2020 Learning

People, including myself at times, have expressed the sentiment, “this year sucks.”

Yes, 2020 has been a hard year for millions of people around the globe. That’s a pandemic for you—they come every 50-200 years and they mess everything up. Lucky for us, this one isn’t that bad, relatively.

And although we haven’t enjoyed the same quality of life this calendar year, it has shown us what is truly important. Community and social connection, a balance between purpose and pure fun for fun’s sake... these things have not always been available to us this year.

So when we do beat this, and we will, let’s remember these lessons. Covid is now with us on this planet, for many years to come. We must accept that reality, but also be grateful for the relative luxury of life we enjoy normally, in an otherwise precarious world.

The year of 2020 will be historic, one for the pundits to rehash for decades to come. Let it also make the turning point in our species’ development into a more benevolent civilization, a more loving race. 

Walking

It can be so simple as walking. Progressing through your neighborhood, or embarking on a hike. Perchance you notice something unexpected, perhaps a novel revelation disarms the current struggle. We are evolved to walk, to wander, and in a way through those, to wonder. Just maybe, in the midst of a pandemic, we can solve much and more by going on a walk. 

Pandemic Reality

Everyone has their thoughts on the vaccines, having been developed so rapidly. And there are significant distribution issues. The reality is it will be a tough winter and spring, as it will take some time to get a majority of the population vaccinated. We have to stick it out without its rescue for a prolonged period of time—and really, it’s not a 100% rescue. The biggest lesson from the pandemic is that nothing is 100%, that we do not live in a world of 100% certainty. We are now evolving alongside this novel virus, which has joined the fray with the millions of other species on this planet. It can be scary to accept this actuality, but once we do we can better organize and prepare for the continued advancement of our species. Perhaps, in fact, we will do so with a better understanding of the complex ecosystem in which we exist.  

December Feeling

Indulging in Christmas movies is a December past time. The nostalgia from Home Alone, The Santa Clause, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Die Hard is off the charts. These films transport me back to simpler, blissful times. I remember how excited I used to get every year, counting down the days until Christmas. There’s something special about December, about embracing the holiday spirit. It’s only one twelfth of the year, but that somehow makes it all the more exceptional. When we live with the feeling of Christmas, as the weather gets cold and family time, especially in 2020, becomes all the more important, we see how wonderful life truly is. 

Turning Off the TV

Something that I left out in my post about Tools of Titans yesterday, something that I’ve noticed in a few books that profile extremely successful people: all of them read regularly, and none of them watch TV. You don’t see any interviews of business moguls in which they say, “I really love that show True Blood, I’ve watched it multiple times.” You never hear a famous author gush about the Marvel movie franchise.

Now, I myself indulge in watching movies, and since buying a new TV last week have certainly been overindulging. Who doesn’t enjoy classic Christmas movies during the holiday season? I’m not trying to say TV is evil, just that it’s simply a form of entertainment. And how much time do you spend on entertainment? Successful people spend their time building their skillsets, on building their portfolio of work. Reading can equip one with new knowledge and insight, even new skills, in a myriad of ways that TV could never compete. People who have made an impact have succeeded because they think outside the proverbial square box.

Down time is important, and we all struggle on some level to maintain that ever so precious balance between rigor and recharge. But time in front of the TV, and really all screens, certainly siphons our productivity, creativity, and psychological freedom.

Tools of Titans

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss is a compendium of quotes, habits, and knowledge from world-class performers from virtually every arena. I read it on my Kindle but will be buying the book in the near future, because as the author himself suggests, it’s a great source of reference, whether it be wisdom, motivation, or perspective you seek. The book is a series of excerpts from Tim’s podcast interviews, and is divided into 3 parts: healthy, wealthy, and wise. There’s some great nutrition and lifting insight in the healthy section, if you’re into those particular domains. The wealthy segment proved very inspiring, not in terms of getting rich, but in generating value for the world, in contributing something to humanity. And the last section reads as a poignant reassurance that everything will be okay, that we are all human, and to enjoy the most precious commodity we own—time. I would highly recommend a perusal of Tools of Titans, as there’s probably something powerful inside for just about everyone, no matter who you are. With so many varying points of view on offer, the most important lesson from its pages may simply be: consider why you want what you do, determine what works for you, and strike as great a balance as you can between getting after that, and enjoying the ride. 

