the middle finger project

Who’s Behind It

Best stated, I’m an idealist.  I am entirely impractical, lofty & am overly optimistic.

Some might choose to describe me as flighty, impulsive & unrealistic.

And that’s okay. Because no matter the adjective, most would agree on one thing:  I am truly a happy individual.

Here’s my secret:

I do whatever it is my heart desires.

I’ve engaged myself in a lifelong journey to find something that excites and inspires me.  Most people would say that they, too, are seeking those things, but the difference is that I consciously, actively pursue it with conviction.  For me, this has translated into the following primary goals, as follows:

1) To not only see the world, but to know the world. It’s the distinction between tourist and traveler.  But I want to take it a step further, and understand the world as well.  It’s a subjective goal, by all means, but one that I find worthy of pursuit, nonetheless.  In order to accomplish that, it’s necessary to live in the world–not just in one corner of it–and immerse myself in the great cultures that comprise it.  Why would this make me happy?  I believe that as members of the human race, we are all connected to one another by certain universal experiences–fear, nervousness, happiness–and in the past, I’ve found that it has been by tapping into that interconnectedness that I’ve felt truly excited.  Engaged.  Present.  At peace with the moment.  To be able to connect with other human beings that, otherwise, do not share the same beliefs, values, ideologies or even the same language–essentially nothing–is a powerful thing.  It makes me feel as if I am a member of something much larger than the white, middle-class American clan, and that can be quite empowering.  Sampling a variety of alcoholic beverages from around the world is also an influential factor.

2) To enable myself to carry out goal number one by creating one or multiple nontraditional streams of income that are conducive to the lifestyle I seek. For the most part, this remains to be seen, but I intend on doing so largely through entrepreneurial activities.  This website is a good first step. I’m just about done with my master’s in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), not because of a voracious yearning to teach, per say, but because of it’s ability to allow me to secure employment internationally, as a backup plan of sorts.  I strategically planned and implemented that as a means to an end, and I also hope to flirt with various types of freelancing, via web design, photography, writing & art.  This coincides with one of my most influential philosophies, that of not limiting one’s self to a single career, job or skill set.  These are all activities I thoroughly enjoy, so why not build my life around them?  This circles back to the increasingly popular concept of lifestyle design, which is one of the primary focuses of this website.

As excited as I am to implement these objectives, I’m also a firm believer that the journey is equally important (if not more so) as the destination.  A lot of my impulsivity is rooted in that particular belief, and I make decisions largely based on what I feel will add the most value to my life both immediately and in the long-term, in line with the goals I’ve outlined above.  If that means doing things in an unconventional matter, then so be it.  For me, life is an adventure to be lived, an experience to be had, and one that should not, by any means, be disrupted by mediocrity and routine.

“Moderation?  It’s mediocrity, fear and confusion in disguise.  It’s neither doing nor not doing.  It’s the wobbling compromise that makes no one happy.  Moderation is for the bland, the apologetic, for the fence-sitters of the world afraid to take a stand.  It’s for those afraid to laugh or cry, for those afraid to live or die.”  -Dan Millman from Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Beyond that, there’s a few other things you should probably know:

1.  My laugh is arguably obnoxious.  I accept this.

2. I hail from Pennsylvania.  I grew up in a town with one stoplight (there’s 3 in the entire county).  If I recall correctly, the most difficult maneuver I had to manage on my driver’s test was to yield to incoming traffic…at the only place there is a yield.

3.  In 2002, I received a full scholarship to college (and room AND board AND a laptop computer) from the founder of Monster.com, Andy McKelvey.  I met him.  On several occasions.  It was awesome. The scholarship was based on entrepreneurial spirit, and I credit Andy to this day for teaching me about risk-taking, go-getterness, and, frankly, not giving a damn about what anyone thinks.

4.  I will challenge you to a beer drinking contest, and I will win.

Folks, meet Ashley Ambirge.

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