Why I Want To Go First

So, I made it into the alpha testers of the DeskPM (Desktop Publishing Machine)! Woot! I’m writing and will publish this post using this, so far very cool, and writing inspiring app. It is clean. Simple and no distraction writing app. From Pressgram to this, John is onto something…

Anyway, I was thinking about what to write about, then, it hit me: I thought to write about why I like being first. Why do I love running ahead and trying stuff before it even gets perfect?

I love new. I fall into the category of “early adopters”. I wish I had beat someone to this “early adopters” phrase… I would’ve used a very different word or phrase. “Early adopters” sounds rather calm and non-disrutptive, safe, dignified.

I see the work of pioneers as messy, passion and courage-demanding. I hail the heroes who dare to make the path. There are parts of the immature and younger me that had a little scorn on those who waited for the world to take up something before they did. The ones who play it safe.

Maturity and time have taught me that there is nothing wrong with people who are wary with the new. That is who they are. It is not me. I love being first. As with many things I can rationalise why I love being first but I’m more convinced that I don’t know entirely why. Perhaps the most truthful reason would be, “that’s just how God wired me”.

I think these are some of the reasons I love being a pioneer, in a sense:

Thrill

This may not be valid for you but it is for me. There’s a thrill in figuring out something first. Some may think this arrogant, but I couldn’t care less. For me, nothing summons adrenaline as the dealing with challenges and contexts that few or none have dealt with. Like X-Games athletes “thrill” is reason enough.

Journey

I think the story of anything is not in the result. It is in the journey. I love being a front-runner because it allows me to not only witness a story but to make one.

Posterity

I take the kind of world posterity inherits as a very personal thing. I have responsibility to generations after me to give them a world with more value than I found. Posterity deserves richer lives and inspiration from me. This is not about a hero complex. Neither is it about fame or ego, it is a matter of principle.

There are a myriad of people, most of which I’ll never know, who have contributed immensely to some of the things I enjoy today. From technological advancements to education and other research. I have more than an obligation, but the privilege to pay some things forward.

Yes, for me this includes backing Pressgram, DeskPM, Not Marked (a book by Mary DeMuth for people affected by sexual abuse). It is the reason I work with young people and tell them they matter and have something of worth to offer their generation and others beyond their time.

Can’t Explain

I’ve already alluded to the inexplicable… The reasons I’ve highlighted are just some of the reasons. I’m still trying to figure out why, but not obsessively. I’ve made peace with the way I’m wired. Not that it was ever something that has bothered me, all I’m saying it is something I embrace much more aggressively as I mature (whatever that is).

We all have things we can’t explain about ourselves. Why we find some pursuits and contexts exhilarating or not. It is both what we can explain and cannot explain that define us. Define our pursuits…

Your Turn

For me, it is blazing trails… What is your approach to the new? What are some of the things you like, yet cannot explain about yourself? Looking forward to hearing from you ;-)