What is Balling Out of Control?

My last post was aggressively edgy though humorous at times. Many people I have talked to did not have much to say because the post made them somewhat uncomfortable. Let’s get back to trying to figure out how to live life to the fullest by balling out of control all the time! Let’s ask the question: “What is balling out of control?”

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I will begin by briefly examining the conventional definition of baller from wikipedia:

Baller is a slang term, of American origin, for someone who has "made it to the big time", or a person who lives a flashy luxurious lifestyle. It may have originated from the analogy of inner city amateur athletes successfully reaching the professional leagues of baseball, basketball, or football. It also could have originated from the drug trade, often dubbed "the dope game." Drug dealers who sold large amounts and made lots of money would sell one-eighth of an ounce of dope, also known as an eightball to lesser dealers. Baller is now commonly used to refer to a posh thug, pimp, or gangster, or one who imitates this lifestyle. Ballers spend vast amounts of money on such things as champagne, fine dining, poolside cabanas, clubbing, jewelry, expensive cars, clothing, high-stakes poker and other forms of gambling. It is usually used to refer to men; they are portrayed as sharply-dressed, with beautiful women and rich taste.

Yes, this one definition of baller: materialistic baller. Rappers, professional athletes, professional gamblers, and drug dealers can certainly be considered materialistic ballers. They are ballers because their material wealth and luxurious possessions create an enviable lifestyle. It appears that they are “living life to the fullest,” and in terms of monetary wealth, they are in fact balling out of control. This, however, is not my definition of balling out of control.

For me, balling out of control has a much more holistic definition that involves a positive impact on yourself, society, and the world. Balling out of control is living your personal vision so fully that you are constantly challenging your beliefs. Balling out of control involves a constant awareness of what you are doing, why you are doing what you are doing, and the effects of what you are doing on those around you. You are living in the moment, but more importantly, living life to the fullest in every single moment. You are conscious of your vision and your destiny, conscious of your identity and personal foundation, conscious of your service to others and building relationships with others, and conscious of the actions you can take in your community and the world at large. This awareness and consciousness about your vision allows you to be balling out of control!

Now, it is very important to realize that balling out of control all the time is no easy task. Balling out of control involves toeing the line between balling in control and balling too far out of control. When you are balling in control, you are still a baller, but you are not challenging yourself and your vision as fully as you could be, whereas when you are balling too far out of control, you have exceeded your personal capacity and have lost sight of your vision.

The key is to understand the relationship between your actions and your vision. When you are balling out of control, your vision is constantly in flux, but you are innately aware of every minute change. You must be your vision as you always remain aware of maximizing your capabilities in pursuit of your destiny. In essence, your vision becomes who you are and you are inevitably balling out of control all the time. It is your destiny to be a baller!

What does balling out of control mean to you?