AntoniMaroto.com

This blog remains online, but it's not being updated anymore.

Instead, further updates are only taking place on my new website AntoniMaroto.com.

See you there!

Thank you,

Antoni Maroto

Promoting Mediocrity

There is nothing wrong with being an average employee. Not everyone aspires to be in management for instance; there is, indeed, no room for everybody to climb the ladder.
So if people meet the requirements of their current jobs, they like the jobs and want no changes, it is perfectly fine. In fact, I could see why some people choose to remain like that. Suzanne Lucas explains it very well on her article "5 Reasons You Should Strive for Mediocrity," which I have summarized as it follows:

1. It decreases our risk of being fired:
   When we do exactly what the boss asks to do, when we do not question anything, when we just keep your head down and say yes to everything... we do not get a target placed on our backs.
2. We are not a threat to bad managers:
   Some managers cannot stand it when we are ambitious or smarter. They will do everything to cut us down and undermine us. By being mediocre, therefore, we do not threaten those managers, and our positions will be secure.
3. No risk of failure:
   If we are presenting new ideas and challenging old ones, we could fail. Failure is embarrassing and depressing. It stinks. However, by just being adequate, we will surely not fail and, consequently, we will not have to face any shame.
4. We can focus on our lives outside of work:
   If we want to spend more time with our families or on our hobbies, striving for mediocrity at work means we will surely have time for that. In doing this, we will not have to deal with late night phone calls, or weekends spent finishing up projects.

Some of us, however, want to do a better-than-average job and, if needed, be promoted accordingly. Even if that leads to change jobs several times in our lifetimes; even if that means we fail countless times in order to achieve our goals; even if we have less time to "enjoy life."
I have to say, though, that one will keep enjoying life to the fullest if the job is fulfilling. The most dangerous risk of all is, in fact, the risk of spending your life not doing what you want, on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.

Israel

According to the Hebrew Calendar, today is Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day), the national day of Israel, which commemorates the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. It is usually celebrated on the 5th of Iyar.

The modern State of Israel was established as a homeland for the Jewish people, after mostly living in diaspora since the 2nd century CE (Common -or Christian- Era). The history of the country dates back to the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, which emerged in the 9th and 8th centuries BCE (Before the Common -or Christian- Era), respectively. It is currently the world's only Jewish State and the Middle East's only democracy.

Israel's Law of Return gives Jews the right to live in Israel and to gain Israeli citizenship. Being a country of immigrants, its population is, therefore, constantly increasing: as of 2016, it totals more than 8 million people.

Israel is located at the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba (also known as Gulf of Eilat) in the Red Sea. It borders Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. The highest point in the country is Mount Hermon at 9,232 ft, while the lowest one is the Dead Sea at −1,407 ft. The Jordan River runs between these two points.

With more than 800,000 inhabitants, Jerusalem is the most populous city and the capital of Israel. However, this is disputed by many countries due to the fact that the eastern part of the city lies in the West Bank, which previously belonged to Jordan and has been administered by Israel since 1967, although it is a partly autonomous territory and it is currently claimed by the State of Palestine. This state also claims the Gaza strip, which previously belonged to Egypt and had been administered by Israel from 1967 until 2005 and is currently ruled by a terrorist group called Hamas.

Working Boy

Recently, I decided to take some time off Twitter and Instagram in order to concentrate on an important task: reading books I have had pending for some time.

Today I had a quick glance at those and I realized that a co-worker stopped following me on Twitter.

Some of you might be wondering: why am I telling you all this?

Some time ago, I caught that person passing my work as his own and not giving me any credit at all. I never had the chance of speaking to him, since we work in different locations for the same company. Nonetheless, I told my manager, but I never knew anything else about it. Sometimes my team and I would laugh about the matter; we even coined an expression with the employee's surname.

I guess I could have told him directly, but I didn't want to risk certain consequences. He belongs to a much higher area and I was afraid I could be sacked for it. Indeed, I have seen people get fired for being honest.

My dear Tairrie B says that honesty is the holiest disease. And I'm proud to affirm that now I'm blessed to be infected with it.

Fractal Counter-Enlightenment

I wrote this on my blog not long ago:

... Since I am a person who is in a constant search of self-improvement, I find very useful to read the following Twitter accounts, which deal with mindfulness, breathing, meditation, personal development, and positive thinking: Louise Hay, Simon Boylan, Judith Orloff, Eric Barker, Learning Mind, and Fractal Enlightenment...

READ: Birthday

Fractal Enlightenment is a community that seeks to achieve a unique and thought-provoking perspective to alter our programmed thinking. 

I used to read at least one of their articles almost daily. I had found a lot of knowledge, advice and comfort in them. I had recommended them and shared their work countless times. They had been a great source of inspiration and personal growth.

However, that changed three days ago when they published this.

What do you think? Is it a good choice that Fractal Enlightenment quotes Adolf Hitler?

Since I have had no response from them yet, I think it is time I wrote my opinion.