Posts on Musings in Mundanity

Tough Days

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:00:00 -0500

I had a particularly tough day at work today. It wasn’t the complexity of the tasks that weighed me down; in fact, they were relatively straightforward. What made the day so challenging was the monotony and lack of fulfillment in my work. My day was dedicated to meticulously reviewing my work over the past month, a painstaking process aimed at identifying any errors in the model consolidation. The pressure was palpable, as I’m racing against time to deliver a functional model by week’s end.

Are You Wealthy?

Mon, 01 May 2023 17:00:00 -0600

In the 2019 Netflix movie, Jurgen Mossack, played by Gary Oldman, says ‘first you must ask yourself, are you wealthy?’ It is that question that we will try to answer today. Discussing wealth and personal finances is often considered taboo in many cultures and is often seen as impolite or rude. This is because talking about money can be seen as gauche, brash, or even aggressive, and can evoke strong emotions such as envy, embarrassment, or insecurity. And yet, most of us are fascinated by wealth.

Vail

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:00:00 -0500

This last week, I got to attend the Vail Food and Wine festival. It was an amazing experience. The food and wine festival gives industry personnel and visitors the opportunity to ski in Vail, Colorado. The festival is a celebration of all things wine and food, and it draws people from all over the world to experience the best that the industry has to offer. The festival is comprised of four events: the Rosé tasting, the Après tasting in the streets of Vail, and the Grand tasting.

Burnout

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 17:00:00 -0500

Perfection. It is a noble goal, but one that can lead to unforeseen consequences. As a student, there was always a clear goal: to graduate with good grades. When I started working that goal changed. I could no longer rush towards the finish line, because retirement is a very long way away. Therefore my strategy of doing whatever it takes to get the job done backfired. I kept imposing unrealistic expectations on myself and working a lot of overtime. This led to an extreme work-life imbalance. I used to dread going to work every morning. I felt exhausted, stressed and unmotivated by my job. I was burned out.

The Audacity of Optimism

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0600

I’m joining a gym this week. I know it’s not original, but after six years of being overworked and burnt out, I started my full-time job and found myself with more free time than I had in the past. Initially, I filled this time with rest and relaxation, but I soon realized that there’s only so much someone can take. It is amazing how enticing a TV show or book can be when the alternative is homework. I started getting outside and exercising, like going on bike rides and taking walks, which were great in the summer and fall. However, the winter brought additional challenges to keeping up the habit. It’s easy to make excuses like it’s raining, too cold, or too windy. Suddenly the habit I had developed to do something enjoyable and good for me in turned into a once or twice a week occurrence. Therefore, something needed to change, and that was to start working out inside during the winter. Unfortunately, the gyms are packed around the new year as people attempt to fulfill their New Year’s resolution. I have never been able to keep a New Year’s resolution alive throughout the entire year and therefore look upon those who try with a sense of audacity at their optimism.

The Limitation of Age

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0600

For as long as I can remember, I have never felt that I am the correct age. I hope that many people can relate to this feeling. We are constantly either too young or too old to do something. In the US, there are three main age milestones: eighteen, twenty-one, and sixty-five. Eighteen is the age of majority, when you gain the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Twenty-one is the legal age for drinking and gambling in the US. Sixty-five, at the other end of the spectrum, gives you access to Medicare, retirement, social security, and senior’s discounts.

The Beauty of Patience

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0600

Modern life is filled with advertisements. While you may think that you recognize the ads in your life, I disagree. Sure, there are the easy-to-identify ads that we see throughout the day: the banner ads on websites, the suggested search results on Google trying to get you to buy something (it used to be that Google helped you learn about something, but now it seems intent on helping you get to the checkout screen), the ads that play before your video starts. But I am talking about the harder-to-identify ads. With the constant contact that we are afforded by this social media-obsessed world, we are bombarded by a constant stream of micro-influencers. You’ve heard the saying “you didn’t know you needed this until you saw it.” Well, today you can’t help but see it. We see or hear about the things our friends and family do, and we think that would be cool. We never stop to think, do I really want to do that or am I just jealous that they are getting to do something while I am sitting here at my boring job? To know oneself is very difficult; it requires conscious reflection and for us to take a second to think, even when the world is telling us to keep moving.

Hello World

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0600

Hello everyone!

I am excited to announce that I am starting this blog with the goal of improving my writing skills. As a self-proclaimed wordsmith wannabe, I have always been passionate about the written word and the power it holds to communicate, persuade, and inspire. However, I have always struggled with finding the right words and stringing them together in a way that effectively conveys my thoughts and ideas.

That is why I have decided to embark on this journey of learning to write better. I plan on posting to this blog with my musings, reflections, and lessons learned. My hope is that through this process, I will not only become a better writer, but also gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the written word.