Why I do not Participate in Social Media
Social media is not for me. This isn’t a lecture about how it is bad for society and your mental health. It is. This is my personal experience with social media. When I have had accounts in the past, it has been strictly for my validation. The idea that I can present some compelling version of myself that others will find neat is a big boost to my sense of self-worth.
8 Steps to Unf-ck Your Life
Acceptance versus Ambition
Many of my more extreme behaviors, both good and bad, are a result of not accepting me as I am. I have this sense that a desire to be better or improve myself stems from a dislike of who I am now. So I have worried that accepting who I am would undermine my achievements and my drive to be better. My competing worry has been that this is a false narrative and I am holding myself back.
Cicadas are the Sound of Summer
Generator Transfer Switch Project
I live in a neighborhood that is about 27 years old. Of all of the places I have lived, this one has the flakiest power. I presume it must have something to do with the age of equipment, maturity of trees, and Midwest storms. We have had several 4h, 6h, and even a few 12h+ power outages. These longer ones have resulted in a few situations where we had lost the contents of our refrigerator and freezer.
Minding One's Own Business
The Church of Minding One’s Own Business by Austin Kleon
truly cannot stress how enthusiastically I’ve tried to convert my pals to The Church Of Minding One’s Own Business – has served me on every level imaginable over the past several years. – Hanif Abdurraqib
I’m a big believer in sorting out your problems before worrying about other’s problems.
My 9/11 Memory
With the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, it was a time worth reflecting on. Not only being thoughtful about the memories and sacrifice of those who perished on that day but also reflecting on my experience. I had worked remotely at that time and it required the remote employees to travel to Seattle once per month for a week at a time. I happened to be up there during that week.
Outdoor Television Project
Football season is here and though I am a fair-weather Colts fan, I do enjoy the social fun of watching a football or hockey game. Doing this outside is something I could get behind as the weather cools off. My friend has a very nice outdoor space with an outdoor television made to survive the elements. He had let me know, that you can go that route, get an outdoor enclosure for a television, or use a cheap television and make sure to bring it in when you are not using it (or if you forget and need to replace, it will be much cheaper than the other options).
Resonates for Me
I cannot remember where I had seen this, but it keeps resonating with me this past week. This is what I would tell myself twenty years ago if I were willing to listen:
Not everyone needs to like you, you don’t even like everyone.
The Map is Not the Territory
I was curious about the origin of the phrase, “the map is not the territory” so decided to do some searching and found this:
The phrase “a map is not the territory” is identified with the philosopher of science Alfred Korzybski and his 1931 lecture at an American Mathematical Society meeting.
In both of its prominent meanings (philosophical and practical) this is certainly an ancient idea. In fact, it sounds like an inevitable Roman maxim.