TRAINING FOR A BETTER DAY

I GET A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM A LOT OF MOVIES.  THERE'S ALWAYS A NUGGET OF TRUTH CONTAINED THEREIN.  IN ALL HONESTY, I ACTUALLY LOOK FOR THESE MOMENTS IN MOVIES.  IT CAN BE HIDDEN IN A CHARACTER'S CONVERSATION, OR HIDDEN IN THE ACTION, AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT ACTION.  GOOD MOVIES, DO THIS VERY WELL, SO WELL THAT YOU AREN'T AWARE THAT, YOU'RE GETTING A NUGGET OF TRUTH AT THE MOMENT, BUT, YOU WALK AWAY WITH IT SUBCONSCIOUSLY.  FOR INSTANCE THIS MOVIE, PICTURED ABOVE, TRAINING DAY.  IT IS ESSENTIALLY, ABOUT A ROOKIE COP, WHO IS PAIRED WITH A VETERAN, AND SOON DISCOVERS THE VETERAN, AND THE JOB, ARE NOT WHAT HE EXPECTS IT TO BE.  I'M DOING MY BEST NOT TO GIVE AWAY ANY SPOILERS, FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT....GET OFF YOUR ASS, RIGHT NOW, AND WATCH IT.  THERE'S A VERY GOOD QUOTE IN THIS MOVIE, AND IT'S THE ONE THAT STUCK WITH ME, EVEN THO THERE'S MULTIPLE QUOTES PEOPLE LIKE TO USE FROM THIS MOVIE...

                         "IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT YOU CAN PROVE"

THIS SIMPLE STATEMENT SAYS LEAPS AND BOUNDS, IF YOU CAN MERELY HEAR IT FOR WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY SAYING.  IN THIS MOVIE, THE CHARACTER IS REFERRING TO A COURT OF LAW, BUT, I SEE IT IN A DAILY LIFE APPLICATION SCENARIO.  THE STATEMENT IS TRUE, IT ISN'T ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT, WHAT YOU CAN INDEED PROVE.  THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROOF IS VERY VALID IN THE WORLD TODAY.  PEOPLE, NO LONGER CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT RATHER, WHAT YOU CAN PROVE TO THEM.  I COULD TELL YOU THAT I'M A PRETTY GOOD ARTIST, BUT, UNTIL I SHOW YOU MY ARTWORK, YOU WILL DOUBT ME, OR DOUBT THE FACT THAT I'M PRETTY GOOD.  SOCIETY NEEDS PROOF.  WE HAVE MADE IT PAST THE POINT, THAT WE BLINDLY BELIEVE THINGS, AND, WE NOW REQUIRE A SENSE OF PROOF.  WE ARE ESSENTIALLY LIED TO ON A REGULAR BASIS, IN SOME SORT OR OTHER, AND OUR COMMON BELIEF, GIVEN POPULAR MEDIA, ONLY FUELS THAT NOTION.  THEREFORE, IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, WE NEED PROOF.  WE DON'T BLATANTLY ASK FOR IT, OR DEMAND IT, WE SIMPLY SPECULATE UNTIL WE KNOW FOR SURE.

THIS IDEA EXPANDS TO ALL SORT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SCENARIOS.  THE IMPULSE IS PRETTY MUCH SECOND NATURE, SOME ONE SAYS, I'M A MAGICIAN, AND IMMEDIATELY YOU DEMAND A MAGIC TRICK FOR PROOF.  IF YOU GRADUATE COLLEGE, AND TELL THE POTENTIAL EMPLOYER, THAT YOU KNOW THIS AND THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT PROOF.  IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT YOU'VE READ COUNTLESS BOOKS, AND, WATCHED COUNTLESS DOCUMENTARIES.  WHAT MATTERS IS, THE FACT THAT THE RESUME YOU OFFER HAS THE PROOF, THAT YOU KNOW SOMETHING.  SOMEONE TELLS YOU, THAT A RESTAURANT IS GREAT, BUT, YOU WILL GO TO GET YOUR OWN OPINION.  WE NEED PROOF.  IT IS PART OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS.  SO, THEREFORE, IT IS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE TO A PUZZLE OF PROVING SOMETHING AS TRUE OR RIGHT.  WE LIKE TO BELIEVE, THAT WE DON'T NEED THE VALIDITY OF ANYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN OURSELVES, BUT, WE DO.  WE KNOW HOW TO DRIVE, AND HONESTLY, IT'S NOT HARD TO LEARN, BUT, YET YOU STILL HAVE TO GET A LICENSE TO PROVE IT.  WHICH SORT OF PUTS US IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION, BECAUSE, YOU CAN BECOME SLIGHTLY ADDICTED TO THE NECESSITY TO PROVE SOMETHING TO OTHERS, AND THAT CAN SPELL DANGER FOR THOSE WITH LOWER SENSE OF SELF-ESTEEM.  YES, IT IS TRUE, THE ONLY PERSON YOU NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING TO IS YOURSELF, HOWEVER, TO ADVANCE OR OPERATE WITHIN A SOCIETY, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVE CERTAIN THINGS TO OTHER PEOPLE.  CASE IN POINT, YOU ARE A MASTER AT KNITTING BEANIES FOR KIDS, YOU USE SPECIAL YARN, AND HAVE MULTIPLE PATTERNS AND COLORS TO CHOOSE FROM.  YOU DECIDE YOU WANNA TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, AND START A BUSINESS.  SO TO GET A KICK START, YOU DECIDE TO APPLY FOR A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN, TO GET YOU GOING.  IN ORDER TO GET ANY MONEY, YOU NEED SAMPLES OF THE PIECES, A BUSINESS PLAN, A RECORD OF HOW YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, GOOD CREDIT HISTORY, ETC.  NEVERMIND THAT, YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO DO THIS BY YOUR MOTHER, IN A PARTICULAR WAY, THAT'S BEEN HANDED DOWN GENERATIONS FROM YOUR ANCESTORS IN ROMAINA.  THEY DON'T CARE.

SO WHY DO WE NEED PROOF THEN?  THE SHORT ANSWER IS, INVESTMENT.  IF A WOMAN IS GOING TO INVEST HER TIME AND EFFORT, IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A MAN OR VICE VERSA, SHE IS GOING TO NEED PROOF THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A DOG AND PONY SHOW.  IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW BEFOREHAND, BECAUSE, CLEANING UP A HORRIBLE AFTERMATH IS NEVER FUN.  WHAT AM I TRYING TO PROVE?  THAT I CAN SUCCESSFULLY MAKE A LIVING AS AN ARTIST, DOING WHAT I LIKE TO DO, AND NOT HAVING TO BUCKLE INTO A CATEGORY TO DO SO.  ALSO, THAT FOR THE MANY PEOPLE IN MY LIFE, THAT TOLD ME I COULD BE MAKING A LIVING, BEING AN ARTIST, I AM TRYING TO PROVE THEM RIGHT.  LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, I'M TRYING TO PROVE TO THOSE AROUND ME AND THE GENERATIONS COMING BEHIND ME, THAT YES, YOU CAN ACHIEVE A DREAM IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TRY AND STAY DEDICATED.  I PUT IN EFFORT, AND WORK, DAILY TOWARD THIS PROOF, AND ONE DAY IT WILL BE ROCK SOLID, PROOF.....AND I WILL STILL, BE ATTEMPTING TO PROVE MORE.     -  925