Thursday, September 27, 2012
Opinions
It's probably a good idea not to ask for opinions, nor to give them. Ask for facts, and base your opinions on those facts, and then keep your opinions to yourself.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
"Motivational Bullshit"
Warning: I know this might all be a little ironic, coming from someone who often ends his writing by repeating "go" and "fight" multiple times, but I'm going to accept the inherent contradiction and just keep going...
I was reading something today by a "business guru", and at the end he said something that I found relatively profound.
Let me preface this by saying that I have been reading his little blog posts/writings for a while now, every day for 90 days or so, and some of the initial lustre (somehow the British spelling, lustre, is much more appealing than the American luster...luster sounds like someone who is always lusting...) wore off a while ago. You can only have someone write in ALL CAPS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE SUPER CUSTOMER-CENTRIC AND ALWAYS NETWORKING AND ALWAYS GOING THE EXTRA MILE, ETC., for so long before you start to become immune to it. And truly, although this guy has written some things that have really made me pumped up and ready to work harder/smarter than everyone else, I have begun to think that he is kinda full of upper-management gobbledygook about half of the time. I'm sure he believes everything he says/writes with 110% conviction, but it's just that he's not always aware of the difference between writing something meaningful/insightful and writing something that is, as I mentioned above, AN ALL CAPS "YOU-NEED-TO-WAKE-UP-AND-SMELL-THE-CUSTOMER-SERVICE" bombardment. It can be a little bit much sometimes.
So I've started to simply skim his writings to see if they're of the valuable, insightful variety or the all-caps, cheer-leading variety...today's piece was almost entirely in the latter category, except for what he said at the end. Namely, "please, don't dismiss this as motivational bullshit." It's kind of ironic...I do in fact think that his preceding lines were mostly motivational bullshit. But to tell someone not to dismiss motivational bullshit is eye-opening. Why? Because that is a powerful reminder that you are in control of your mind. It is important to remember that you have the power to take yourself to that amazing, mystical mindset...that mental space that allows you to become an unstoppable force.
If you can remember to be aware of your own power, remember your drive, your clarity, focus, energy, whatever you want to call it....if you can remember that incredible internal aspect of yourself that allows you to grow and to be strong in challenging times, then you are going to feel more alive. And, somehow, that perspective allows you to see something inspirational or meaningful in words that, only moments earlier, were simply "motivational bullshit". In fact, that perspective allows you to see inspiration and meaning in the entire universe.
I was reading something today by a "business guru", and at the end he said something that I found relatively profound.
Let me preface this by saying that I have been reading his little blog posts/writings for a while now, every day for 90 days or so, and some of the initial lustre (somehow the British spelling, lustre, is much more appealing than the American luster...luster sounds like someone who is always lusting...) wore off a while ago. You can only have someone write in ALL CAPS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE SUPER CUSTOMER-CENTRIC AND ALWAYS NETWORKING AND ALWAYS GOING THE EXTRA MILE, ETC., for so long before you start to become immune to it. And truly, although this guy has written some things that have really made me pumped up and ready to work harder/smarter than everyone else, I have begun to think that he is kinda full of upper-management gobbledygook about half of the time. I'm sure he believes everything he says/writes with 110% conviction, but it's just that he's not always aware of the difference between writing something meaningful/insightful and writing something that is, as I mentioned above, AN ALL CAPS "YOU-NEED-TO-WAKE-UP-AND-SMELL-THE-CUSTOMER-SERVICE" bombardment. It can be a little bit much sometimes.
So I've started to simply skim his writings to see if they're of the valuable, insightful variety or the all-caps, cheer-leading variety...today's piece was almost entirely in the latter category, except for what he said at the end. Namely, "please, don't dismiss this as motivational bullshit." It's kind of ironic...I do in fact think that his preceding lines were mostly motivational bullshit. But to tell someone not to dismiss motivational bullshit is eye-opening. Why? Because that is a powerful reminder that you are in control of your mind. It is important to remember that you have the power to take yourself to that amazing, mystical mindset...that mental space that allows you to become an unstoppable force.
If you can remember to be aware of your own power, remember your drive, your clarity, focus, energy, whatever you want to call it....if you can remember that incredible internal aspect of yourself that allows you to grow and to be strong in challenging times, then you are going to feel more alive. And, somehow, that perspective allows you to see something inspirational or meaningful in words that, only moments earlier, were simply "motivational bullshit". In fact, that perspective allows you to see inspiration and meaning in the entire universe.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Focus
Why are you where you are?
What are you supposed to be doing?
Are you making progress? If not, why not? If so, is it as much as you should be making?
Are you being honest with yourself?
Look back on where you were/what you were doing 1/2/5 years ago. How would you rate your past self with respect to the above questions? How do you think your future self, in 1/2/5 years, will rate you now with respect to the above questions?
Be unbelievable. Do not let timidity or uncertainty stand in your way. Trust your deep instincts and fight through the attempts of others to "normalize" you. Mediocrity is contagious, guard yourself against it.
