Toy Story’s Story

I watched Toy Story this evening for the first time in probably two decades. Its magic still blossoms from the screen. The animation, the soundtrack, the screenplay and humor, the voice acting, they all jump off the screen to this day, almost 30 years later.

The first fully computer animated feature length film, Toy Story was successful, and still iconic today, because of its messaging. The real world can be scary. But we get through it together with friends.

It belongs on any “must watch” list for any alien visiting our planet. It represents, I believe, what can be the best of us—through its creativity and technical execution, and through its proclamation of the “human” spirit. It just happens through toys.

Remembered Like Bill

My parents met at UCLA in the 1980’s. They camped outside Pauley Pavilion to get seats for the basketball games. I was even named after forward Trevor Wilson.

So even though like most millennials I primarily knew of Bill Walton as the goofy broadcaster, I also knew of his prestige as a basketball player. Growing up my dad often implored me look up his collegiate statistics.

I was saddened to learn of Bill’s passing yesterday and immediately texted my dad. Although I never met him, I feel he had some distant impact on my life, growing up in a UCLA family, obsessed with sports.

The statements from the sports and entertainment greats are endearing. Bill Walton is talked about as selfless, generous person, who always made time for others. Countless basketball legends professed him a dominant, captivating player, but an even better person. Someone who was funny and lived life with excitement and enthusiasm.

I want to be remembered like Bill Walton. To be remembered for being great at something, but for that to pale in comparison to the impact on people’s lives. Thank you Bill for being an inspiration to me, and to so many others. I aspire to live a life well lived, so that when my time comes, I can be remembered like you.

Challenging Holidays

Memorial Day can be a complicated day. On one hand, it’s our responsibility as citizens to pay our respects to all the brave souls who gave their lives to the ideal of freedom. On the other, our country has engaged in much needless warfare, in which those soldiers needn’t have died. Our progress working through this conundrum represents one facet of the necessary reckoning we must have as a society. How shall we proceed? Perhaps we can honor this day and move forward with respect.

Comforting Connection

There is comfort in the big picture.

Because on the grandest scale, we are a part of something. Regardless what reality “is,” our consciousness is the experience of it.

We are connected to the universe, even if minuscule in scale. Our atoms and cells interact with the particles of the universe. We are one, we are all one.

And that can be a comforting thought.

Health Forgetfulness

Health is the easiest universal desire to forget.

Time and love are immediately noticeable in absence. When out of time, we wish for but just a few more moments. When alone, the ache for connection is all-consuming.

But we naturally and continuously adapt to the status quo. With health we become accustomed and indifferent; when it worsens we learn to accept and adapt to our new physical reality.

To be grateful for our current health is a strong daily practice—when it’s gone we want nothing else.

Writing Is

Writing is torture. It can drive one mad when reeling.

Writing is love. It can provide absolute clarity and purpose while in flow.

Writing is simply this: it is crucial for developing critical thinking, because it requires marshalling multiple thoughts coherently.

Maybe writing is our answer.

Finding Purpose

Finding purpose is challenging in our society—should it be?

The bottom line: we get to choose how we earn a living and who we spend our time with. Everything else.. how much money we make, who we run into and what happens to us.. seems largely circumstantial.

So we can choose. Will we be a force of good? Will we contribute to the universe? In this deepest sense, our fate is negotiable.

I’m asking for more

I’m asking for more.

We all want the same things: to spend lots of quality time with loved ones, to put food on the table for our family, to raise children, to find fulfilling work, to own a home, to have fun. Freedom, equity, and togetherness.

I believe everyone has a right to pursue these basic human desires.

But I also believe we should all do more, beyond those common goals. We can all elevate global consciousness, a true recognition of humanism beyond our smaller national, regional, communal, or familial tribes.

We can all regularly engage in civic participation, not just voting in every election but advocating for what we believe and truly self-governing.

And we can all give—to those outside our normalized group, to others without thought of reward. We can all volunteer our time or money and provide community service to make our world stronger.

This can all be achieved in mere minutes a week. Am I too demanding to ask for more?

Listening to Intuition

I'm not sure if we all have a path before us. But I believe intuition. I think we can know things instrinsically, when we listen. Sometime in the future Science will determine whether such sentiment belongs in the realm of mysticism or consensus reality.

But I think we know when we're moving in the right direction, that we recognize good from evil, and we can feel our connection to the universe. As I tell myself when I recite my Morning Saying, we are the universe. We are atoms and cells. We are life, interacting with the other fragments of this particle soup.

From this basic skill of listening, we can grow global consciousness, unite humanity, and inspire change.

Slow Thinking and Slow Living

I only know my time, but wow does the world move quickly. Our technology brings us incredible speeds of communication and computation. And the advent of machine learning may contribute to an even greater acceleration of change in our society.

And yet, are we more connected now than 20, 50, 100 years ago? Or do we just know more things faster? Another way to think about it: if we are more connected in today’s world, does our biology enable us to benefit from that increased connection? Or do we suffer?

There are many difficult questions to answer. The only way we can approach solutions is if we slow down to think about their repercussions. Instead of reacting constantly, we can employ slow thinking and slow living.

Mother’s Day 2024

And then there’s Momma. Twenty-one inches I was apparently; now as an adult you wouldn’t believe it.

There’re a group of people in the world who give birth to other humans, who further our species, literally. These humans, we call mothers, raise and teach our young how to behave and how to live.

Everything we know, all the art and science, all the innovation that’s taken us to the moon and back, all begins with our mothers.

I know I can credit anything I contribute to my mother. I love you Mom, Happy Mother’s Day.

Guardians and Beauty

I think about how important it is for children to have positive adult influences (besides their parents) in life. There’s a reason we call them guardians.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have fantastic grandparents, aunts and uncles, great coaches and teachers…all whom have contributed to my psychology today.

I relished the opportunity to do that with my niece today, who is shaping into a kind, compassionate young woman.

We’re only as beautiful as we want to be, together.