Biological Wires

Continuing on the note of the Big Picture, I had a thought this morning about emotion that was somewhat consoling. It feels like my emotions bubble to the surface so much more easily now, and I think a big reason is the pandemic. We are more stressed, exhausted, and anxious this year, much more than normal. I get angry much quicker than I used to, and the underlying tension can’t be helping. But then I thought about the totality of our species, every single human that’s ever lived, and the range of emotion that we have all experienced. Have I experienced anything unique compared to every other human who’s ever lived? Probably not. One could even make a list of emotions that are possible for a human being: joy, anger, envy, sadness, excitement, fear, hope, etc. In fact, scientists have been doing experiments and analysis on the topic for decades. Exploring these thoughts didn’t immediately subside my anger, but it enabled me to recognize it for what it was, that it wasn’t me, it was just an emotion in reaction to a stimulus (underlying or not). In one sense we are a collection of biological wires, and in another—is our compilation of wires so special that no other has ever created such connections? And finally, if those things are true, what kind of connections can we then form between each other?

Tribe Impact

How much has Black Friday and Cyber Monday been buoyed by the pandemic? I certainly took advantage of some deals to finish furnishing my apartment, and even counterintuitively purchased a device to reduce my screen time and technology usage—more on that in another post. I wonder how many people were like me, resorting to the temporary dopamine hit of buying new things to substitute the lack of social contact. It’s definitely easy to fall into the trap. Looking at the big picture can be helpful—will the objects I bought last me a lifetime? Of course not, especially with how things are made now. But the memories I create with my tribe will. Sure there’s the balance between achievement and hedonism, but in both worlds, our tribe exists. We get to choose our tribe, and it chooses us. In the big picture, it’s one of the most important decisions we make; as they say, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. When we are intentional with the selection of our tribe, we can more easily enjoy both worlds of work and relaxation, because we’ll have friends in both. 

Consideration Crux

As I look towards what habits and resolutions will be the most beneficial to me when we leave the hellish year of 2020, I can’t help but think of what we as a society can collectively do to make 2021 better. The political divide, disinformation online and the epistemological crisis, they all come down to one thing each of us can control: consideration. If we think and act and behave with more consideration, we will make this upcoming year radically better. Will we? 

Remember the Laughter

I get to have a second Thanksgiving today with my partner’s side of the family. It’s pretty incredible how much there is to be grateful for—a recurring theme with my tribe over the past 2 days. Yes, 2020 has sucked in a lot of ways for pretty much everybody. But there’s also so much to give thanks for someone in my position. I’ve visited 6 countries on 3 continents this year. I’ve been fortunate to live close to the most important people in my tribe and have thus been able to maintain a safe bubble with them throughout this pandemic. Looking back on photos from this year, there have still been a lot of laughs and a lot of good times. I think that’s the most important thing to consider as we close this year out. Yes there’s much to be done—our political system does not function for the average American, and we have some serious environmental problems. But we also have much cause for joy and laughter. If we reflect back on it, I think we’ll be surprised with how happy we’ve been and how good we really have it. These may be tense times. But they also present opportunity for future growth.

The Day After

Did anyone else make it through Thanksgiving without talking about politics? Because I didn’t. But today was a special day too, as it has been every year since I was young. The Day After Thanksgiving is spent going to the mountains to cut down the Christmas tree. I got to spend it with the people who mean the most to me, just like yesterday. How lucky can you get? As much as you’re grateful for. 