Fight, fight, fight. Go, go, go.
What are you supposed to be doing?
Are you making progress? If not, why not? If so, is it as much as you should be making?
Are you being honest with yourself?
Look back on where you were/what you were doing 1/2/5 years ago. How would you rate your past self with respect to the above questions? How do you think your future self, in 1/2/5 years, will rate you now with respect to the above questions?
Be unbelievable. Do not let timidity or uncertainty stand in your way. Trust your deep instincts and fight through the attempts of others to "normalize" you. Mediocrity is contagious, guard yourself against it.
Fight, fight, fight. Go, go, go.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
_ / | \ _
The human condition is so complicated and overpowering.
I want something very badly, but I do not know what it is. And maybe I already have it.
There is this sort of...pulsation in my mind. It's like some secret force is whispering music into my thoughts, and the music is actually a code for some ultimate, profound truth or wisdom. I want that music to be louder, and I also want to understand the code.
Any moment could be our last. Someone was telling me today about a man who passed away at age 40; he had been diagnosed with brain cancer at age 30, and, presumably had been battling it for the entire time. That is truly heartbreaking.
Think about your pets that have passed away. Think about the people you have known that have passed away. How many beautiful spirits have you seen come and go? How many amazing, innocent lives have been snatched up in what seemed an unfair turn of events? And that's everyone. No matter how full and great one's life has been, it is always going to be unfair. Nobody wants their loved ones to transform into whatever state it is that awaits on the other side of this life. We want them to stay. We want their thoughts and their presence and their personality to be near to us, available to comfort us, available to enjoy life with us. It is telling that, even for people who believe that an eternity of good things awaits them after they die, almost nobody is secretly hoping that, despite how great their life is, a bus will suddenly run them over. We all want to live. We all want our loved ones to live.
Any moment could be our last, and yet we are not really free to live as if that is the case. That is the real challenge of our lives. To not get caught up in monotony...to not sacrifice too much of our present for the sake of some uncertain future. I was reading an article a while ago about the things that dying people regret. It wasn't that surprising, but it was very moving. It is good to remember that all people are, ultimately, the same. No matter how different you think someone is, we all have flaws and weaknesses. We all make mistakes. We are all dying together, from the moment we are born.
"What vast expanses of beauty and despair, what soaring joys and plummeting tragedies are birthed by the pulse of our hearts and the cascades of chemicals and electrical activity in our minds? We cannot know the great distances that are traversed by our love and anguish, and we cannot know, ultimately, if we are truly alone or if we are all together. It is the paradox that brings us agonizingly to our knees when we feel betrayal, and overwhelms us like a tidal wave when we truly believe we see the depth of our affection reflected in equal measure in our lovers' eyes. Each and every one of us is cloistered away in a world of isolation, and yet that separateness is enjoined with all other lives in the lattice of change and faith in the reality of shared experience."
Take a deep breath. Think about what is important. Remember to be aware of what's going on around you, and try not to just be "going through the motions". Do your best, and appreciate all the glory that universe has given us.
I want something very badly, but I do not know what it is. And maybe I already have it.
There is this sort of...pulsation in my mind. It's like some secret force is whispering music into my thoughts, and the music is actually a code for some ultimate, profound truth or wisdom. I want that music to be louder, and I also want to understand the code.
Any moment could be our last. Someone was telling me today about a man who passed away at age 40; he had been diagnosed with brain cancer at age 30, and, presumably had been battling it for the entire time. That is truly heartbreaking.
Think about your pets that have passed away. Think about the people you have known that have passed away. How many beautiful spirits have you seen come and go? How many amazing, innocent lives have been snatched up in what seemed an unfair turn of events? And that's everyone. No matter how full and great one's life has been, it is always going to be unfair. Nobody wants their loved ones to transform into whatever state it is that awaits on the other side of this life. We want them to stay. We want their thoughts and their presence and their personality to be near to us, available to comfort us, available to enjoy life with us. It is telling that, even for people who believe that an eternity of good things awaits them after they die, almost nobody is secretly hoping that, despite how great their life is, a bus will suddenly run them over. We all want to live. We all want our loved ones to live.
Any moment could be our last, and yet we are not really free to live as if that is the case. That is the real challenge of our lives. To not get caught up in monotony...to not sacrifice too much of our present for the sake of some uncertain future. I was reading an article a while ago about the things that dying people regret. It wasn't that surprising, but it was very moving. It is good to remember that all people are, ultimately, the same. No matter how different you think someone is, we all have flaws and weaknesses. We all make mistakes. We are all dying together, from the moment we are born.
"What vast expanses of beauty and despair, what soaring joys and plummeting tragedies are birthed by the pulse of our hearts and the cascades of chemicals and electrical activity in our minds? We cannot know the great distances that are traversed by our love and anguish, and we cannot know, ultimately, if we are truly alone or if we are all together. It is the paradox that brings us agonizingly to our knees when we feel betrayal, and overwhelms us like a tidal wave when we truly believe we see the depth of our affection reflected in equal measure in our lovers' eyes. Each and every one of us is cloistered away in a world of isolation, and yet that separateness is enjoined with all other lives in the lattice of change and faith in the reality of shared experience."
