While designing a creative graduation cap, I decided to use “Breaking Grad” as a tribute to one of my favorite TV shows.
SPOILER ALERT!
For those of you who have watched Breaking Bad, you have hopefully made the connection.
When I first watched the show, I could not help but question why so many people idolize Mr. White, someone who deliberately keeps his family in the dark about his methamphetamine business.
What’s to like about a guy like that, right??
Water White stretches his high-school-teacher salary very thin; barely making ends meet, tackling his son’s cerebral palsy medical expenses and financing his daughter’s birth.
However, learning he has terminal cancer shatters Mr. White’s world and makes him question and re-evaluate his moral standards.
He convinces former chemistry student Jesse to produce and distribute meth together.
This collaboration is the first of Walter’s desperate attempts to give his family some financial relief. He would have never teamed up with such a character otherwise..
Together, they distribute “the Blue”, get into all sorts of trouble with various drug kings/the cartel, and eventually accumulate millions of dollars.
Mr. White starts to call himself “Heisenberg” (after his favorite quantum mechanics scientist) in order to keep his identity hidden.
Heisenberg allows dark and cynical behavior to become normal in the name of his business and his family’s future prosperity.
Once I became completely emerged into the show, watching all seasons a few times over, I too understood why anti-hero Walter is revered.
Although I do not condone going to criminal extents to lay out financial stability, there are powerful lessons to learn from Heisenberg:
- He throws himself fearlessly into his new work, setting goals and following through with them.
- He has brilliant entrepreneurship and clever problem-solving skills.
- Heisenberg is diplomatic and tactful when dealing with people and tough situations.
- Most importantly, he has a clear purpose for his transformation. He may become a criminal, but his tenacity is admirable.
- I think this is the type of mentality all students should possess. Why are you doing what you’re doing?? What is YOUR purpose? We must have justification and motives behind our thoughts and actions.
So weather you are struggling with school, work, or even your personal life, determine what your purpose is, come up with a plan, and throw yourself completely into accomplishing it!
We all need to transform into our own versions of Heisenberg every now and then.
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