Enlightenment and Faults

I get the email newsletter from my Congressional representative, Anna Eshoo. A few weeks back she referenced a line of encouragement from Alexis de Tocqueville that moved her when voting on historic police reform legislation:

“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”

There may be many different perspectives, but it’s clear right now that there are many faults, and much we can be more enlightened about. Change doesn’t happen on its own. What are we going to do to change our world?

Diverse Perspectives

Something that has really been evident to me over the past month is the sheer variance in perspective that exists. People hold wildly different opinions about everything, from politics and government to the coronavirus and the economy to our news and institutions. There appear to be many reasons for this diversity in perspective. Which news outlets you consume (or echo chambers you subscribe to, as I have previously written). Where you live and how dense the population is in your part of the world. The types of industries most common in your city or state. All I know is I was exposed to several different types of thought; in Arizona, in the Dallas airport, in Mexico, in the Bay Area. I guess my point is that it’s good we have a diverse set of opinions and perspectives—if we listen to each other. We can feel strongly in our convictions without being stubborn or inflexible. The information we consume and the people we interact with have a large effect on our ideas, and it’s important to recognize that. If we do, we will build a better world for everyone, regardless of what opinion you hold. For progress doesn’t have to be controversial. Let’s build a world in which everyone enjoys the human rights of freedom, equality, and justice. A world in which peace and prosperity are the norm, and any deviation minor, infrequent, and unusual. It’s possible, if we embrace our differences, celebrate and understand them, and use them to provide fairness to all.

Homecoming Feelings

No matter how often you travel or for how long, it’s always good to be home. Earth is such a diverse planet, and the differences are sharply illuminated when traveling. I’ve lived on 3 different continents, but I don’t foresee anywhere ever taking California’s place. Home is where the heart is, and there is always much to be grateful for. 

Currents

Current is real. You can feel it out in the ocean, or better yet, with those closest to you. Where do we go? I dunno. But I do believe, with conviction, that it’s up to us to do something. 

The Consideration Betterment Factor

I believe as a species we are figuring things out. Perhaps I hold that opinion just because I’ve refrained from the news the past week. But I believe we are, it’s just slow to always notice in one lifetime. Technology should help speed things up, but it also brings its own hindrances. If we are grateful for what we can experience now, in 2020, we can better see how far we’ve come. There’s still a long ways to go, and we’ll get there. As consideration proliferates, so too will our collective quality of life. 

Water, the planet

If you have the privilege and pleasure to go snorkeling, you experience a whole other world. The ocean is vast. We call it Earth, but really, it’s Water. What an amazing planet we live on. It truly is a big beautiful amazing world. 

Experiencing Traveling

Is it worth it when you have to get up at 4am? Traveling isn’t a constant state of fun the whole time, especially the getting there part. But that’s part of the journey as well, to truly understand how vast this world is. We’ve streamlined the experience pretty well as a species; there’s never been a better time to explore and expand horizons. It’s worth it. 

To an Angry Nation

Is it possible that there is so much wrong with everything but also so much to be thankful for? Our world has serious problems, and when you talk to someone about them, you can feel the pain. On one hand, all we know is what we’ve experienced, so the situation does seem grim at best, dire at worst. But on the other, we are capable of looking beyond our own suffering, of examining the landscape in a clearer way. It’s what makes us human. And we need to remember that. We are all human. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg are human, your next door neighbor is human. The starving children in Africa and the displaced families in Yemen are human. What is the solution, the light at the end of the tunnel? The million dollar question. But the start of the answer, the beginning of the way there, is asking that question. And listening to others’ answers. We will change the world, one life, one moment at a time, but it will require everything that we are. Such is life. Would you trade existence on this planet for anything else? 

Gratitude Reminders

I’m currently reading “I am Malala,” and I have to say, it’s helped me enormously with my gratitude practice. Not even half the way through, and the book really iterates the disparities that still exist in quality of life around the world. I can be thankful for so much, and if you’re reading this, chances you are too. Running water, that can be configured to hot or cold near instantaneously; affordable and reliable electricity at the flick of a switch; a doctor to see if you’re sick or an officer to come if something’s wrong. We take so much for granted. Life is truly beautiful, and for a lot of the world now, it’s pretty easy, all things considered. Even in a pandemic, in which so many people are struggling, in large parts of the world, they’re not dying. It’s our duty to make such a reality for all, as location of birth should not distinguish any member of our species. We can do it, especially if we remember how far we’ve come. 

