WFH Perspectives

It’s a whole new world working from home. Routines and habits have been disrupted, and it seems like people are really getting tired of it, 5 months in. Personal connection and empathy can be more difficult to express and convey. There are a whole new set of etiquette rules for using Zoom all day long: keep yourself on mute, make sure the background is clear, call out people specifically, etc. It can all be overwhelming at times. 

Going back to the big picture seems to help. Many people are out of work right now and are desperate—if you’re WFH, that’s not you. It’s amazing to be able to use all these collaboration and communication tools in today’s age—compare these workflows to just the 1970’s! And setting firm barriers between work time and personal time can be key—have morning quiet time for yourself before logging on, dress for work, and refrain from work activities outside your delineated hours.

The world looks different now, and there will probably be some lasting changes. Change is the only thing that’s ever constant. We have to embrace change in order to thrive in life. As always, awareness, consideration, and gratitude is where it all starts. Because from the biggest perspective, we truly live in one big beautiful amazing world. 

Diverse Perspectives

Something that has really been evident to me over the past month is the sheer variance in perspective that exists. People hold wildly different opinions about everything, from politics and government to the coronavirus and the economy to our news and institutions. There appear to be many reasons for this diversity in perspective. Which news outlets you consume (or echo chambers you subscribe to, as I have previously written). Where you live and how dense the population is in your part of the world. The types of industries most common in your city or state. All I know is I was exposed to several different types of thought; in Arizona, in the Dallas airport, in Mexico, in the Bay Area. I guess my point is that it’s good we have a diverse set of opinions and perspectives—if we listen to each other. We can feel strongly in our convictions without being stubborn or inflexible. The information we consume and the people we interact with have a large effect on our ideas, and it’s important to recognize that. If we do, we will build a better world for everyone, regardless of what opinion you hold. For progress doesn’t have to be controversial. Let’s build a world in which everyone enjoys the human rights of freedom, equality, and justice. A world in which peace and prosperity are the norm, and any deviation minor, infrequent, and unusual. It’s possible, if we embrace our differences, celebrate and understand them, and use them to provide fairness to all.

Currents

Current is real. You can feel it out in the ocean, or better yet, with those closest to you. Where do we go? I dunno. But I do believe, with conviction, that it’s up to us to do something. 

The Consideration Betterment Factor

I believe as a species we are figuring things out. Perhaps I hold that opinion just because I’ve refrained from the news the past week. But I believe we are, it’s just slow to always notice in one lifetime. Technology should help speed things up, but it also brings its own hindrances. If we are grateful for what we can experience now, in 2020, we can better see how far we’ve come. There’s still a long ways to go, and we’ll get there. As consideration proliferates, so too will our collective quality of life. 

Water, the planet

If you have the privilege and pleasure to go snorkeling, you experience a whole other world. The ocean is vast. We call it Earth, but really, it’s Water. What an amazing planet we live on. It truly is a big beautiful amazing world. 

Gratitude Reminders

I’m currently reading “I am Malala,” and I have to say, it’s helped me enormously with my gratitude practice. Not even half the way through, and the book really iterates the disparities that still exist in quality of life around the world. I can be thankful for so much, and if you’re reading this, chances you are too. Running water, that can be configured to hot or cold near instantaneously; affordable and reliable electricity at the flick of a switch; a doctor to see if you’re sick or an officer to come if something’s wrong. We take so much for granted. Life is truly beautiful, and for a lot of the world now, it’s pretty easy, all things considered. Even in a pandemic, in which so many people are struggling, in large parts of the world, they’re not dying. It’s our duty to make such a reality for all, as location of birth should not distinguish any member of our species. We can do it, especially if we remember how far we’ve come. 

Questions and Earnest

We care so much about the what, The Who, the when. How much do we consider the how, and more importantly, the why? There are greater forces at work beyond what we consume. Are we centered within ourselves? Especially right now, consideration seems not only prudent... but vital. What world do we live in, and why? We must ask ourselves these types of questions. Because if we do and mean it, we will strenuously, arduously... rigorously, make a better world. 

New Year Realignment

I’ve come to realize that one’s true new year’s is on her/his birthday. The day of our birth is how we orient the time we experience in this life. New Year’s Resolutions should thus be made on our birthdays, not the arbitrary date of January 1st. We come into the world on our birth-days; it seems appropriate to give the day more credence, beyond imbibing copious amounts of poison on every anniversary. What do we have to show for our time?

Better Together

What do they say about how time changes when you get older? The days are long and slow, the years go by fast... I think I’ve crossed to that threshold now. I remember when I was a young kid and it seemed like everyone else had their birthday every 6 months and I had to wait 2 years!

Now time goes by much differently. I’ve learned to appreciate important, however brief, moments with family and loved ones. Recently I’ve deeply reflected about this, especially as it was a significant birthday for my partner this past week.

We have limited time here. Whatever our hobbies or our likes or dislikes, it’s clear, through this crazy thing we now refer to as “the pandemic,” that we need each other. We can get through this together. 

World Wants

What do we want? At the end of the day, what will leave us satisfied, fulfilled? It’s something for us to think about, and maybe we consider it in prime state upon waking up. The choice is truly ours… what kind of world do we want?

People Matter

Reflecting on everything that has transpired in 2020, it becomes apparent that it’s people who matter. Those who have fallen to the virus, they mattered. They were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. The people whose lives have been affected by racism and police brutality, they are brothers and sisters, friends and family. It’s the people in our lives who matter. We have a limited amount of time on this Earth, and we are blessed to spend it with others. People matter—let’s serve them by living well.

