Category: Thoughts

Recently I was reminded that it is much easier to move with the flow than push against the current. If you deny the universe, it has a way of forcing you back on the path. On to your path.

Sometimes with subtlety, and sometimes with significant hardship. It is better to accept the path that presents itself, when it first arises, rather than try and force yourself down paths not meant for you.

The trouble is, it’s not always easy to know which path to take.

Someone told me recently that it is a matter of ease. I don’t know if that’s quite accurate, only owing to its simplicity. There are probably instances where difficult paths are exactly where you should be. But still, how did you know?

You must look for clues. It takes a lot of intention and attention. Knowing what to look for.

Does this difficulty seem worth it? Does the struggle pay off? Yes, the effort does pay off in the end. When you persevere, you can find the answers you seek. This process of searching for clues leads to greater insights and understanding.

And then, is the payoff closer to where you want it to be?

A lot of this requires goal setting, and being brutally honest with yourself. Sometimes, often, in fact, we do things because we want to please others. It’s striking how few of us live our most authentic selves.

We must be able to recognize these behaviors and make conscious choices to prioritize our needs and desires. We need to be brave and take risks, and understand that failure is part of the process. We must learn to trust ourselves and our own judgment, and to be comfortable in our own skin. We need to be able to recognize our strengths and weaknesses, and use them to our advantage. Finally, we must learn to be open to new ideas and possibilities, and to challenge ourselves to reach new heights.

When navigating life, declining the options that enrich you exhaust your supply. Your supply of time, energy, decision capital, and maybe capital capital. No one wants to waste time on things that don’t make their lives better. 

But we do. We focus on the wrong things and end up spending time and resources on things that don’t bring us joy or fulfillment. We have to be mindful of our decisions and make sure that we are only investing in what truly matters to us. Learning to say “no” is a key skill to ensure that our resources are well-spent.

Only then can we start living in a way that aligns with who we’re supposed to be. 

If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down

Buddha

If you want to soar to new heights and reach your potential, it’s imperative to identify and let go of anything that is holding you back. This could mean ridding yourself of negative thought patterns and self-doubt that prevent you from taking risks and pushing yourself forward.

It could also mean being honest with yourself about relationships and situations that are no longer working for you, or that no longer bring out the best in you. You may need to let go of certain people or things that you have depended on in the past, and recognize that although they may have served a purpose, they are now keeping you from achieving your dreams.

Sometimes this can be an incredibly difficult process, but it’s worth it in the end. If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down, and open yourself up to a future filled with endless possibilities.

It’s a staple of marketing, and its assertion is that a prospective customer needs to be contacted no less than seven times in eighteen months before you make a sale. This is known as the Rule of Seven, and it’s based on the idea that customers need to be exposed to your message repeatedly before they take action. It’s important to note that the message must be targeted and tailored to the specific customer in order to be effective.

So, when you’re looking at your email inbox and see that the same merchant has sent you more notices, now you’ll understand a little about the why behind it. 

Life is all about choice. You choose to go to work, and make money, and pay bills, and buy things, and so on. You choose how to spend free time, and what you want to study, or if you want to study, and whether or not you do your homework. 

The trick is to walk the tightrope. Balance one against the other. Wants and needs. Excitment and boredom. Responsibility and exploration. It’s important to find balance in your life and make conscious choices about how to spend your time and energy. It’s up to you to decide what you prioritize, what you find joy in, and how you can live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

I’ve been clearing out old files, physical and digital. Incredible how much one person can accumulate.

But it’s been a fascinating way to reflect on my journey. The little bits and bobs of a life lived. What I was interested in, or involved with, as far back right now as 2011. When I eventually start digging through the boxes in storage, I’m sure we can go straight back to high school. 

Maybe even further. I did purge a great deal about seven years ago, but I assume there’s still more floating about. 

So what have I learned? I kept a lot of references to things I wanted to look up later. It’s much easier to do so now than it was then, apparently, and so I’m clearing things out. Looking back and forward at the same time.

The current political landscape is a quagmire. Everywhere you look, there is a new issue that is causing tension and controversy. From the economy to immigration to foreign policy, it seems like the politicians are unable to reach a consensus. Even within political parties, the divisions are growing as the electorate becomes more divided. 

The situation has become so dire that even the most experienced politicians are struggling to find a way. With tensions at an all-time high, it seems like there is no end in sight to the gridlock and stalemate that has become the norm. 

Despite the challenges, there is still hope that solutions can be found. Leaders must be willing to compromise, and citizens must be willing to work together to find a way to move forward. 

As I prepare to head out of LA for work, for another extended job, back to Atlanta, I can’t help but weigh the differences between moving around and laying down roots.