Tolerance Today

I’ve been thinking about Jocko Willink's “good” philosophy, of accepting negative things happening and finding ways to use those things to improve your future. It’s a very ‘old-school’ approach; it reminds me of the idealized tales of the G.I. Generation’s resolve. Bad things happen—you can either accept it and get over it and get on with your life, or you can cry about it and become a victim.

What a stark contrast to today’s climate, in which intolerance breeds rigidity. You’re either a Democrat or Republican. The economy should be open or it shouldn’t. There is no middle ground, and to be on the other side is to be canceled, ignored, and blocked. Consider Trump’s campaign against mail-in voting for the upcoming November election. He makes unsubstantiated claims about extensive voter fraud—but does nothing about it. There are no proactive steps taken to investigate the potential for fraud or subsequent action taken to mitigate that potential.

When it comes to passive intolerance, the American public can’t qualify themselves as better. We allow or actively create online echo chambers through our social media platforms. How often do we have a civil discussion with someone across the political spectrum? How truly diverse are the majority of our neighborhoods? If our country identifies with and values the concept of ‘the melting pot,’ wouldn’t we view tolerance as a universal virtue?

Tolerance is hard, especially simultaneously at all levels of society. It requires work, and it takes time. But let’s stop going backwards. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to focus on being more tolerant of others’ differences. It is a prerequisite for a modern, diverse society to function properly. We can all ask ourselves, “what do I abhor? Why? Is that intolerant of me?” Because at the end of the day, do we not all want the same thing—health, wealth, and happiness for ourselves and our loved ones?

Tolerance enables more communication, better compromise, and an inclusive society. It will not be perfect. Good. Let’s make it better.

The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

I didn’t know who Robin Sharma was, so I didn’t exactly know what to expect when I downloaded this book to my Kindle. It was obviously some type of self-help book centered around ritualizing a morning routine, and because I’m currently trying to optimize mine, I gave it a try. It was an interesting, quick read, and I’m glad I gave it a shot. The book can be summarized in 3 sentences thus:

To increase your productivity, prosperity, and overall well-being, rise at 5am every morning to focus on yourself. By moving, reflecting, and learning in respective 20 minute increments for 1 hour every morning before anyone else is awake, you will live a more authentic, fulfilling life. Even though (like all change) it will be extremely difficult at first, unnatural after that, and automatic after 66 days, rising early is a keystone habit that will impact all other areas of your life by generating momentum for the rest of your day.

Sharma takes an unusual approach to this self-help advice: the book is a story, about an entrepreneur and an artist who go to a motivation seminar and befriend an eccentric billionaire, who takes them around the world while teaching them his secret methods. Constructing a narrative enables Sharma to reiterate the same points in multiple ways; the billionaire will lay out the framework for a specific habit, which the other characters then question and reword, allowing the billionaire to expound further. This writing strategy proves effective in that you will not misunderstand any point in the book, but it does get repetitive. I highlight a lot of my nonfiction books, but because so much of the writing was redundant reinforcement of the same topic, my highlights were much scarcer with the 5AM Club.

Nonetheless, the book is a fast read and provides valuable insights regarding the science of forming habits as well as offering many additional strategies and tools for being healthier, happier, and more productive. It’s a great starting point for establishing a morning routine, or for mixing up an already established one. I award the book 4 out of 5 stars for its usefulness and breezy reading experience. Many people refuse to read self-help, but when it’s an easy and entertaining experience, you can enjoy the journey while also learning something new.

Media Break

Over the past week I’ve significantly limited my media consumption and have completely refrained from using social media, with the exception of posting this daily blog. I’ve written before about my seesaw relationship with the news cycle, and I’ve just gotten to the point where I need a break.

I got sucked in. I had been spending more than 10-15 minutes a day on Winno, Twitter, and the John Hopkins newsletter. I found myself checking them throughout the day, before bed… and it started to become overwhelming. I developed an unconscious addiction, a frantic, incessant desire to consume.

Enough. I’m taking a break. And you know what? It got me thinking… what is social media for? Why do we use it? Sure, there’s the age-old argument that Facebook “helps people keep in touch.” There’s the rationale that Twitter “empowers every person to engage in civil discourse,” that these platforms “enable every voice to be heard.” People much better educated than me have written articles about the dangers of social media, so I don’t want to rant about its consequences.