What’s Important

Well birthdays certainly reinforce what’s important, especially when it’s not your own. When it’s another’s birthday and their happiness is paramount, it sort of elucidates where life is at.  

Our experience here revolves around relationships. We are not alone—by who we choose to live with, but also by what we leave behind.

In that sense, every day is a birthday... every day is an important day. 

Commanding the Mind

So I’ve started reading Dune for the first time, and as I was thinking today I recalled an apt quote from the book: “the mind commands the body and it obeys. The mind orders itself and meets resistance.” How true can that sometimes be. I think even the most disciplined people struggle with it at times. And how much have the events of 2020 exacerbated the struggle? In some way, you just have to feel, reset, and continue. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it’s not only about preventing the lulls, but limiting their length to minutes, not hours, days or weeks. That journey, personal to each and every one of us, leads us to our potential. How simple the phrase is; keep calm and carry on. 

Mortality and Meaning

We all die. Listening to Take me Home by John Denver on the way home today, I reminisced about visiting my great grandma in Southern California just before she died.

Virginia mothered 9 children and had a huge extended family. She was old and on her way out, and everyone was visiting to say their goodbyes.

Even at 12 years old, I was vividly aware of the absolute mortality of the situation while spending those last few days with her. I knew it was my last visit, our last conversation, the last hug.

Seeing our life on the grand scale makes you reflect. You want to enjoy life and spend time with your tribe. You want to have fun, to feel alive, to love.

But what really gives us meaning? While listening to those country roads I realized it’s your contribution to humanity. It’s the donation of your time and energy on this earth to the progression of our species. One can derive meaning from her/his effort towards creating a better future.

There will be an after, after us, for others. Meaning comes with handing the torch.

Thriving in Our Time

The coronavirus is still here. I’ve been writing primarily about the civil unrest in this country recently because it’s been so top of mind for so many people. But part of that is because we’ve let our guard down against a global-wide health epidemic. In the United States at least, we have not beaten down the first wave to manageable levels with how we are now operating society. I implore people to find a trustworthy source, such as this Twitter thread, to stay current on the data. We can beat this disease, as we have many others. But it’s going to take all of us, and it’s going to take cooperation. 2020, what a time to be alive. But as Gandalf tells Frodo, we don’t get to decide that, only what we will do with the time we’re in.

Internet Options

There’s a lot of voices out there. Sometimes I struggle with outputting my own. Does it matter? Does it get lost in the cacophony of opinion prevalent throughout the inter web? Perhaps. But all my posts not tagged with ‘mobile blog’ are premeditated—they’re not rapid assertions published without much thought. The internet is a great tool. There are circumstances in which going live is powerful. It can also be a public broadcast for reflective thought and argument. It can even replace our old mechanisms for consumption. Which do you use it for?

Reforming Our System

Insert your one sentence quip about how to fix it here. This is difficult stuff! A perfect storm of a global pandemic and economic suffering and visceral evidence of the still-prevalent racism in our society? This is new. We’ve never had the technology to appreciate all of these things happening simultaneously before. Much of the country is out of work, so maybe we take some time to appreciate the nuance of the situation. There have been protests, and there has been looting. There can exist police reform, and an expansion of services offered to the public. There can be a pandemic and widespread civil action occurring concurrently. Let’s pinpoint the main causes of our distress, let’s deliberate about them, and let’s go about solving them. Gotta do ‘em in order. 

Hitting the Mark

I get Maslow’s hierarchy. But even if focused on basic needs, you can still be concerned with the world. I’ve witnessed it on all 6 populated continents. Poor people, who have very little compared to anyone reading this, often still have an interest in the outside world. While laying around all day today trying to let my ankle heal, I’ve thought about Black Lives Matter, about the coronavirus, about the current political, economic, and environmental climate. I truly believe conversations can be enough. Not everyone is going to be an activist, not everyone will be an MLK or a Gandhi or a Chavez. But we can all ensure we don’t accept anything less than the best from our species. We’re not perfect, and we have a lot to fix, but we can always hold ourselves and our fellow humans to a high standard. We are capable of meeting it. 

Enjoying Progress

There’s something about being fully immersed in nature, cut off from the world. There’s been very limited cell service where I am this weekend, and although it’s made it difficult to post, it’s made it easier to be. We are inundated with information and addicted to our screens. Real peace is possible, and it’s there; it’s never gone away. Sometimes we need to get away to return to it. There’s a lot going on in the world, and we’re making progress. It’s messy, but we’re getting there. We also need to remember to self care during these turbulent times, so that we can enjoy the results of that progress, once they’re achieved. 

Stay up not down

There can be so much negativity in the news. Protests across the United States due to the murder of George Floyd, Trump’s provoking remarks about them and free speech, China’s threat toward Taiwan… it’s almost like the political-news amalgam decides to ramp up because, “hey, it’s Friday!”

It’s extremely difficult, but we can’t let the second-by-second news cycle negativity wear us down. We have made tremendous progress as a species. The planet’s wealth, health, and peace has all drastically increased over the past few decades. We can’t throw out what we’ve earned and fought for because the outlook in this very moment isn’t appealing. Remember, it’s a 24 hour, second-by-second news cycle not out of necessity but out of profit.

We haven’t worked everything out yet. But we will. We will together. To start, that means ordinary citizens stay informed (something that wasn’t possible even 50 years ago) about what’s going on the world without getting down. Prudence. Confidence. We can do this. We can change the world. Stay up fellow Americans.