A word I come back to often is vagabonding; the act of living and traveling in different places for extended periods of time, with no definite plan or destination. Being stationary, on the other hand, is the practice of staying in one place. 

I love moving around. It’s been an excellent way to experience new cultures, meet new people, and gain a greater appreciation of the world around me. It provides freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to explore and learn. However, it can also be lonely.

Laying down roots can provide stability, security, and a sense of community. However, living in the same place for an extended period of time can lead to boredom and a lack of adventure. 

I guess, in the end, it comes down to preference.

“Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium—from laserdisc to DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD to streaming—Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.”

Two occurrences recently brought Criterion to the forefront of my mind – the first was the discovery of another company, Vinegar Syndrome, doing film restorations and releases, its purview being genre films. The second was a question of if video games have a similar advocate for history and restoration. 

So what is Criterion? At its core, it’s a DVD and Blu-Ray distribution company that restores and/or preserves culturally relevant films, both historical and contemporary. The company has a long history of releasing films of all genres, from classic films to cult favorites, as well as films from around the world. Criterion also releases special editions of films, with extra features such as documentaries, commentaries, and restored prints. Additionally, they often release films that are difficult to find in other formats.

Criterion spoke to cinephiles during a time when movies were first able to be brought home, in VHS, Betamax, and Laser Discs. The history of Criterion is closely tied to the rollout of Laser Discs in the 80s. “Citizen Kane was the first film released by The Criterion Collection in 1984. The LaserDisc offered not only the best quality version of the film to date but special features that had never been seen before. Nowadays, special features are expected, but this Criterion LaserDisc is where it all started.” (MovieWeb)

The Criterion Collection was the first to introduce these features, such as audio commentaries, production stills, and interviews with the filmmakers. This set the standard for home video special features, and established Criterion as the leader in quality content. As home video changed to DVDs in the late 90s, there was a massive push to include all kinds of special features, perhaps as an incentive to purchase, maybe to build up loyalty for certain studios or distributors, or perhaps even to spread more knowledge of the inner workings of an industry where thousands of workers and artisans can bring a film to market, but only the performers, and maybe the director, receive any sort of notoriety.

And still, it started with Criterion.

I was told, years ago, that King Kong (1933) would never get a DVD release, because it was public domain, and there was no money in it. Of course, it certainly has. I picked up a low-quality print at Big Lots for like two bucks about fifteen years ago. But there’s a laser disc pressing, released by Criterion, I believe in ’87. It includes footage cut from the original pressing, a running commentary, and a visual essay on the making of the film.

As you can see, Criterion is dedicated to preserving film history. Criterion has become a pioneer in the field of restoring film prints and making them available to the public. They provide access to filmmakers’ commentaries and other materials, which can provide a greater understanding of the film and its production. In addition, they often include rare or never-before-seen footage and materials, which are invaluable to film historians and fans.

With the advent of email, the need to write a letter, place it in an envelope, verify and write the address, place a stamp, and post it – it all became more or less obsolete. Suddenly, the cost of sharing thoughts has very nearly gone away. There’s an opportunity cost, in that you could be doing something else as you write or record your viewpoint. But after, it’s a simple “click, send”.

This democratizes the marketplace of ideas, allowing for more voices to be heard. It also amplifies the potential impact of an idea, as it can be shared instantly with a larger audience. This has the potential to shift power dynamics and open new doors of opportunity.

What it also does, though, is causes the floodgates to be opened, and inboxes everywhere overflow. Sure, we can unsubscribe. Over and over and over again. However, even if we unsubscribe from every email list we’re on, we’re still going to get a lot of emails. So, while unsubscribing from emails we don’t want can help, it’s not going to solve the problem of all these emails.

That was a long way just to say that I simply can’t keep up with them all. 

The USPS is said to date back to 1775 when, during the Second Continental Congress, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general. In 1792, the Post Office Department was founded under the Postal Service Act. The Postal Service Act was signed by George Washington and established the USPS as an independent agency of the federal government.

Today, the USPS is the third-largest civilian employer in the United States and is responsible for the delivery of millions of letters and parcels each day.

And yet, somehow, email is still prevalent…

The cost to ship early parcels via USPS was priced high for letters and cheaply for informative periodicals. 

“James Madison and others saw how the post could support this fledgling democracy by informing the electorate, and in 1792 devised a Robin Hood scheme whereby high-priced postage for letters, then sent mostly by businessmen and lawyers, subsidized the delivery of cheap, uncensored newspapers. This policy helped spark America’s lively, disputatious political culture and made it a communications superpower with remarkable speed.” (Smithsonian)

Since then, the USPS has evolved to meet the changing needs of the public by offering various services such as Priority Mail, Express Mail, and Parcel Post. It also offers money orders and international mail services.

And still, we rely on email for so much.