Ahh, another late night/early morning spent in thoughtful bliss. Seems like the only time of day to get anything done; so I continue writing. Probably screwing with my health a bit...And there's certainly daytime priorities that need to get done...but why is that? I mean, why do I feel a greater pressure arising from the deadlines than from the sake of my own health?
It may be 4AM talking, but realizing that much jars me a bit. Don't get me wrong...I like rules, since they give me a certain structure that helps guide me through my work. They add a certain cohesion and order that I can appreciate. The only "problem" is, I have an easier time walking in a straight line than thinking in one. Is that really a problem though? Should we become so reliant upon rules that we lose our creative edge?
I try my best to be flexible. "Change is inevitable," as some say. Yet still I cling to the constants, the stationary ideas, so that I don't get swept under with the current of daily life. Sometimes, it becomes to a degree that I have to step back and think, "Am I trying to stay grounded, or am I being stubborn?" I want to hold onto my beliefs, but I also don't want to be an immovable object. What will happen if that mysterious unstoppable force comes along? There's plenty in this world to make us realize--as much as we don't want to admit it--that we have to prepare for change to a large degree.
But I remember that this reflex, this internalized belief that I need to hold onto something rigidly and without fail...is just that: internalized. It must be entirely natural. It can't be inherently wrong; no, it shouldn't be. It just requires a bit of tweaking, in the form of a reality check. No, not a reality check that by its very nature needs to bring you crashing to the ground. Just, a reality check that gives you the ability to land on the ground safely, perhaps with a few bumps, but still able to look to the sky and dream.
Dreams...conjure up those images of your wildest imagination. "Only in your dreams," They insist. Come on...That's basically a challenge in its purest form. Well, looks like I'll have to daydream. There's my rationale for you. To be honest, I'm a bit naïve that way...But don't worry: that's by design. I try to keep a pocketful of naïveté with me at all times. It's not unlike stretching: just as I want to keep my body limber, I also want to be able to bend my mind at will. I think everyone should be a bit gullible, a bit naïve at times. It stimulates creativity more than rigid cultural rules do, and it never hurts to think big. I have to say, it's both refreshing and enlightening when someone can share their fantasies with you, their hopes, their aspirations. I've always maintained a pocketful of naïveté and have extra, but I've been trained to throw away the excess. It's embarrassing to think like that, obviously.
Oh sorry, am I sounding too cliché? Well, at the risk of sounding like other bandwagoners and throwing out ideas that seem ideal on the whim I'm currently riding, I'll stick with my words. My reason? Well, I figure that, if ideas become cliché, it means I'm not the first to think about them. It infers that many, many, many more people have also thought about them, and communicated them somehow, to the point where it numbs the mind of those who have heard these concepts countless times, over and over, ad nauseum. Beaten the dead horse, even.
...If that's the case, though, then there must surely be something of value that can be uncovered from the collective...right?
I dare you to call me naïve for posting a Yahoo! News article as inspiration:
http://news.yahoo.com/god-trust-maybe-not-other-135752394.html
Or The Internship, for that matter. Yes, the movie is corny; whether that much was intentional or not, I will refrain from comment and let you speculate. But for me, it helped me relate to the movie and the points that I believe were to be emphasized (which I won't touch upon here). From a corny movie, I can find something worthwhile. Naïve, isn't it?
[DISCLAIMER: I am by no means attempting to advertise for Yahoo! News, The Internship, or Google. Just drawing inspiration from wherever I see it.]
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
My Checklist For Fulfillment
1) Learn to be positive.
2) Learn to read quickly and efficiently.
3) Learn to communicate effectively.
4) Learn to be adaptable.
5) Learn to be open.
6) Learn to balance work and play.
7) Learn to try new things.
8) Learn to be friendly.
9) Learn to be accepting of others.
10) Learn to be accepting of yourself.
11) Learn to exercise.
12) Learn to persist.
13) Learn to ask.
14) Learn to appreciate what you have.
15) Learn to challenge yourself.
16) Learn to know.
17) Learn to know what you know.
18) Learn to know what you don't know.
19) Learn to learn.