Take a deep breath. Think about what is important. Remember to be aware of what's going on around you, and try not to just be "going through the motions". Do your best, and appreciate all the glory that universe has given us.
Complexity
Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed by feelings…it's weird…I so often have thoughts that I can't communicate.
It's like there's too much emotion in them. Right now, for instance, there are so many thoughts and emotions in my head, and they're so entwined, that the result, I think, cannot be conveyed. Or at least, I'm not sure (yet?) how to.
And then, on top of that, there is this weird meta-dimensionality to it. Namely, that everyone on Earth probably also has these feelings/experiences.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Amazing
I feel amazing at the moment. These last few days were rough, as I took on some work that proved to be very challenging, requiring me to stay up really late, and the assignment wasn't even for very much money. As my lovely girlfriend pointed out, in a sense I might have even been paying the client for the assignment, depending on how I valuate my time...it was interesting how the whole thing really drained me...I felt somehow, spiritually/emotionally depleted. And now that it's over, it's incredible, as if I've come back to life, or something.
"Be formless, be shapeless. Like water."
Words from a certain famous martial artist that made a strong impression on me, recently.
I believe that, in order to be successful, you have to be prolific. A prolific thinker, writer, producer, public speaker, whatever it may be. And I'm not prolific enough, yet. I need to produce more. Partly, I think that means that I need to give myself more accomplishable (not really a word, I know) tasks. E.G. writing short stories, writing poems, drawing, adding to my website, etc.
So, as I usually end these posts, apparently:
Go! Go! Go!
Produce!
"Be formless, be shapeless. Like water."
Words from a certain famous martial artist that made a strong impression on me, recently.
I believe that, in order to be successful, you have to be prolific. A prolific thinker, writer, producer, public speaker, whatever it may be. And I'm not prolific enough, yet. I need to produce more. Partly, I think that means that I need to give myself more accomplishable (not really a word, I know) tasks. E.G. writing short stories, writing poems, drawing, adding to my website, etc.
So, as I usually end these posts, apparently:
Go! Go! Go!
Produce!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Believe
Everything is riding on your ability to stay mental. I don't mean 'mental' as in 'crazy'. I mean 'mental' as in 'aware', 'conscious', 'cognizant', 'cerebral', 'lucid'. It's too easy to slip into zombie-mode, autopilot. Wake up, do some bullshit, do whatever, eat, waste time, eat again, sleep. Rinse, repeat. No! Bad! Think about everything. Think about everything in different ways. Look at everything from different angles.
You have only one life to live. Maybe you'll be reincarnated, maybe you'll go to heaven, maybe you'll go to hell. Who knows. That variable is too unpredictable. We have to live as if there is only this one opportunity to make something of ourselves.
You have to keep pushing yourself. Maybe you won't ever be a billionaire/rockstar/president/celebrity/runaway success story...but that's not the point. The point is the journey. You have to always strive to make your journey an amazing one. A mundane life is not worth living. There is SO MUCH that can be done. The world is so amazing, and so full of opportunities, challenges, and excitement.
You have to believe in yourself. You have to think about yourself (not saying 'be self-centered', I'm saying to be conscious of what you're doing, where you're going, who you are). Believe. Believe. Believe.
All those amazing things that you want to do: you can do them. All those barriers that you want to tear down: you can overcome them. The desire for greatness and magnificence that you so openly displayed as a child and now hide away as an adult, as if it were a secret, as if grand dreams were silly and not fitting for 'mature' people or 'grown-ups', that desire is a fire that must be stoked!!!
Believe in your dreams. Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability to be great.
Go.
Go.
Go.
Fight!
You have only one life to live. Maybe you'll be reincarnated, maybe you'll go to heaven, maybe you'll go to hell. Who knows. That variable is too unpredictable. We have to live as if there is only this one opportunity to make something of ourselves.
You have to keep pushing yourself. Maybe you won't ever be a billionaire/rockstar/president/celebrity/runaway success story...but that's not the point. The point is the journey. You have to always strive to make your journey an amazing one. A mundane life is not worth living. There is SO MUCH that can be done. The world is so amazing, and so full of opportunities, challenges, and excitement.
You have to believe in yourself. You have to think about yourself (not saying 'be self-centered', I'm saying to be conscious of what you're doing, where you're going, who you are). Believe. Believe. Believe.
All those amazing things that you want to do: you can do them. All those barriers that you want to tear down: you can overcome them. The desire for greatness and magnificence that you so openly displayed as a child and now hide away as an adult, as if it were a secret, as if grand dreams were silly and not fitting for 'mature' people or 'grown-ups', that desire is a fire that must be stoked!!!
Believe in your dreams. Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability to be great.
Go.
Go.
Go.
Fight!
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