You Can Unfollow Me

I don’t think people feel better after looking at any of their social media feeds.  If you’re in a band, you’re probably following other bands, you see what they’re up to and wonder why they got those opportunities and you didn’t. It’s infuriating. Insert your passion/interest into the band scenario. 

Really the only thing that would make for a satisfactory scrolling of the feeds would be seeing everyone posting that they are just sitting on their couch, bored, boring and depressed.  Then I would be satisfied.  Then I would feel interesting and superior.

Let’s be honest, there’s even people that you really enjoy in real life that drive you up the wall when it comes to Instagram. Right?

So I’m going to give you (and me) a free pass this year.  Any friend, band, organization, family member, neighbor that triggers resentment, depression or envy…don’t follow them anymore. 

You don’t have time this year.

And it will give freedom to both sides.

Give yourself some credit, you probably get along with those people just fine in REAL LIFE, so why let their online billboard persuade you differently.

When I think about the best days and moments of 2014 and what I hope for 2015, none of them involve scrolling friends/bands/companies social media.  There’s just not much life there.

Stop being addicted to the emotional pops of jealousy that we’ve all come to secretly love every day.

Do it differently this year. Or, here’s a thought: for every friend who pisses you off on social media, ask them over for dinner.  You have more grace, understanding and kindness in you than you might think (and more than the internet wants you to believe).

Write It Down

By the close of business on Sunday, do one thing. Write something down. A list of goals with an attached timeline.  Write it down with a real pen on real paper.

There’s a difference when it’s your own hand writing verses Times New Roman font.  Dig up a pen and find an old notebook.

Writing it down will make you more likely to do it. It’s a fact. There are books, lecture series, classes, articles, websites and sermons (and blog posts) dedicated to this one idea.  So save yourself having to hear, see, read one or all of those and just write down a list.  

If you feel like you need more guidance than this you’re already losing the plot and probably won’t do it anyway.

If you already write things down at the beginning of the year, then you probably don’t need me to encourage you. You already know the high value of this practice.

But for those who needed a slight push into this exercise, consider this the shove-off.

Happy 2015.

Opportunities Are Like Appetites

Everyone’s always freaking out about opportunities.  I hope I don’t miss one.  How did she get that one?  What if I ruin this one? How do it get a bigger one? And the scariest one of all…when are the opportunities going to run out?

I have good news.  They’re not going to run out.  

Just like appetites.  When you ruin one or miss one, there’s another one coming right around the corner in three or three and a half hours.  Every time.

So you’re free to eat a cinnamon roll at 4pm, ruining your dinner.  Another appetite will come right when you’re good and ready. No sooner. Right on time.  And you’ll have another opportunity to make the best of it.

This short bit by Jerry Seinfeld is one of my favorites.

One Kind Of Person, And Another

There’s one kind of person who will watch a football game
Another kind who watches the same game a second time

There’s one kind of person who spends a little more than the gift card amount
Another kind who spends a tiny bit less

Theres one kind of person who enjoys ketchup
Another kind who enjoys it even when it’s green

There’s one kind of person who buys a faux leather jacket
Another kind who buys a real leather jacket

There’s one kind of person who enjoys a cup of coffee
Another kind who pays attention to the roast date and elevation of the bean

There’s one kind of person who will watch Seinfeld reruns all night
Another kind who will pay top dollar to see Jerry live

There’s one kind of person who wouldn’t turn off your music if it came on
Another kind who will choose to listen to your music on purpose

There’s one kind of person who will choose to listen to your music
Another kind who wants to see you play it live

There’s one kind of person who will come to your show
Another kind of person who wants to talk to you afterwards

There’s one kind of person who will listen for free on Spotify/YouTube
Another kind who steals/downloads music for free

There’s one kind of person who thinks they have the best phone
Another kind of person who believes they have the best phone

There’s one kind of person who will listen to the Serial podcast
Another kind who will host a listening/debate party

Each one of these groups displays a distinct type of lifestyle, trust and loyalty.  Each one of these is a fine type to be.

What type of people gravitate to your song/product/picture/event?  What type don’t?  Find answers to both of these questions, not one or the other.

Christmas and New Year's Part 2

Yesterday I didn’t have possible answers to the question yesterday’s blog brought up: what do we do with (or call) this time between Christmas and New Year’s (Dec 26-31).  As there seems to be a desire for it to be SOMETHING.

I’ll throw out a few I’ve been thinking of today:

The State Holiday- it becomes the norm to go visit a new city in the state you live in.  Hotel rates are reduced for in-state people, restaurants have food and drink specials, there’s large social gatherings downtown and maybe even a brief history lesson given by the mayor about that particular city.  

Blah blah blah, don’t tell me how it won’t work. Tell me how it could work.

The Phone Calls with Friends- everyone makes a list of six people they love, but have failed to get to know better during the previous year.  Call one per day, one hour each, that’s the minimum.  How is this not a good idea anyway?

Around The World In Six Days- in your family or friend group, choose six different countries from around the world and dive into and celebrate their culture.  Food, drink, norms, rituals, clothing, the whole thing, go for it. One country for each day.

Would you take the lead on one of these? Or a different idea? If making videos of dumping ice and water on your head can take over the universe, I think a great idea that identifies December 26-31 has a chance.

The Time Between Christmas And New Year's

More than any other year in the past, I’ve been hearing a lot of people talk this year about the time in between Christmas and the New Year.  Some people have said it feels like a week long Sunday, some people want to work, some don’t.  But people are commenting on it.  People have been chirping.

There seems to be confusion with what to do with this time.  Maybe confusion isn’t the right word, but there is a desire for this time to BE something. To be called something. For it to have a designated purpose.

In general we give gifts on Christmas and dance on New Years.  What do we do in between?  Could there be some type of week long celebration?  Do we have the attention span? Is America capable of celebrating for an entire week?  

There used to be lots of multi-day celebrations.  But now we just build it up for two months and blow it out in one day.  Then we zombie walk around for a week before smooching into the new year.

There’s an opportunity here for some great idea to take off. An idea filled with joy and appreciation.  I think people are ready and asking for it. I’m not sure what the idea is.  Haven’t given it too much thought.  But I see an opening for something new and great.

What do you think?