20) Figure out HOW to do 1-19 by living your life the way you want to live it.
2) Learn to read quickly and efficiently.
3) Learn to communicate effectively.
4) Learn to be adaptable.
5) Learn to be open.
6) Learn to balance work and play.
7) Learn to try new things.
8) Learn to be friendly.
9) Learn to be accepting of others.
10) Learn to be accepting of yourself.
11) Learn to exercise.
12) Learn to persist.
13) Learn to ask.
14) Learn to appreciate what you have.
15) Learn to challenge yourself.
16) Learn to know.
17) Learn to know what you know.
18) Learn to know what you don't know.
19) Learn to learn.
20) Figure out HOW to do 1-19 by living your life the way you want to live it.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Self Guidelines [This Work will always be In Progress]
Please don't mind me as I talk to myself out loud.
----------
1) When others say, " It's impossible" or "You can't do it"...try harder. Be the Little Engine That Could.
2) Don't ask for help right away, but take a break as needed. Be persistent, not stubborn. Try, try, then try again.
3) Be responsible for your actions. Don't be that guy with your hand in the cookie jar.
4) Accommodate others. Walk many miles in their shoes if you must, and get them a new pair if you wear down the soles.
5) Keep your mind open as a book and flexible as Daniel Browning Smith. Try new things.
6) Think outside the box. Let your train of thought jump the tracks.
7) Be accepting of everyone's opinions--yours included.
8) Never stop learning.
9) Play a song for all occasions. Find one that complements your mood.
10) ...
Last) If people tell you this list sounds like a pile of fortune cookies: smile, share and then eat.
----------
1) When others say, " It's impossible" or "You can't do it"...try harder. Be the Little Engine That Could.
2) Don't ask for help right away, but take a break as needed. Be persistent, not stubborn. Try, try, then try again.
3) Be responsible for your actions. Don't be that guy with your hand in the cookie jar.
4) Accommodate others. Walk many miles in their shoes if you must, and get them a new pair if you wear down the soles.
5) Keep your mind open as a book and flexible as Daniel Browning Smith. Try new things.
6) Think outside the box. Let your train of thought jump the tracks.
7) Be accepting of everyone's opinions--yours included.
8) Never stop learning.
9) Play a song for all occasions. Find one that complements your mood.
10) ...
Last) If people tell you this list sounds like a pile of fortune cookies: smile, share and then eat.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
IPA
IPA Keyboard: http://westonruter.github.io/ipa-chart/keyboard/
I only got to take a couple of Linguistics courses during college, but the bit that I tried I really enjoyed. Languages have always been fascinating to me, and I'd wanted to learn many of them as a child. Linguistics was the foundation that I needed to appreciate diversities in culture and society even further, and the little nuances that occurred over time that became ingrained in the languages themselves.
IPA finally gave me a way to objectively understand sounds in language. The above keyboard gave me a way to bring that knowledge to my laptop.
I only got to take a couple of Linguistics courses during college, but the bit that I tried I really enjoyed. Languages have always been fascinating to me, and I'd wanted to learn many of them as a child. Linguistics was the foundation that I needed to appreciate diversities in culture and society even further, and the little nuances that occurred over time that became ingrained in the languages themselves.
IPA finally gave me a way to objectively understand sounds in language. The above keyboard gave me a way to bring that knowledge to my laptop.
Less Than Intro
Hey all!
I'm not one for long introductory posts, so I'll just say this short bit. I'm using this blog as my opportunity to post about cool stuff I find online that is less likely to relate to my career interests. See More Than Routine otherwise.
Even though I'm essentially using these blogs as rather detailed bookmark folders, I believe that sharing is caring. If you happen to be enlightened by any one of my posts then all the better; feel free to keep on reading!
I'm not one for long introductory posts, so I'll just say this short bit. I'm using this blog as my opportunity to post about cool stuff I find online that is less likely to relate to my career interests. See More Than Routine otherwise.
Even though I'm essentially using these blogs as rather detailed bookmark folders, I believe that sharing is caring. If you happen to be enlightened by any one of my posts then all the better; feel free to keep on reading!
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