’re way too ambiguous to be taken seriously.
Take for instance, my iTunes library versus my reviews on Yelp.com.
Both use 5-star systems, yet, as I have noticed, I base my ratings quite differently at each place. On Yelp, my reviews generally fall down the middle, from 2 to 3 stars for most ratings. To me, these two generally describe how I feel about restaurants, services, etc.–“A-OK”. I am hesitant to rate too many places with “5 stars” with fear that I may come across a place even better than the previous one..and then, what shall I do with the ratings? Plus, nobody likes to read reviews that are constantly positive–they may be fun and/or uplifting to read, but really, how can one person stay so positive about all of the places he or she visits?
However, it seems that the 5-star system differs for me with my iTunes library. Granted, most of my song ratings generally fall within the 2 star category; to me, 2 stars means average on iTunes. If I give a song 3 stars, it means “better than average” to me. I used to give a ton of 4 and 5 stars to songs when I first started using iTunes, but I have come to notice that I have been stingy with the 4 and 5 stars since I want to reserve those ratings for those songs that simply cannot be compared to other songs.
Still, with the talk of these two different applications, I am sure others continue to interpret and rate their songs/restaurants/etc. a lot differently than I do. For instance, some people may think of most restaurants as “4 stars” because, to them, “4 stars” means average/really good. Some people may end up giving many places “1 star” because, to them, “1 star” means “average/so-so/meh”. The system is imperfect, since people are different in their interpretations all the time.
So, how do you interpret those rating systems?
I am currently reading Donny Deutsch’s book “Often Wrong, Never in Doubt: Unleash the Business Rebel Within.” I have to say, even after only reading one-fourth of the book, I believe the man has become my hero. Reading his book is not like reading any other kind of nonfiction; it’s very colloquial, casual, and easy to follow. Part of it is an autobiography, but there are lessons strewn throughout the pages for whoever may be reading.
I particularly found this passage striking since it pretty much speaks to me at this point in time:
“Change doesn’t happen organically; it doesn’t happen by itself. People wait for change like they’re waiting for a bus. People want things to happen, they want to get farther down the road, but that bus ain’t coming; it’s only when they go out and flag a ride that they get where they want to go” (Page 25).
It is very true that people should go out there and seize the day–after all, what good is waiting around for? If one only sits and waits, life will just pass by. It makes so much sense; I know I have heard “Carpe diem” a lot, and I know that sometimes sitting around for change is just not a great thing at all. I find that one of my biggest pet peeves is waiting around; I can be very patient, but many times I am pretty impatient and restless. I want movement in whatever I do, I want change to happen. So if I want change so badly, why don’t I just go out and make it happen? Nothing will happen if I just sit here and wonder about “what if.”
I guess I feel that certain things are supposedly holding me back, but I come to realize that the only thing really holding me back is my fear of failure, of shame in front of my loved ones. But if I just sit here and do nothing, then pretty much it’s a self-prophecy. Better to go out there, make a fool of myself, and know that I did the best that I could than do nothing.
I have trouble trying to figure out this dilemma for myself. How do I go for my own dreams with no regrets? Yet I feel like my dreams may not be the “right” way to go about things. And then I fear disapproval from my loved ones. How does someone come across as being ambitious yet not selfish?