But I reached an epiphany recently: the vast majority of people use social media to reverberate like-minded thinking within their own echo chambers. Regardless whether this is a conscious choice by the user or not, the fact remains these gargantuan tech companies employ teams of engineers and invest millions of dollars to keep people on their platforms. Because after all, more time spent on Facebook or Twitter or Youtube means more ad revenue for the respective companies. Our attention gives them money. My personal Facebook feed was no different; it was always populated with posts advocating viewpoints similar to my own.

It’s been said that too much of anything, even a good thing, can be bad for you. We don’t even know if social media is ‘good’ for us (and much of the research suggests it’s unhealthy). Maybe it’s beneficial, for our collective sanity, to take a break every once in a while. It might do us some good. You are what you think about. When our days are filled with consuming other’s thoughts, where does that leave us?

Habits for a New World

I can’t help but feel that this is the opportunity for all of us to recalibrate our lives and build strong habits for the future. With lifestyles and economies significantly disrupted around the world, a lot of us are spending a lot more time at home, or at least doing things differently than we did last year. Business as usual will return, some day. But we are also now living in a different world. What steps are we taking, as individuals and as a society, to place ourselves in a good position in the future? If we fortify our collective operating modes now, we will be better prepared for the world’s future, and inevitable, problems. A proactive approach to improvement will serve us well. What habits are we building?

Country Service Announcement

I completed a survey for the Trump campaign about a month ago and my spam email now gets flooded with messages daily. I feel these emails capture a sense of this man’s campaign and ethos as a public figure.

The incessant messaging mirrors his Twitter account: a persistent flood of unsubstantiated claims and hyperbolic accusations, distasteful self-praise, and just plain mean name-calling, peppered sporadically and randomly with capitalized words.

Even when asking for monetary support, the Trump campaign emails appear divisive and reinforce a scarcity mindset. 

This email is for PATRIOTS ONLY and is not intended to be shared.

P.S. Remember, this email isn’t for everyone.

He requested that we only reach out to his most loyal supporters with this offer, so DO NOT share this email with anyone else.

His appeals for donations come off as click-baity or infomercial-like. They try to make the recipient of the email feel important, as if Trump knew you.

Today, I am calling on you to take the next step and become an Official 2020 Trump Platinum Member during this critical 2020 Election Year - we won’t win in November without your support.

We’re sending him a list of EVERY Patriot who steps up in the NEXT HOUR. Make sure he sees your name on that list.

Or, when that doesn’t work, the email directly challenges the recipient. 

I thought YOU would definitely be on there as one of my TOP supporters, but when they pulled your record, Trevor, it showed that you were in the bottom 1% of all Trump Donors.

I’m depending on your support, Trevor, and I need you to step up. Where have you been?

Even the ‘prizes’ that are offered (if you donate money to the campaign) are things that he himself would want—I guess? It’s hard to imagine who would be motivated by some of these rewards: a meaningless ‘platinum' card, a gaudy hat plastered with American military insignia, a framed donor list?

I’ve asked my team to print and frame the 100 Days Out Presidential Donor List made up of the first 100 Patriots who choose to step up at this critical time. This list will proudly hang in my office for me to admire, and I want to see your name on there.  

We have less than 800 of these iconic hats left, and once we run out we cannot guarantee they’ll be restocked.

And hey, if that doesn’t work, he can always go back to bashing someone else.

As if it wasn’t already obvious, Joe Biden has absolutely lost his mind.

Joe Biden wants to undo all of President Trump’s great progress and he’s LYING to you to try and do it.

The only question to ask at this point is, what does this say about the state of our country?

No matter the outcome of the election, regardless of who we are or where we live—it’s clear there are pressing demands on this moment of history. How did we get to this use case for social media? With climate change, the coronavirus, civil unrest across the nation, and a struggling global economy, we must be better. Let’s look at ourselves first, and let’s be the change we want to see. We have serious problems right now that won’t go away without pain and effort. But we can solve them. We can revitalize our species, and we can change the world. It doesn’t start in November. It starts now.

