Life Lessons at 39

By J -


Yes, I'm hitting 39. I know people always gripe about getting older. I always hate it when some douche says, "Oh I can't believe I'm 30. I FEEL SO OLD."

You know why people hate getting older? Aside from the fact that your skin starts to sag and your hair starts to gray, getting older reminds you that you have a limited amount of time on this Earth and that you may want to get crackin' on whatever goals you have in life. Every birthday is like a nagging mom that asks, "So you're X years old now... what the hell have you accomplished so far?"

I guess this is why I like time travel stories. I like scifi in general, but time travel stories are my favorite genre within the genre. Something about altering the course of history has always appealed to me:

"Hey James? Hi I'm you from the future. Just a heads up buddy: Look both ways when you cross the street tomorrow. Get a job at a company called Google, dude. Trust me. Oh, and be sure to delete your voicemail messages before your girlfriend comes home."

Alas, I don't have a time machine, but at least I can give you younger Alpha Asians a heads up on what's in store for ya. Here's a few bits of advice based on my humble life experience:


 1) Hunker down by the time you hit 30. After college and in your 20's is when you can do whatever it is you want to do, because you have few commitments. If you haven't started a family yet, then the 20's are when you should do whatever it is you want to do to get it out of your system.

You want to backpack around the world? You want to start a business? You want to write a book? Shoot a movie? Be an actor or singer? Then do it.

But by 30 years of age, if you haven't made a living out of your passion, then it's time to get a stable career. No regrets.


 2) College first? College later? It doesn't matter. Did you ever look at your boss and think to yourself, "How in the world is this nimrod my boss?"

Well guess what? Unless you got a degree in a specialized field that's in demand, your degree doesn't mean much this day and age. You should get a degree, no doubt. You can't get through the front door without one. But a degree simply means that you're not an idiot. It doesn't mean you're special. Your experience (both life experience and work experience) is what showcases your special qualities.

You can get your college degree early and over with, or you can get it later while you're working. It doesn't matter. We all end up in relatively the same leg of the race anyway.


 3) Date around. Then settle down. I'm not telling you to be a whore, but when you're young, you should really meet lots of members of the opposite sex that you find attractive. Get it out of your system before you meet that special someone. People take this all or none approach to everything, including relationships. They think, "Oh this relationship didn't lead to marriage, so it was a failure."

But if you had a great time when you were with her, then the experience served its purpose. Not everything is meant to last, but everything can be a valuable and fun experience.

Comments

DJ Lazy Eyez said…
I don't agree with the settle down at 30. I don't think one should ever settle down.
April 27, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Rick Lee

By J -
Image
Q: I'm an avid follower of your site and had a question, since I believe you are the most recent one to have done an interview /been in contact with Rick Lee. I was wondering: is he still actively keeping up with his website?  Also I was wondering if you ever heard of the podcast DVDASA hosted by David Choe ? I'm sure you know of him or can easily find out who he is, but I wanted to know how I can contact him. I think he'd make a great guest on the show especially, because of his Asian-Man website. I believe he was the first Asian male porn star. David Choe talks about it sometimes, but he mentions Keni Styles as the first, but Rick is.  I'd love for him to be able to get on the show, set the record straight and help continue changing perceptions of Asian males.  Sorry if this is sort of random. Anyways hope to hear from you soon Thanks! -J My Answer: Are you trying to contact David Choe or are you trying to contact Rick Lee or both?  I'm s...
Read more

Muscle Building Diet for the Asian Male

By J -
Image
As a strength trainer with an Asian American background, I often get questions and comments from Asian dudes all over the world. A common theme that pops up among Asian lifters is the belief that their Asian genes are limiting their progress in their quest for a muscular physique. I always tell them this: don't let race or ethnicity be a limiting factor in your training goals or any goal. It does not matter if you are Asian or a skinny bastard or a woman. If your goal is to be bigger, faster, stronger, then you still travel the same road that everyone else travels to size and strength. I mean look at Tommy Kono . Here was a Japanese American who grew up in an internment camp, and he became arguably the greatest Olympic weightlifter the US offered to the world.  He was also a successful bodybuilder, winning the Mr. Universe title in 1955 and 1957.  He built a phenomenal physique in an era before steroids. He didn't let race or ethnicity be a limiting factor i...
Read more

Strength Training for the Asian Lifter, Part II

By J -
Image
Since I keep getting inquiries on my previous article Strength and Bodybuilding for the Asian Lifter , I thought I'd write up a follow-up: I’m a bit of a bodybuilding purist. I normally don’t write my exercise articles from the angle of “develop the muscles that drive her wild in bed!” Men’s Fitness, however, interviewed me one time for an article titled Sculpting Her Five Favorite Body Parts. The interviewer picked my brain on how to develop muscles so that a woman, as she put it, “couldn't keep her hands off you.” When it comes down to it, Asian men want the same thing everybody else wants when they exercise: to look good naked! Women don’t give a crap how much you bench, but they will notice the tone in your arms when you’re wearing a T-shirt. A lot of Asian guys feel that their Asian genes are somehow holding them back when it comes to gaining muscle. But guess what? Whether or not it is true that Asian men have a harder time gaining muscle, most women don’t ...
Read more