What a cruel upbringing teaches us is to appreciate the small things. Security and abundance can cause us to be complacent and lead us to believe that we are better than the rest.
A wizard could waive a magic wand and solve our problems. Ultimately, it will lead to more problems when we don’t learn the skills to solve problems.
Its hard to be honest if we are not honest with ourselves.
It’s easy to donate money if you have an abundance of it. However, it’s much more difficult to live a life of generosity if you see the world through dollars and cents.
One generous act can fuel us to do more, but it can also seduce us into believing we have done enough. Perhaps the intention was to fulfill a need for identity—to point and say, “I am a nice person.” Is this really generous, then?
The better approach is to do things—not for an internal narrative but to change our internal narrative. Not for a key to the city. Not to soothe ourselves. But to do.
It’s much harder to live a life that does not harm than to live a life that does good things.
It is challenging to look up to heroes because once you learn about them you’ll find flaws. But if the person behind the mask has to be perfect to contribute, you’ll never make room for heroes.
Heroes, perhaps, are overrated. While heroics make an exciting story for the front page of the Daily Bugle, we overlook all the incredible work that goes unsung.
Maybe a hero is just someone with good publicity who got lucky, went viral and had attention. Last I checked, attention isn’t a prerequisite for good work.
Perhaps happiness isn’t the goal.
Perhaps the goal should be…the pursuit of feeling complete.
Because perfect isn’t the absence of suffering but the embrace of it.
A few might think it’s a good idea to take advantage of someone, but that isn’t you. Yet we see it out in the wild with MLM scams, the world of influencers, sports gambling, algorithms, and so on.
Just because there’s a market doesn’t mean we should take advantage. What’s making money without a moral compass to guide us?
Singing in the shower is much easier since no one is watching. It is free-flowing, and no one judges us if we get something wrong. That pressure to perform can transport us.
Indeed, the tree can’t make a sound if there is no one to hear it. Perhaps your work should stay private because it’s not for them. But if we can’t ever show our work, then there is no chance to ever delight anyone.
Compromising to making spec, under budget, and on time might feel like it is killing the artist vision.
Sometimes, we get to choose to do art. But usually, we have to choose to do the work of a professional. Show up and do the work. Keep the promise we made.
Freedom from constraints is often a seductive route. But sometimes, our best work is done under deadlines and with guardrails.
Make some magic out of this thing. Go.
Emerson wrote, and it kicked off the Transcendentalist movement. Kerouac started the Beats. Thompson invented a whole new style of journalism.
None of them applied for these positions on Indeed. The movement didn’t show up until the writers gathered to make something happen. Even then, no one can possibly know the impact they are going to make on the world—until you make the thing.
The Internet can still be a magical place—a place to be surprised, a place of wonder. However, what matters more than ever is our intent to use these tools. (Without guardrails, they begin to use us.)
If we go there to confirm our bias, we will find it. If we want to be entertained or to escape, we can do that too. But when we are open to learning, we can still be surprised to discover how much is out there ready to be consumed by the attentive student.
Three pieces worth checking out:
Seth Godin’s Blog: “Be yourself”
The Ezra Klein Show: “Our kids are the least flourishing generation we know.”
Cory Doctorow: Schismogenesis
I think about the amount of friction we have reduced in our lives. Much of it in a good way. (Soon, there won’t be a need to fill out TPS reports, and AI will take care of it.) But when we seek to remove friction in relationships, we will create a world that pushes further into isolation. The path forward isn’t one click away, but the “road less traveled” is full of surprises and inconveniences. Not because it is easy. But precisely, that is what makes us better humans.
Josh Allred's Blog 