Youth=Energy
My equation for the success of young people
If you were a high achiever in middle school, high school, or even a part of some gifted program in elementary school, I’m sure you can relate to what I am about to say.
For years, I was that person above. I rarely did poorly in school, and I thought I knew it all. Every question that was ever posed to me, I knew the answer to it. Not once did I ever consider that I might not know something. And if you think you're smart, you will eventually just start lying about the stuff you know. You NEVER take into consideration that the person talking to you might know the answer. You, and only you, MUST maintain that you know everything.
Now here is where the problems begin to emerge. You think you know everything, but all you know is trivial knowledge. Something asked in a game of Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy on the television (Nothing against the Jeopardy people, it’s extremely impressive, and I watch almost every night, yelling at the TV, and saying what my dad said after he said it, and owning it as my answer). There are numerous reasons why one would act like this as a kid; for me, it was my competitive nature. I have said this in my articles before, but I HATE losing. Pick up sports, Mock Trial in college, and even the lunchroom sports arguments as a kid, I wanted to win, and I would lie, cheat, and steal (If you know you know) to that end.
The illusion we get ourselves into before college and even throughout college is that we have all this “knowledge,” but all it is is a collection of trivia answers, with no deep understanding of the concepts at play. I can tell you all the battles of the American Revolution, but I would not be able to explain why they all happened, the strategies during these battles, and how one side won over the other. All I got is that they use Guerrilla Warfare.
Then I went to college and took my first-ever test in my first-ever Philosophy class. I was promptly smacked in the face with a not-so-great grade, because I thought I could go right through college without having to study for a single test. It was a big wake-up call for me, and at the time, my pursuit of Law School was a huge part of my life. I needed to do as well as possible and set myself up for the future.
From that point on, in the next 4 years, I would spend hours at a time studying, or as I saw it, memorizing the materials for each test. I did all the assignments with full involvement in campus organizations and gave all that I could to them. I began to realize a trend that, despite my pea brain, I could get a ton of work done in any given amount of time.
Then, my podcast began. In two semesters, my junior year, I would amass almost 75 episodes, and in April 2024, I would record over 25 podcasts in a single month. It took a toll on me like none other, but I was still able to enjoy the gym and have a social life. From this point, I finally cracked the code to it all.
Only being 19 years old at the time, I did not have all the information. I had the systems in place for success, and an abundance of energy to execute. This fact in itself resulted in a huge shift in my mental framework.
I realized the greatest advantage I had over others, despite my youth, was the unbelievable amount of energy I had to get work done. Even the most laborious of tasks were done with ease. Even within my professional career now, I always look to leverage the energy I have. Large swaths of research done in a day, hundreds of emails sent within a few hours, and still, I know near to nothing, and lack the essential life experiences. I meet the life experiences where they are at, and continue to build on that experience every day.
Overall, if you're in your 20s or even late teens, don’t be a know-it-all, because you wouldn’t know life if it smacked you in your face (Some people are exceptions to this rule; most people are not). But use the energy you have to put in those long hours, while you still can. I still remember many days in college, after a long night out, doing what college kids do, and being able to wake up in the morning, work out, run a mile, and get some work done. That isn’t possible when you're older.
Take advantage and leverage the youthful energy you have today, because before you know it, it will all pass you by. And just because you're young should never stop you from being ambitious; the youthful energy will aid in any given project you set out for. Reach for those stars!
Well, folks, that’s all from me, Nate Crespo, your host for today and FOREVER! I would not have 149 episodes if it weren’t for my youthful energy. Especially in those early months of the podcast, I would do 2 or even 3 podcasts a day, but I realized there was a goal in sight, and that I could push through it. Take advantage of your youthful energy, TODAY!