Tag: social media

Time-Suck

by MAÔ, posted in mindfulness

The wasting of potential through unthoughtful and unaccounted for hours in the day. Nearly anything can be a time suck if allowed to be. Some things I’ve noticed – video games, email, social media, Netflix. While none are inherently time-suckers, using them in an unmindful way will suddenly resulted in wasted hours.

When used to distract from something else, they merely sap your attention. These diversions can take many forms, but they all will waste the most precious commodity that we only have so much of – time.

Mindfully approaching your day-to-day experiences will eliminate the need for diversion, and give you control over more of your time.

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Posting isn’t everything

by MAÔ, posted in Story

On posting every day (here in the blog) I could say that I’m hopefully providing meaningful content to the few readers who pop up. Hopefully. The truth is, when we post, we don’t know how the audience receives it.

It seems we were programmed for storytelling to a small audience with instantaneous results (facial movements, gestures, audible responses, etc). I’m thinking of early man of course, and storytelling around a fire.

It wasn’t until the advent of recorded language that the audience could be separate the storyteller. The radio made it vocal, and the television made it visual. The internet, though… the internet made it instantaneous and worldwide. Or, very nearly.

It used to be the teller could gauge an audience. On stage we still do that – whether performing or giving a lecture. You know the temperature of your listeners, and can maybe make some shifts in your delivery, if you want to.

But with the internet, you get it out there and almost immediately it has a life of its own. All you can do is hope that you’ve said it well, and it’s been received well.

Hustling for fun and profit

by MAÔ, posted in Acting

When I was first starting out as an actor, I had to hustle. And I did. I was once described as the busiest performer in Central Florida. I don’t know how true it was, but I was always on the go.

That changed following a family tragedy and subsequent illness that left me – for several years – somewhat debilitated. Now that my health has improved (not to where I was, but better than I had been doing after the diagnosis), I find myself much less inclined to hustle.

Self-promoting, especially now in the prevalent culture of social media, could easily eat up all of your time. I know actors who are devoting around a fifth of their time to keeping connected with their followers.

On the one hand, you have to keep a steady stream of communication to maintain engagement. On the other hand, it certainly will lead to burn out.

I don’t like the hustle anymore. In my twenties, maybe I didn’t mind it. I felt like it was going to get me somewhere. Now, instead, I come to the table with a strong work ethic, and motivation. Not as sexy as an Instagram stream, but it keeps me busy, working, and happy. And I think that’s what’s important, at least to me.

Kill all drug dealers

by MAÔ, posted in Government

Back at it. And this week, like all weeks it seems, is not uneventful.

  1. I don’t support the death penalty.
  2. Drugs are sold because they are profitable. (Hello capitalism.)
  3. Addiction is a disease
  4. Dealers exploit addictions, much the same way tobacco companies did (do), and, perhaps, social media companies do…

How to fix it.

I don’t know. Lots of possible ways. Killing the drug dealers just makes gaps for other drug dealers to come in. And in a world where dealers will kill each other to make room in the market, who among them wouldn’t be happy to have the President sanction those murders?

I personally like the German way. It is illegal, but there are buildings where users can go to partake in the hard stuff. (Marijuana should just be legal all the way around.) In these buildings, there are clean beds, clean needles, medical professionals, access to help, and the cops don’t go in there. So, you’re safe. If you have a problem, there are people there to help. When you’re ready to admit that you have a problem.

Less drug-related crime, less festering on the streets.