Josh Allred's Blog

Perhaps the problem is we are so focused on doing things the way everyone has told us go.

But going your own path, especially when it pertains to making art or doing something that has never been done before, almost certainly requires spending time down roads that others are afraid to travel.

Continuous growth is rare to identify in nature. On one hand, human bodies eventually stop growing. On the other, cancer aims to proliferate until it accidentally kills the host. And for some reason, we want economies to grow forever. It’s worth examining if you want to develop something—How long? How big? When is enough enough?

We need a target, which means we need to be specific about how big is big enough.

Ideas, mistakes, constructs—they only live when we talk about them, when we write them down.

If it’s important, write it down. Make it part of your story. And share it.

If it’s something you’d rather forget, maybe don’t keep it alive by feeling the need to say it out loud.

Obviously, this can be taken too far, but the exercise is an interesting one.

Freedom is often framed as someone locked in chains. Rarely do we talk about freedom from debt. Freedom to choose. Freedom from dogmas.

Oppressors can come in all shapes and forms. What’s remarkable is how layered oppressors have become to the point they seem invisible. And how much we police each other to reinforce the status quo.

In a sense, freedom comes in two forms: freedom that inhibits and freedom that enables.

Rules are only valid once everyone understands them and agrees to abide by them.

Imposing a rule when the other party doesn’t agree to it will likely create riots.

With a culture that pushes us to go, go, go, the obvious next question to ask is Where?

We could go anywhere.

But perhaps the best thing to do is to decide when to stop, or at least not so quickly.

Having goals is one thing. Having a limit is another.

Here’s the thing about broken hearts, they’re not actually broken. They are functioning just as nature intended. Nothing is broken with what you feel. It’s part of the process. To love is also to lose.

Arguments with people you are close to are worth examining. For one, they are inevitable. The health of any relationship will depend on how quickly a conflict is resolved, not on its absence. What’s interesting is how quickly things will dissolve into debt. I did this, so you owe me that. And you didn’t do this, so you owe me that. Even questioning one’s status or honor can be put into these terms. And once you see it, you can act in all sorts of ways on how to resolve this debt. Quite often, a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘I’m sorry’ can quiet all the noise. However, understanding what you’re arguing about can change the entire conversation.

Exercising three times a week, sleeping eight hours a day, and eating a well-balanced diet doesn’t have an endpoint. You might have a goal for what weight you would love to achieve. However, that doesn’t mean the journey to a healthy lifestyle ends. And too often, we start things with an imaginary endpoint when we should really be focused on developing a practice. 

It is indeed difficult to change the world. Too much emphasis has been placed on making an impact on everyone. Even the best books haven’t been read by everyone. That’s just an impossible task. But we can certainly change our communities. The circles of people around us. And that is enough to raise the floor.

Ignore the ceiling. Raise the floor.