I wrote once that ideas are the currency if the realm.
They lead to innovations. Growth. Discovery.
It’s easy to have ideas. Much more difficult to put them into use.
But doing so – that can set you apart from the majority.
I wrote once that ideas are the currency if the realm.
They lead to innovations. Growth. Discovery.
It’s easy to have ideas. Much more difficult to put them into use.
But doing so – that can set you apart from the majority.
It’s a tool. Like all tools, it needs cleaning and maintenance.
Proper sleep. Not always easy to get.
Sharpening. What that looks like, probably different for everyone.
Not overstimulating. Very difficult in this day and age.
But, worth thinking about.
I’ve been considering the flow of these posts. A part of me wants to make it innocuous. Don’t offend. Maybe give good advice. Hope someone likes it.
Another part, a part that likely wants to be heard – it wants to be authentic.
In the new Godzilla book, by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, that was just released, John Carpenter pens a forward. In it, he states bluntly:
“Godzilla is the longest-running movie franchise in the world. Today, Godzilla is respected the world around, but the truth is that these movies were appreciated in silence for many years. It wasn’t cool to be a fan of Godzilla. Well, I was not cool – but that was fine with me.”
How does this relate? Well, maybe I’m using it as an excuse to be a little uncool with my writing. But if it’s my authentic voice, then that’s fine with me.
Recently, I’ve revisited some things I wrote back in early 2018. What I discovered is, a lot of my life as it’s been the past four years was planned out in those writings.
I travel often, domestically and internationally.
I’ve called Alaska home, as well as California, Georgia, and Florida.
I’m been a filmmaker, a lot of my work is done wherever I happen to be, and, while not financially independent, I’m working towards that goal.
All of these were things I wanted when I wrote them down on 8 March, 2018. So, my recommendation is, if you want something, write it down.
Like most creatives, it’s possible to feel as if we’re not creating. The problem, though, isn’t that there is a blockage. It’s that we self-edit.
Steven Pressfield coined the term Resistance. And that’s precisely right.
We’re resistant to our own ideas. And what it comes down to is options.
We have so many options, one may not seem far and away better than another. So, how do we choose?
While on the path, you may lack the clarity of hindsight. Each step has taken you only so far, and there are miles to go.
But even your observations prior to completing the journey may be valuable to someone else. So it’s okay to share them.
Sometimes we’re blocked, and we don’t even know it.
You can’t always force your way through. From time to time, you have to stop. Take stock. And see where the wind is leading you.
There is not a lot we can control. We are led to believe otherwise, it seems.
But, what we can control is: what we devote our time and attention to.
Which seems to be the opposite of what we think. Not the case, though. It just requires some practice.
There are only so many hours in the day. And when we try to fill them, we’re left wondering – is it even possible to get everything done?
Take more time. It’s okay. Trying to accomplish everything at once is like trying to jump from the base to the peak of Mt. Everest. Not possible.
Not every hit needs to be a home run.
Think strategically. Think methodically.
And then act.
If you really think about it, we’ve only been in the age of science for a small fraction of humanity’s existence. It wasn’t so long ago that the sun’s rising was orchestrated by chariot, or thunderstorms the anger of deities.
There is blessing in knowing that everything has an explanation.
But, if we know everything can be explained, what does that do for wonder? Wonder at might be, and the wonder in trying to imagine it.