Being 18 years old in Miami is an experience different from anywhere else in the country. Once I got to an age where I could analyze things around me I realized that this city is one big highlight reel. Everything here is fast- paced and changes in a blink of an eye. It can make you feel as if you are falling behind everyone else quickly.
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Where I am going with this is that many people in this city look for shortcuts rather than putting in hard work. In this city, it is efficiency and speed over effort and patience.
At the gym, instead of having conversations about diet or how hard you are hitting your set, the main topics are peptides or other performance- enhancing drugs. Living in a city where your appearance matters so much, there is great temptation to do anything to keep up the pace. Many people’s thinking is, traditional hard workouts and clean eating will change your appearance, but you have to be patient. Why not take a peptide and achieve the results in a matter of a few months?
The same goes for school and education. Artificial intelligence has grown so quickly in the past year and kids don’t even think about opening a book to study. Why take the time to do the school work the right way when you can complete a whole assignment in a couple of clicks? And with Al it’s a question of what is real and what isn’t? Al is a blessing and a curse.
Money is another example. Walking around Brickell, Coral Gables and South Miami, I can bet money that you will see a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Miami is full of kids who have become rich from day trading, Crypto and online coaching. It’s an amazing thing to see as an 18 year-old but again, their focus is on making money fast compared to graduating and making money through a career.
I am not trying to be negative about any of this because as a Generation Z kid, I realize that there is good in Al and there is good in the modern science of the fitness world. The question is, are we using them wisely and learning or are we just being blinded and avoiding work entirely?
In my opinion, Miami is the best city in the world. But my point here is that success that lasts is always a result of patience, discipline and hard work. The real challenge for my generation is whether to take the long road or cut corners.
A wise man once told me that “money that comes quick leaves quicker.” That quote can be applied to every aspect of life.
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