Why ruin a pleasant moment with ongoing woes or concerns beyond? Do not let the past or future overwhelm you. Easier said than done, but it’s all a matter of focus. Focus on the activity at hand, person in front of you, or space you occupy. Do not let your mind wander; give the present your full attention. Face stress only when you need to. It’s the healthier and happier way to live.
Monthly Archives: November 2011
What Do You Get From Social Media?
Today’s major platforms have connected me with people I would have otherwise lost touch with and to a wealth of digital content shared by peers. Beyond that, I am slowly failing to identify with Facebook, Twitter, and Google+’s value propositions. I am very curious to hear from you, dear audience. What do you get from social media? What services do you use and how have they changed your life? How could they be better? If you have thoughts on the subject, I’d love to hear from you – simply post in the comments below or email me.
Involve Your Audience
Building an audience can be a long and humbling process. Extreme networking in disguise. Every little thing counts. Every smile, every gift, every anecdote. It all builds to a greater public image with richer public value. As if offering something of value isn’t hard enough, you must befriend hundreds of thousands of random strangers along the way.
Successful performers form an intimate relationship with their audience. Like building trust with a friend, an entertainer must build rapport and loyalty with his or her fans. Something as big as inviting a fan to guest star or as small as retweeting a post can win you a fan for life. Even little acknowledgements can make a person’s day. Invite fans to be a part of what you’re trying to accomplish. Encourage them to join the conversation – and be sure to respond. Never be too proud to ask your audience questions, for feedback, or to help you out. Encourage a two-way street between you and them – and hold up your end of the bargain.
Don’t Waste Gatherings
Time together is a valuable commodity. Our Constitution honors the freedom to assemble in the very First Amendment. Time together should not be wasted on passive consumption. Active minds together exchange ideas and experiences that, when combined, can overrule the sum of their parts. The classroom, conference room, or venue should be reserved for collaboration, discussion, or audience involvement. Dialogue should be a two-way street, a symmetrical relationship. With the Internet more ubiquitous than ever, we have the freedom to access, share, and consume information whenever and wherever we want. We can connect with lectures, sermons, and updates asymmetrically on our private time. We should never waste the opportunity to commingle when sharing a room together. Spend private time well; spend time together better.
Rest Up
It is important to rest up any chance you get, especially before facing large milestones or difficult stretches in your life. Sleep is not a bank – you cannot make deposits; you can only make withdrawals. You cannot hibernate and save for hard times, so get what you can when you can. Go to bed.
Notes on Notes
I take note of any piece of information I may want to draw from in the future – newspaper articles, blog posts, books, lectures, conversations, or films. In the digital equivalent, I have binders full of random insights. While I retain some lessons learned, most disappear into the depths of my computer. Only when I review, organize, and annotate my notes months later do the breadth of lessons really stick. Essentially, I take another full set of notes on top of the old to boil them down again into relevant takeaway kernels. The result is a compounded understanding of the material at hand, a level of review I cannot recommend highly enough.
If you honestly aspire to learn a subject, take notes on anything and everything you want to retain about the subject. Block off a period of time every six months to review and process all of your notes. Take notes on the notes. You will be surprised how much more you walk away with.
Your Dreams, Not Theirs
You prescribe your own dreams; do not let anyone else do it for you. Listen to the advice and wisdom of others, but form your own opinions and goals. Do things your own way. Do not be afraid to do things differently. After all, different is key to making a difference.
Embrace Rebellion
Craig’s first rule of parenting: children want to do what they are told not to. Aside from defiance or simple curiosity, I believe evolutionary biology drives our need to question authority. We are programmed from birth to challenge our parents. It’s a part of a natural life cycle: old must replace new and do so better than before to keep the species alive. It is the same reason we champion underdogs, success stories, fresh releases, and overthrows. Change is good, and new is the prerequisite to change. Embrace rebellion; it’s natural.
A Healthier Recipe for All-Nighters
Staying awake all night is never healthy, and I do not endorse it. I may have permanently impaired my memory and shaved 15 years off of my life by sleeping so little through high school and college. Sometimes, however, all-nighters need to happen. Beyond pure determination, optimism, and focus, most people need a little outside help to get the job done.
Everyone uses a different method. Most people go straight for caffeine. The issue? Short-term punchy solutions like caffeine, sugar, cocaine, or other psychostimulants can really shake the body and falter the mind. Coming down from these substances will surely game you over. If you can continue to pace them out to keep the buzz alive, more power to you. In extreme circumstances, I’ve taken a small sip of coffee or an energy drink every 20 minutes to keep fueling the fire. Keeping pace takes a lot of calculated effort; too fast or too slow may fail you completely or spin your system in the wrong direction. I suggest you avoid uppers altogether.
Over the years, I discovered a few natural solutions far more effective and less destructive than stimulants. A generous helping of vitamins B and C through supplements, juice, or fruit can boost your energy, antioxidize your body, and keep your immune system on its feet. Apples and orange juice got me through college. Moreover, you can leave lights on, fight yawns, and move your body as much as possible. Keep the body and mind active.
The real secret weapon? Drink water. A lot of water. Water keeps you cool, hydrated, and toxin-free. A large volume of water will keep your organs working overtime for you. Yes, that means frequent urination. Annoying? How many times have you had to wake to go to the bathroom? When it comes to sleep, your bladder is boss. Fill that thing nonstop, and it will keep you awake. I consumed 139 fluid ounces of water on my 16-hour-straight drive from Los Angeles to Denver today; in part with good conversation, those water bottles kept me sharp and alive. I made it in one piece and with energy to spare. But now, after 36 hours with hardly any rest, it’s time for me to go to sleep. Good night.
On the Road Again
I’ve packed for 12 hours today and will leave at midnight to make the 1,033 mile journey back to Denver for the last time (at least for a while, if not forever). A nasty snow storm awaits my return; it will be an interesting journey.
The next time you move, I encourage you to do as I have done: lighten the load. Sifting through the things I accumulated over the years was a nostalgic experience, but it was equally relieving to leave a lot behind. It’s time for me to move on, optimize, and focus. Donating, recycling, and gifting the unnecessaries will help you move forward.
Wish me a safe trip. With any luck, the next post will declare my arrival.
Craig Ormiston 