Unique Thanksgiving

What can we say about Thanksgiving this year? If you’re reading this, you have a lot to be thankful for, as do I. This is my favorite holiday, because there’s no bullshit. It’s get together with your family and enjoy a spectacular meal. It’s a little different this year, to say the least. But you know what? With everything 2020 has thrown our way, there’s still much to be thankful for. It’s a good exercise for us to consider what we have, and to make resolutions for what we can change. 

Why Change the World

Do we care about improving the world because it alleviates the fear of death? That was the thought I had last night while laying my head down to rest on my pillow. Do I care about climate change, the politico-economic system, and education simply because it’s a distraction from the knowledge of the inevitable? Why do some folks truly care about making a difference, while others are content with making a living? Is the notion of legacy, of leaving the world better than you found it, nothing more than our ego trying to control one additional matter? These deep questions bear a lot of weight and deserve introspection. Discovering and acknowledging our “why,” our “raison d’être,” can help guide us when the road becomes difficult. It can also make light times that much more enjoyable. Despite our inescapable fate, I believe we do matter, and that our actions matter. Changing the world will make someone else’s brief time here just a little bit better, and I think that’s worth the toil. After all, don’t we enjoy such a luxurious quality of life because of the work and sacrifices of countless others? Death is coming, that’s for sure. Striking the balance between impact and joy seems to be the best way to meet it.

Misinformation Remedies

It’s been clear in the days since the election, if it wasn’t already, that misinformation is rampant online. We have large groups of people in this country who cannot agree on simple facts of reality. This “epistemological crisis,” as it’s called, undermines our other collective problems, such as climate change, the coronavirus pandemic, and political ineffectiveness. There are some easy ways we can combat this. Read 2 articles about the same news event, one from your political standpoint and one from the opposite. What’s in common? That’s probably the truth. You can also  insist on gathering information from the most neutral sources possible, such as Rising or All Sides. There are solutions to this problem out there; we just have to be willing to leave our comfortable bubbles. Information should not be divisive, it should be the criteria for determining conclusions. Sometimes we’re wrong, and that’s okay. We can be collectively right, if we recognize we have the same goals and dreams: health, wealth, and happiness. 

Asking Hard Questions

in many ways decisions become harder when you’re older. You have more sunken costs, whether you subscribe to the fallacy or not. That changes your perspective. As you’ve accumulated more knowledge and experience, there is more to consider. I’ve found that asking the right questions has the biggest impact on our ability to make sound decisions. This is true in all aspects of society, not just our own personal lives. If you had to choose one variable, which would be the most important? What are the guaranteed positives of this course of action? If left at the status quo, what do things look like in 6 months, 1 year, 3 years? Foresight begins with the right set of piercing, difficult questions. We must ask them of ourselves, and we must insist on their discussion when designing the world we want to live in. 

Action from Chaos

The fact is we live in a world in which there are several things going on at once: climate change is occurring, we’re not sure how quickly, but certainly are not doing enough to mitigate it. A novel virus that infects our species exists, it has disrupted our way of life, and it’s not going away. We maintain fragmented relations with other countries at best, despite our interconnected global economy, which is barely surviving. The powerful technology we have created is destroying the fabric of our society, even while improving our everyday quality of life. These are harsh realities, and we must accept them. The solution to these grave problems is not to bury your head in the sand, focus on you and your family, and live out your days. Doing so condemns our children to an insurmountable world of catastrophe. It is up to us, right now, to accept this situation, address it, and improve it. We can leverage some of our conditions to generate traction and change. We might have a population problem, but that means each person can focus on the problems (and subsequent solutions) that most invigorate her or him. This is possible because we have so many people. We are all addicted to the incredible technology in our pocket, but we use that power to influence each other in positive ways. By being more intentional, we can spread hope and togetherness and truth instead of doubt and hate. So choose your calling, your contribution to solving one of our biggest problems. Decide what’s important to you, and take action. Write to your political representative, speak to your tribe and about changing the world, donate your time to a cause, help strangers simply because it’s the right thing to do. In developing and strengthening our awareness and openness, we can then feel confident about our resolve. The time will pass regardless. What will you look back on in 5 years, in 10 years? Will you feel satisfied that you did all within your power? Will you be fulfilled? If we tap into the best of what makes us human, our problems don’t stand a chance. Let’s do this.

