Livin’ like Larry.. and no.. not the Lobster
While I may not be SpongeBob. I have long been told to “be a sponge”, soaking up information, experiences, and lessons no matter where I went. While this adage is pretty common, I always wondered… Where is Larry? Throughout my life I’ve been blessed with mentors that help me grow professionally or academically, but since I was little I’ve always wanted to find a life mentor. Someone who can help me develop an emotional compass, strong mind, and a bigger heart. That’s what I think of when I imagine Larry the lobster. But first, let’s enter my version of Bikini Bottom
Growing up in an Indian American family of overachievers both academically and in career, I often felt like I had to stay on par with expectations. Grinding my teeth at every A- and pushing myself to the point of injury in the gym when I lost in a tennis tournament, I was constantly stressed.
While this lifestyle still yielded strong results across the board, it took a serious toll on my mental health, causing me to spiral down many negative thoughts. However, in June 2014 my mindset completely flipped. I was running coat check for a small business conference and I struck up a conversation about art and glass blowing with a gentleman and funny enough, his name was Larry. Could he be MY Lobster?!
Within 15 minutes of chatting, I knew that Larry was most definitely my Lobster. He was confident, humble, very friendly, and anyone could tell he had a sweet, loving soul. Larry was able to see me for who I was - a highly ambitious rule bound kid easily prone to stress and burnout.
As we continued our conversation about art and glass blowing, he turned to me and said “Here’s my number, call me. Let’s get you started with Glass Blowing lessons. I want you to start next week”. I was extremely shocked he asked me, a random stranger, to start glass blowing of all things. I wasn’t an artistic person. At all. I was really reluctant, thought I should decline and I was imposing but it was one of those “fuck it. What do I have to lose” moments and I ended up taking him up on the offer.
Through glass blowing, Larry taught me a multitude of lessons:
If a glass breaks, it can still be salvaged into something beautiful like a bowl. Value doesn’t necessarily go away when glass breaks, it simply transfers.
Don’t focus on the end result. Tying your expectations to the outcome of a glass blown piece will limit your enjoyment and pride in the approach and glass blowing process.
Be grateful for the good and bad things in your life. Don’t dwell on either, celebrate both and move on.
These three lessons permeate my life on a daily basis and have been the guiding principles to my development, my mindset, and my interactions with people in my life. I’m much happier now, not just with my life outcomes but also with my state of mind.
Unlike Larry the Lobster in SpongeBob that purely focused on positivity, my Larry taught me it’s okay to go through the down sides but by practicing gratitude and seeing the beauty in the mistakes - I can thrive.
I encourage you all to remember the following:
Practice Gratitude regularly and rewire your mindset
Tell a friend, family member, random janitor in your school or office building you appreciate them - express your gratitude through your personal medium.
Take a chance on people
If someone reaches out for homework help, career search, or gym guidance, go help them! All it takes is one person to believe in you for things to change. Start by believing in them.
Life isn’t linear - or even cyclical
Whether it’s internships, promotions, finances, or a social life - you will go through shit. Everybody will. Celebrate it. Seek out the uncomfortable situations and cherish them.
Take a chance on yourself and if you’re looking for someone to take a chance on you, reach out and I’d love to be of help and support.