Archive for January, 2024

As It Is > What It Is

Posted: January 25, 2024 in Stimulus Space Response
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There’s something about the phrase it is what it is that I never liked beyond a joking context. I love the it is what it is memes. But in day to day life, it mildly rubbed me the wrong way.

One day while watching YouTube I heard Eckhart Tolle say “It is as it is” and something clicked/stuck.

What’s the difference between these two phrases? The meaning I internally assigned to them. Just because one clicked with me and the other didn’t, doesn’t mean there’s an actual difference.

Tolle went on to explain that when something happens, we can acknowledge the situation, internally and/or externally as it is. This is what is happening. It is as it is. Now, what is my reaction going to be? How will I respond to this?

Choosing a response that is beneficial, rather than detrimental isn’t dependent on saying to oneself, “It is as it is”, but it has certainly helped me. Cultivating the inner space between stimulus and response, to think or say anything constructive, that is mandatory work for all of us.

If we are reaction junkies, then we do ourselves a disservice and essentially give our power away to anyone or anything that inconveniences or challenges us. And challenges never stop in life. One need not be a sage or old or even have much life experience to have learned that…repeatedly.

Cultivating enough space between stimulus and response to say five words can be a tall task for many. It certainly turned out to be a long term goal for me. On some days, it still seems like a long term goal. I know there was a time, a long period of my life, where I was unaware of the space between stimulus and response and therefore by default gave my power away to any and all external events or shifting internal moods.

Meditation, philosophy and spirituality practices have all been a tremendous help for me. I would classify my meditation and philosophy practices as life savers. Meditation, philosophy and weight training are the three things I recommend to all human beings regardless of age.

Spirituality can run into immediate resistance from the agnostic and atheist types so I usually skip it and focus on the pragmatic, immediate benefits of practicing meditation, physical exercise, and philosophy.

Meditation and philosophy have helped to teach me about the thinking mind, emotion, and human nature. Those three lessons/concepts are almost always able to be plugged into situations that cause me to pause and say “it is as it is”. Being unaware or willfully ignorant of the thinking mind, emotion, and human nature often makes situations worse, and makes viewing negative situations as challenges impossible.

Although being able to say “it is what it is” and laugh it off, is pretty zen too.

Past Reviews as a Vehicle for #Progress

Posted: January 24, 2024 in Stimulus Space Response
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Seven(ish) years ago I bought the notebook that was going to change everything.

I’ve been happily surprised this has become a meme around the new year. I suppose taking some relief that so many other people made & make the same mistake I did.

I am just now, a few pages away from finishing that notebook/journal.

Why didn’t the notebook change everything? I’m no authority but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with seeking something external to change something internal.

Rereading my old journal entries is one of my new years resolutions. It has been a missing piece of my journaling practice for as long as I have been journaling. Both Tim Ferriss and Ryan Holiday have spoken about the need to revisit old writings. As it is important to revisit old or long held thoughts to see if they’re still applicable or even beneficial.

I’ve never consistently reread old journal entries. Maybe here or there, spread out over my entire writing life. A fraction of a percentage. But as I’ve been reviewing old journal entires, some a decade old, some a few months old, I’ve immediately and consistently seen the value in doing so.

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Perspective. It puts my thoughts, opinions, and experiences that I chose to put onto paper in a different perspective. It helps to show what I was struggling with then and if I’m’ still struggling now. It puts a different perspective on my own voice. On my own thoughts. On what’s going on in my head. On the voice going on inside my head.

Compassion. We all have our issues and shortcomings. Much of what I’ve journaled about during my life has been about mine. Seeing the consistent underlying theme of my personal issues and shortcomings wreaking various levels of havoc on my life while I fight the good fight to keep my head above water while on the right path…has bred more self compassion and empathy for others.

Determination. To see how long and how frequently the same issues and shortcomings have been influencing the quality and direction of my life, there is a controlled, pragmatic increase in determination to take action and build habits to combat and conquer these issues. Or at least break the vicious cycle.

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An inner spark for inner change. Buying a notebook only changes one’s account balance. Rereading old journals only takes up time. It’s the choices and actions that come after that count. Just like with everything else.

But it starts and succeeds from the inside out, not from the outside in.

#Capitalism / Cannibalism

Posted: January 23, 2024 in Excess and Algorithms
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Wage slaves with Stockholm Syndrome that wrongly identify themselves as capitalists love to use theory as a defense to the practical horrors and injustices of late stage capitalism that we’re currently living in.

The most frequent meme of this is when they use pictures or scenes from capitalist economies as a visual aide to show the theoretical horrors of socialism.

Those types also like to ignore the socialized aspects of many developed, first world countries throughout Europe and South America. They play dumb when you bring up Universal Basic Income and the results of the studies and trial programs that have been enacted over the past decade. They play dumber when you ask them about tax cuts and bailouts for billionaires and corporations.

What’s the difference between feudalism and historic income inequality and wealth gaps under capitalism?

Technology.

Humanity posses the technology to ease the burden of work of the individual so they may devote more of their life to things other than “earning a living”.

Yet the small minority of people with the greatest concentration of wealth, resources, and therefore power choose to use this technology as a weapon against the masses rather than an aide by forcing competition amongst the people and the technology that can do their jobs better, faster, and cheaper.

What of the people at direct risk of homelessness and starvation because of technology being weaponized against them rather than being put to use for their benefit? Well I guess there’s always prison. And prison labor is the cheapest labor of all.

It’s All a #Practice

Posted: January 23, 2024 in Stimulus Space Response
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We do it, we forget, then we remember again. That’s why it’s a practice.

What’s a practice? Everything we do. Until we’re doing it without thinking. Until we’re doing it without thinking with proficiency. Until we’re doing it without thinking with excellence.

It’s all a practice.

Until we’re masters.

And the number of masters to have ever lived is smaller than we would like to think or than we would care to admit.

I’m a meditation practitioner, a philosophy practitioner, a weight lifting practitioner, a communications practitioner, a try not to be an asshole practitioner.

It’s all a practice.

We learn by doing.

We do it, we forget, then we remember again.

That’s why life is a journey and not a destination. We never arrive. Change is the only constant. We’re in a constant state of flux.

So we practice doing the things we want to do, the things we need to do, and the things we have to do.

We have to do, what we have to do.

It’s all a practice.

It’s why witnessing a masterpiece or being in the presence of masters of a craft has an almost universal emotional connection and appeal across demographics and generations. Rare isn’t the word for it. Language doesn’t do it justice.

What do we want to get better at? What do we need to improve? What must we learn?

We do it, we forget, then we remember again. That’s why it’s a practice.

Impermanence Creates #Joy

Posted: January 22, 2024 in Stimulus Space Response
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Change is the only constant.

Anything that lasts forever, or even a long time, loses it’s appeal, becomes boring, gets taken advantage of, etc.

All experiences that we deem good or positive are that way because they don’t last. Same with the sting of the perceived negative.

There’s that yin-yang again.

The hot burning flame versus the slow burning coal.

Happiness versus contentment.

Be aware of it, experience it, then let it go. For better and for worse.

Trying to make things permanent creates problems.

Suffering arises because of attachment to desires as a wise man once said.

I had one of the most productive stretches of time in recent years. Woke up sick the next day. There’s that yin-yang again.

Then had a fun weekend with a friend is like a brother. But he had to go home. We weren’t sad at the end. We were grateful for the time well spent together and were both excited for what comes next for us individuality, respectively.

Letting go. Easier said than done. Like everything else, ever. But a little easier with practice. Just like everything else, ever…

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