Passing Down Wisdom

I am lucky to still have 3 of my grandparents here in this life with me. I enjoy listening to their stories, to hear them talk about earlier times and previous experiences. For those not as fortunate as me, I still believe it’s important to connect with elders, who have a different perspective about the world. When we create understanding between generations, we can better pass wisdom to our children. Sometimes it takes multiple links in the chain to pass it on. 

The Span of a Week

Do you ever think about how long a week is? I consider it all the time, because even each day can seem like forever. I’m sure the pandemic exacerbates this, but I also felt this before 2020. If you think back to last Friday, how different was your outlook, your internal world? I often feel like a completely different person when I look back over the course of a week. And we have 52 of them each year! Sure that points to living in the moment and taking advantage of the time we’ve got, but it also, in a truly simple yet profiund way, points to how wild and utterly amazing this experience we call life can be. In the span of 7 days, your world can change several times, and the subsequent growth in perspective can make you feel like a new you. They say the only commodity that exists is time; let’s make the most of it together, in our brief intersection of both time and space on this beautiful planet. Let’s enjoy, let’s matter, let’s love. 

Knife Thoughts

I had an epiphany last night while I was drying the dishes. There weren’t many, and I was using the activity to wind down for bed. I picked up our big kitchen knife, and as I was drying it, I looked at it a little closer… I saw it. I realized the significance of this tool. For literally millions of people, this knife would be a tremendous upgrade over what tools they currently have available. It’s not an overly expensive knife; it came in a set from Macy’s. And then I thought about how technologically advanced the knife was, how easily and efficiently one's able to prepare food with it. All the cooks who ever cooked a meal in Europe during the Middle Ages couldn’t imagine such a capable knife. Two thousand years ago, such a tool would be a complete marvel and would transform a person’s life. This tool simply sits in my kitchen drawer, one of many. What a life of luxury many of us lead. We adapt to things so easily, and many of us have never known anything different, so it’s easy to understand why it can be hard to experience profound gratitude. It’s all the more convenient to focus on what’s not going right, to complain about life’s strifes and struggles. But the bottom line is there is a percentage of the world that enjoys absolute luxury compared to anything our species has ever known, and we have the knowledge and capability to bring this quality of life to every single human being on the planet. If we elevate our collective global consciousness, it can be done. Such perspective balances on the edge of a knife. 

Screen Time Epithet

Fear isn’t the mind-killer, screen time is. As we all stare down the prospect of a cold winter devoid of social gatherings, I’ve tried to reset myself for the coming months ahead. They say establishing and maintaining keystone habits—foundational practices that influence all your other actions and behaviors—is the key to being in command of one’s purpose. Regular exercise, a consistent sleep schedule, and healthy food consumption are often heralded as the great keystone habits because they physiologically impact your brain and how you feel. This in turn affects your motivation and willpower when living your daily life. In my brief bouts with managing my screen time, I would argue it also belongs in the keystone habit pantheon. Staring at a phone for 30 minutes makes you tired, and it strains your eyes. It also bombards your brain with a ton of dopamine hits, especially when mindlessly scrolling through social media or surfing the web. I don’t have a TV, which is great, because once you turn one of those things on your initiative evaporates by the second. Because we aren’t socializing nearly as often as pre-covid, we resort to our screens for entertainment and passing the time. But limiting our screen time not only makes us feel better, it also forces our brains to redevelop critical thinking skills and imaginative capacity. In these trying times, we can use such assets more than ever. Be a Helmholtz this winter: stay away from the mind-killer, and determine how to contribute to the world whilst facing this new brave world.