Who are you talking to?

In the heat of the moment, it is essential to remember who you are talking to.

You are not talking to the person you know. You are talking to their amygdala.

The amygdala reacts 2 seconds faster than our prefrontal cortex, also known as the human brain.

That is the part that can reason. The amygdala has no capacity for this, so don’t even try.

100%

The capitalists demand 110%, but that is just silly. No one wants to or gives that every day.

What’s important is to give your all when no one expects anything from you. When you are off the clock and doing the work you care about.

That is what we should be doing to preserve ourselves to give everything we have in spurts for the people who need us the most.

“Righting the ship.”

It’s a figure of speech about correcting a process that is not proceeding properly.

The problem we have today is too often, we look to our left and right to see if the ship we are steering is going in the “right” direction.

There is no right direction.

What needs to be decided is what direction you want to go.

A Frankenstein

The ugly part of us thinks we don’t belong. But the truth is that the ugly part is interconnected with the parts we are proud of. Perhaps, trying to separate ourselves from the parts we are ashamed us, we can learn to sit with it. Make peace with it. Become comfortable with it.

“What if I’m not like the others? A broken man, a Frankenstein.” — blink-182

When we were young

I know we lived it. Because we were there. But it now seems like a dream. It exist only in our minds. While being able to transport ourselves to the past and imagine a future is a useful skill, it is also important to remember that we shouldn’t try to escape the moment no matter how bored, tired, or hurt we are. Because one day we will look back say wow that did happen.

Mental health rising

Mental health is on the rise because the lives we have been pushed into but didn’t bring the meaning we seek.

As a result, we revolt against the current environment. But we feel stuck with the current conditions.

Mental health is marketed as a coping tool to the current conditions. But what it should help us recognize our potential and give us the tools to see a better path forward.

Mostly perfect

A perfect game of bowling is 300. That’s it. You can’t get better than perfect.

Perfect is overrated.

What we want is meaning in the process.

Getting it that feeling perfect will leave you underwhelmed.

Getting it mostly perfect will leave us seeking for better.

Seeking meaning

We can be given values and try to derive meaning. But in the end, it is fruitless.

We can also set our own terms. Define our own values. Set the compass in the direction where we want to go.

When writing our story, we can’t help but define the struggle. And meaning follows.

Closer together

When we give money as payment, the transaction is over. Perfectly balanced. This is for that.

However, when we give a gift, there is a tip on the scale. You now owe something to that person. Of course, when this gift is given generously, we understand that the debt doesn’t matter. What matters is that interaction brings us closer together.