Heard this story, which I just can’t seem to shake. It’s about a deer, who smelled something divine, and spent the rest of its life looking – searching for it.
As it lay down to breathe its last, its horn pierced its stomach, and the divine smell filled the air. What it had been seeking for so long was inside of it the entire time.
And what if that is true for everyone?
Openness feels unnatural to some. However, it should be the prevailing state.
In fact, we are born into this world embracing openness. It is only in growing up that we learn to close off.
What people have to say can be drowned out by how they say it.
Similarly, not even how they say it, but what they’ve said about other things, can be sufficient to cause deafness in their listeners.
Being mindful of this when communicating is imperative, though challenging at times.
What is the appropriate balance of time spent between things? Work and life. Art and mundane. Finances and relationships.
It seems that there’s no cookie cutter methodology.
Each situation is unique.
Sometimes, it’s difficult to tackle a problem, especially when it is complex and multifaceted.
So how do you go about it?
You break it down into manageable chunks, ensuring that each step is clear and achievable. You start with the most simplistic path to make it happen, focusing on the essential actions that lay the groundwork for success.
Then, as you progress, you add the other elements needed, gradually incorporating more complex components and refining your approach.
This method not only makes the task less daunting, but also allows for flexibility.
Journalism, at its core, isn’t about polished production values or sleek websites.
It’s about someone having the courage to say “this needs to be heard” and finding a way, any way, to get that message out into the world.
What of we look at everyone – each person – as no better and no worse.
No better AND no worse.
The impoverished man on the street is a brother. The wealthy woman in her mansion is our sister.
We don’t cover her possessions.
We won’t fear his approach.
What if we were grateful for everyone we coexist with?
Cost? Everyone knows it’s free.
Well, maybe not the blue check on twitter… err, X. But, free signups. Free skating. Free use.
Of course, it’s said – if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.
These platforms sell ad space – with rapt eyeballs ready to belle, and maybe click.
They sell our data. and that’s a vague space where data can be used for a number of functions.
But what if there’s something else?
What if the true cost of social media INT what these platforms are monetizing, but rather how the users’ perceptions and understanding of the world can directed in focused ways by shadow players (maybe Russia or China or other countries; or PR firms and PACs right here in our country)?
Who is really considering how you interact with those social media platforms?
I’ve been thinking about Adam Grant’s observation that “articles fade after a week; people keep books.”
Articles are like rainfall – they come quickly, nourish briefly, and then fade away. But books? Books are more like slow-moving rivers, carving deeper channels in our thinking over time.
An article might change what you think. But a good book? That can change how you think.
Trust is such an easy thing to lose, and a difficult thing to gain.
We don’t even think about it. Not really.
What did they do to earn our trust, the people that have it?
And how are we earning trust in return?
Michael's Musings 