Category: Thoughts

Recent Items 12

by MAÔ, posted in Social

Some things of interest over the past week:

  • This item from MIT’s Center for Advanced Virtuality assumes a failed mission to the moon for Apollo 11. It’s called a deepfake, and the speech, while actually written for President Nixon to deliver in case of a disaster, is delivered by a sound-alike actor, and the footage is cut together from actual video footage of the then-president. It’s a warning against necessarily believing anything that may show up on the internet.
  • Nintendo’s strong earnings showing giving a glimpse into how shelter-in-place Millenials (and others…) are spending their time. I’ve got more than a few friends logging massive hours in video gaming during this pandemic.
  • Marketplace reporting on how families used pandemic relief to pay down credit card debt, and what that might look like now that added unemployment benefits have stopped.
  • 75 Years later, the impact of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • An animated feature out of Japan, Your Name. My brother turned me on to this, and it’s a beautifully put-together film. Pulls at the heartstrings as well. The US-optioned project has JJ Abrams attached, changing Tokyo to Chicago, and priestess-descended youth to Native American. I couldn’t find details on the production schedule for it, though.
  • And a project I’ve been working on, changing photographs to digital. Additionally, Google Photos can be used to back up your entire digital library to the cloud, assuming you’re not backing up raw video. Unlimited cloud storage for photos, with useful features – such as facial recognition and activity identification.

Cluttered thinking

by MAÔ, posted in Work

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” – Lawrence J Peter

I’ve been fighting a battle against stuff for the better part of four years. It’s almost an endless fight. But this quote begs a question, one the Einstein thought was pertinent: What if clutter creates ideas?

True, time and space to think are very important for ideation. But without inputs, you’ve only got so much within you to pull from.

Resting on your laurels

by MAÔ, posted in Work

When someone achieves something of value, it’s easy to accept that as the pinnacle of success. Why apply any creative output when the potential downfall outweighs the possibilities. If you’re already deemed a creative achiever, there’s no reason to opt to prove them wrong.

Well, so the thinking might go. But resting on one’s laurels isn’t a value proposition. It’s a “decline into laziness and a lack of application.”

Continuous output, attempting new things, pushing the envelope. Not resting. These are laurels we should strive to achieve. Not those placed upon us for past accomplishments.

What we do in the light

by MAÔ, posted in Social

There isn’t much we keep hidden anymore. Nearly all of us, at least here in the US, have social media accounts, digital histories, and work/life balance issues. Jobs are different, homes are different, families are different, and privacy is different.

For the most part, none of that seems to matter. Hell, I try to write here daily, and over the past year have succeeded more often than not.

But I still keep things back. We all keep things back. Whether it’s the masks we wear (metaphorically speaking), or our desire to maintain a modicum of privacy in our personal lives, it’s almost always important to have a safe harbor to return to. 

We do so much in the light now. But, every once in awhile, it’s good to find shade.

When the world goes crazy

by MAÔ, posted in Thoughts

The business is misinformation. Everything that is said can be refuted, and how are we supposed to know what’s true?

There are conspiracy theories and outright lies. And all we have to go on is who we trust.

So, question what it is you need to. Don’t take “truth” on face value. But don’t blindly believe the theories just because “facts” are laid out in a comfortable way.

There’s a lot we don’t know. But there’s a chance that we can find out.

Distractions are the worst

by MAÔ, posted in Work

It’s so easy to lose focus. How does one remain consistently on the day’s work? The important? The projects that provide the most value?

First, routine. I can’t seem to say this enough. The more ingrained a routine is, the more you’ll be able to stick with it. Establish working times for those important projects, and that’s what you’ll work on.

Next, schedule free time. If all your day is one thing after another, you’ll burn out. Fast. I’ve had burn-outs and, when not cared for, they can evolve into full-fledged nervous breakdowns. Given how stressful the world can be anyway, not considering the current crises, it’s best to give yourself free time. Time alone, preferably in quiet contemplation. To sit, to think, and to come to realizations.

Third, grow your mind. It needs inputs. Add them. Read an hour a day. Change the tv show binge to a documentary once a week. Or, watch a film that makes you think. Don’t just mindlessly vedge in free time. Be an active participant, so that when it’s time to work, you have a full well to pull from.

And lastly, maybe most importantly, sit down and do the work. We are often our most persistent blockage when it comes to doing the important stuff. I know how easy it is to get distracted. And I have to remind myself every day – do the work.

Recent Items 11

by MAÔ, posted in Social

With two weeks past since the last set of links I posted, there are only a few items that I wanted to share.

  • From Forbes, a reason why mornings may be more productive.
  • Shared this vanlife article with a friend of mine as he shops for a camper to travel the country in.
  • Apartment Therapy shares 3 things you don’t need on the bathroom counter. Why this is worth sharing? Three reasons. First, I like reading Apartment Therapy. I’ve lived in small spaces, and have eclectic tastes, and the homes they show demonstrate both. Second, while I’ve been decluttering for what seems like a century now, I’m still working on getting rid of stuff. The bathroom is an easy place to start. And third, who doesn’t like a clean bathroom?
  • If you’re looking for a pet, the Petco Foundation has useful resources and accepts donations to aid our stalwart companions.
  • How long does it take to learn a new skill? Less time than you think…

This quote came across my email, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot: “There is but one solution to the intricate riddle of life; to improve ourselves, and contribute to the happiness of others.” – Mary Shelley

The persuasion

by MAÔ, posted in Writing

For two days now I’ve written about the importance of messaging when getting your point across. Whether to convince a client, make a sale, or help a friend, the message is important.

The downside of this effect is that we are programmed to be receptive to messaging. A skilled practitioner of the art of persuasion can often make us do things we’ll regret in the end. That couch you didn’t really love? The knives that you didn’t really need – even if the scissors can cut through coins…

That vacuum cleaner the guy at the door promised would revolutionize how you clean house.

There are numerous examples of salespeople selling. Prominent social scientist Robert Cialdini has a set of books on the topic (Influence, Pre-Suasion, and Yes!).

There are courses that tell how to get your way in business, at home, in picking up prospective partners at bars. It’s a world of persuading and being persuaded.

While it’s not possible to completely insulate yourself from the onslaught of marketers, salespeople, talking heads, and con artists, it is important to be prudent. Forewarned is forearmed.

Messages are important

by MAÔ, posted in Thoughts

As I wrote yesterday, messaging is critical when trying to make a sale. What that means, also, is that messaging is important in noncommercial selling. What is noncommercial selling?

Every interaction we have on a day-to-day basis with anyone we would like to convince of something is a sales situation. It’s apparent in the political races around the country, but also in health policy, self-help, therapy, and family relations. You may want your spouse to take out the trash. That spouse has to know the usefulness of that action (happy partner), and the value is more than the price (a walk to the dumpster).

It’s a crude example, but it highlights the point of messaging. When communication is concerned, it’s on us to ensure the recipient of the message receives it clearly and as intended. If not, we’ve failed to deliver the message. This results in us being unhappy with the outcome, potentially making the other’s life worse as a result.

We have that onus to do all we can to make sure our messages our articulate, in a medium that is easily understood, and received as intended.

Finding your message

by MAÔ, posted in Thoughts

It’s important to have a clear, concise message when attempting to sell. Selling is two parts – first convincing a prospect that the product or service is of use to them (has value). A change to their way of. thinking. Then, making them realize that the value is equal to or more valuable than the price being charged. Any break down in these two parts will result in a lost sale.

And both are reliant on the viability of your message.