Cogito →

Published October 23, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 23  ·  ,

I don’t think ego is good or bad, it simply is. What matters (to me) is what I do, and what I do with my ego. Do I project my ego out onto the world (the way one can project a film onto a live scene in daylight: You can see the original people and things, but the film adds color and shape and, possibly, changes one’s perceptions) and examine and evaluate others colored by my own ego? …or do I try to go deeper and imagine what others might actually be experiencing, what their ego might be like?

Foremost, you must make a decision about your ego.

~ Paul Niquette from, Recommendations: Packing for Ego-Trips

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That insanely deep dive by Niquette is a refreshingly self-aware attempt at proving who should be given credit for inventing the word “software”. The part I’ve linked, isn’t even the last part. I found myself reading and knowing there was a time when I could easily have fed my ego in such a protracted journey— but I don’t think I would have been able (back at that time) to do the self-aware zoom-out that Niquette attempts. Possibly interesting to you; Definitely the sort of thing I find myself mulling over these days.

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Silence →

Published October 23, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 23  ·  ,

Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.

~ Mark Twain

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October 22, 2023 — #55 →

Published October 22, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 22  ·  

Reading time: About 6 minutes, 1200 words
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This issue is https://7forsunday.com/55

I should take a break →

Published October 22, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 22  ·  , ,

Taking a break is really difficult. A short break is often easy enough if you’re comfortable simply ignoring everything… for 10 minutes. But if you really want to take a real break, the difficulty escalates rapidly. I recently spent a long weekend camping a short, walkable distance from the beach. Each of the three full beach sitting days I tried to lengthen the stretches of time I literally sat in a beach chair without getting up. By the third day I was feigning agitated exasperation, and making jokes like, “That’s it! Today I’m getting serious about holding my chain down in the sand. No more standing up for me!” But in reality, I was bumping up against bodily functions, sun exposure (even under a magnificent umbrella), and peer pressure from my beach pals warning me of deep vein thrombosis. (I hope you never know what that is.)

I’m only half kidding. Everyone talks about taking a day off from work, and about looking forward to the holidays (for family and experiences, sure— but we all mean for the break we pretend we’ll get, but never do.) We even have a dedicated word, staycation (a word so legit it even passes my spell–checker) for suggesting some days we’re taking but not even going anywhere, just because we need a break. Our phones ring, our apps go bee-BOOP! and it’s ping! notification this, and ding! notification that. And an email arrives, and the dog needs walking, and the children need this, and the housemate that…

The hard work is actually prioritizing, pruning and putting one’s life in order. The impossible work is getting sufficient duration, and premium quality, sleep.

Taking a break isn’t lazy – learning to recharge is a skill that will allow you to enjoy a more creative, sustainable life.

~ Alex Soojung-Kim Pang from, How to rest well | Psyche Guides

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What’s that? How long did I manage to sit in the chair? On day three I managed a transcendental 5-and-one-half hours of literal sitting, toes in the sand. And I was on a roll, no where near needing to arise, having perfectly judged my fluid consumption, sweating, and kidney function up to then. I was foiled by my beach mates forcing me out of the chair (and at least part way into the ocean.) Which, all things considered, was very nice of them.

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Youthful exuberance →

Published October 22, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 22  ·  ,

You are only young once. After that you have to think up some other excuse.

~ Billy Arthur

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Creative work →

Published October 21, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 21  ·  , ,

The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.

~ Mary Oliver

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People first →

Published October 20, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 20  ·  ,

People who become engaged with movement in the found environment develop a new way of seeing their environment. Well, t e c h n i c a l l y , they recover a way of seeing their environment which they lost. Mountains, hills, water, stairs… and the moats that criss-cross our communities where the big metal and plastic boxes whiz along— these all become “challenging.” Walls (of various heights from knee to enormous), railings, painted lines— these all become “challenging.” And yet, I’ve had the pleasure on countless occasions to stumble into a built space which feels different. Spaces which don’t require me to see differently. Spaces which beckon me to sit, stand, move, climb, and play.

That we immediately switch to building our cities and countries around people, instead of cars.

~ Peter Adeney from, Less Cars, More Money: My Visit to the City of the Future

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Cars (small trucks, commercial trucks, planes, trains and ships) are tools. As I’ve said before what really matters about tools is one’s thinking and choices about tools. What I rarely hear mentioned is that tool choices also affect us. Our use of tools changes us. That’s what I really care about. How am I enabled (to do other things, to live more fully, etc), or constrained, by my choices with respect to tools? Furthermore, how do my choices enable or constrain those close to me? …in my community? …country? …world?

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Have it over →

Published October 20, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 20  ·  

Don’t stand shivering upon the bank; Plunge in at once and have it over.

~ Haliburton

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Learners →

Published October 19, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 19  ·  ,

In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.

~ Eric Hoffer

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Presence with Pete Machalek →

Published October 18, 2023  ·  All posts on Oct 18

Presence – with Pete Machalek

What are the benefits and challenges of incorporating video content into professional communication and personal branding efforts?

Pete Machalek discusses presence, in-person, and in both audio and video mediums.

I do think there is something about the challenge of presenting to a camera that a lot of folks can benefit from practicing. […] It’s something that I recommend challenging yourself about, if your presence is something you want to get better at. There’s a visual component to it. [But] it’s certainly not all visual.

~ Pete Machalek 24:42

Pete Machalek and Craig Constantine explore some of the intricacies of presenting in both audio and video formats. They discuss the advantages of audio-only presentation, noting it limits what the audience can judge you upon. Some video presentation strategies and formats are discussed, including the challenge of accommodating different visual perspectives as seen by viewers. Pete also shares the evolution of his content creation, explaining experiences and improvements in his vlogging journey.

Takeaways

Medium Matters — The choice between audio and video content impacts how your audience perceives you. Audio content limits judgment to voice and content, while video adds a visual dimension, demanding attention to body language and other visual aspects.

Practice Makes Perfect — Improvement in content creation comes with practice and persistence. Your initial attempts may not be perfect, but experience refines your skills over time.

Embrace Challenges — Stepping into new formats, such as video, challenges your comfort zone and offers opportunities for growth in personal and professional presence.

Resources

Sage Presence — Empowering people to communicate their value in all the venues of today’s world.

Vlog with Pete Machalek and his partners.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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