Contribution Contemplations

How much do you think about the concept of contribution? The mark we leave on this Earth after we’re gone…that seems to be the true testament of our lives. I firmly believe we all have a contribution to make—regardless of our social identity, profession, age, or location. If we are employed in a specific trade, our duty is to be the best we can possibly be at that combination of skills. It is our responsibility, and one of the greatest contributions we leave for this world, to raise strong children and develop strong families. Frederick Douglass said “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” So simply profound, because it’s so profoundly simple. It’s as if Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ applies to more than just economics. When we construct our best selves, and live our best lives, it in turn passes on to the others around us, and especially our children…making the next generation that much better equipped to capitalize on the giant’s shoulders upon which they stand. To achieve all of this, we first need to conceive it, to be aware, as the great Muhammad Ali once put it: “if my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.” So let’s allot some time for ourselves to ponder the particularities of our individual contributions. The coronavirus has given a lot of us the gift of more time. Let’s use it. Let’s hone in on our contributions, our legacy, our mark. This Sunday, consider what yours will be.

Embracing our wildest dreams

I’ve been reflecting a lot about my life since my birthday on Tuesday. I’m making some changes to my morning saying, and I’ve set a few big hairy audacious goals for my 32nd year on this planet. The most important: to fully adopt a one world paradigm—the same perspective shift I advocate for in my upcoming book. My updated morning saying will incorporate and reinforce this notion so that I live with this conviction every single day. Because the reality is, we all live on this one floating sphere together. Everything we know, everything that has ever happened in the history of our species, has occurred here on Earth. In the 13.8 billion year timeline of our universe, I happen to be alive right here, right now. When you accept these facts, it becomes obvious how ludicrous it is to dream small. To not live our best life. None of us knows how much time we have. Let’s make the most of it; let’s change our species, our future, and the world. 

Questions and Earnest

We care so much about the what, The Who, the when. How much do we consider the how, and more importantly, the why? There are greater forces at work beyond what we consume. Are we centered within ourselves? Especially right now, consideration seems not only prudent... but vital. What world do we live in, and why? We must ask ourselves these types of questions. Because if we do and mean it, we will strenuously, arduously... rigorously, make a better world. 

Dune: Origin of Sci-Fi

Dune by Frank Herbert is a compelling masterpiece. It’s the first novel I’ve read in some time, and it was a refreshing change of enjoyment for me. It’s amazing the book was written in 1965, yet knowing that fact, understandable how it was the precursor to Star Trek, Star Wars, and the boom of the sci-fi genre over the past 50 years. Herbert weaves ecology, politics, and religion into a thrilling classic hero tale. There’s a steep learning curve, as he sprinkles many made-up words from fictional languages and cultures throughout the story. In the beginning it can be hard to get past the newness, and the reader is constantly required to infer meaning through context. But after getting through the first 30 pages or so, you start to develop a rhythm and a better understanding of the overall story setting. The exotic language even adds to the allure of the Dune universe as the reader becomes more comfortable. It reminded me of my experience reading The Hobbit as a young child: I wanted to put the book down but my Dad urged me to keep reading, to get to page 50. Just like that fantasy classic, Dune does not disappoint. The story is laden with insightful quotations from the characters—I highlighted as much of this book (on my Kindle) as I did some of my densest non-fiction reads. This just goes to show how powerful a well written novel can be. Dune serves as a prime example: a powerful story unfolds in a striking world, enabling the reader to enjoy the narrative as well as deeply reflect on society today. I award 5 stars to this science fiction epic, and recommend it to anyone interested in contemplating the grand forces that shape our experience.

New Year Realignment

I’ve come to realize that one’s true new year’s is on her/his birthday. The day of our birth is how we orient the time we experience in this life. New Year’s Resolutions should thus be made on our birthdays, not the arbitrary date of January 1st. We come into the world on our birth-days; it seems appropriate to give the day more credence, beyond imbibing copious amounts of poison on every anniversary. What do we have to show for our time?

Dreamers Change the World

I won’t stop dreaming. It wrecks me, and I get upset at dinners and deep conversations with loved ones and strangers alike, but I won’t stop. I won’t stop hoping, on insisting, for a better world. Because it’s in our grasp. It’s in our power, it’s within our ability. We only need to reject the status quo as normal, as okay, as satisfactory. It is not. There is always better on the horizon. It takes thought and effort and even suffering. What of it? Are those not inevitable through the course of life? Is not striving towards something greater than one’s self the greatest endeavor one can experience? Challenge me. We have work to do. Will you get your hands dirty? Will you pitch in? If not, watch the rest of us take up your slack without judgement or complaint. Watch us sculpt the future through principle and earnest, with or without you. When you take up the space next to us, you will experience the better future. We can change the world.