Category: Life That Matters

tweets, xkcd comics, dreams and sticking to your guns

Carl Setzer

As I expect you all know, early in 2020 I returned to school to study web application development (head here if you need an update). I’m not the youngest student. However, I’m not the oldest, either. I have had a few people mention that, as I’m older, I don’t have as much to offer the world and that I’m keeping the space from those who will contribute more. Bah! I have a lot to offer. I bring a lot to my classes, to my fellow students, and will bring a lot to wherever I land, career-wise, next.

First thing this morning I came across this tweet:

Motivates me hard! Who knows? Maybe I’ll go after a master’s (not sure I want to do a PhD…though, in my heart-of-hearts, I want to know EVERYTHING about computers).

This comic from xkcd gave me pause, too.

xkcd - Dreams

Ultimately, I need to believe in myself, in what I bring, in what I know. Don’t hold back! I’m investing far too much time and energy to be timid about all that.

Ah, to live a bold life! We’ll see, my friends, we’ll see.

Some reflections on “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work” in the Wall Street Journal

Carl Setzer
Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels

Here are some reflections on “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work” in the Wall Street Journal.

When I saw the headline, my first response was cynicism. It’s easy to label many “leaders” as simple tyrannical micromanagers, unable to release even a little control, no matter how helpful it would be for productivity.  And that’s, as this is the Wall Street Journal, mostly what I expected to see. However, I was pleasantly surprised. What I actually read was a nice blend of viewpoints. This article is a collection of quotes. Just one or two sentences each looking at what these execs have observed, and where they think office culture will be shifting to. Quite a spectrum of thought, really. I came away pondering a couple of notions.

First, direct human interaction holds great value. We gain by working collaboratively. The “rugged individual” is a destructive myth. Yet, as I’ve seen myself the past few months, there’s value in working in isolation, in minimal distraction. We exist in continuums, each of us unique in our blend of traits.

When looking at the wide array of thoughts, it’s helpful to remember we’re all different. “Working From Home” is wonderful for me: I’m an introvert. The quiet of my home office is invigorating. Extroverts are living in hell.

A healthy working life and corporate culture accounts for the full spectrum of human experience. Finding ways to individualize working environments should be part of an effective future work life.

Quote of the Day: Stan Lee

Carl Setzer

I struggle with putting too much stock in the opinions of others. I guess it’s natural to want friends, etc, to support and validate your thoughts. 

However, if you are seeking to do something new and innovative, you will come up against natural human resistance to change. No matter how good an idea, some well-meaning people will challenge it. 

Take their critique, analyze it, then make your own decision. You have to live YOUR life. Ensure that you won’t face regret. 

On the other side of this coin: I seek to ensure I’m not “some idiot”. I don’t want to reflexively crap on the ideas of others. What do I know, anyway? I’ve made many wrong predictions in my life. I’m not clairvoyant!

When I’m asked my opinion on such things, I try to focus on details and on what challenges I perceive. I seek to help clarify and refine a vision, not damage or destroy them. 

I want to help people achieve their goals and dreams, not damage them. “Leave people better than you find them”. 

Life Change Update: July 17, 2020

Carl Setzer

I’m well into the second quarter of my education to become a web application developer. Last quarter I took the first of two graphic design classes, along with a Management class (introduction to Human Resources) and the 100 level Computer Information Systems class. The HR and CIS classes were fine. I learned a lot, and they helped bring me back to speed (it’s been decades since I’ve been a full-time student). However, it was the design class that pushed me hardest. It’s been ages since I studied design. And I value it, so I really want to do good work.

I’ve posted many things I did on my portfolio page. Below are a few I feel the most proud of.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

What makes a good life?

Carl Setzer

This TED Talk was just sent to me: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | Robert Waldinger. I’ve seen this video before and greatly appreciate the insights brought to light.

Here’s the basic framework. Harvard started a study around 80 years ago looking at what makes us happy and healthy in life. Having a study like this last this long is very significant. Dr. Waldinger is the 4th director of this study. It gives us a rare glimpse into positive living, one that hasn’t existed before.

In my youth, I believed, like so others that wealth and fame were the keys to an awesome life. There are many studies showing that a majority of people think the same. Turns out, that’s wrong.

“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier”. Social connection is life-giving, loneliness kills. This isn’t the number of friends, etc, but the quality. Also, living in conflict is destructive. The people who were the most satisfied at age 50 have the best health in their 80s. And good relationships are not only good for our bodies but also our minds. Ultimately, having people in your life that you KNOW have your back, that will be there when the times go bad, this is what will make your life satisfying.

I’m glad to have the benefit of the wisdom from this study without having to have lived a full lifetime, to use this knowledge to make a better life, not simply reflect back. And I want the same for you. Take a few minutes out of your day and go watch this video.

Music’s Place In My Soul

Carl Setzer

Listening to Rufus Du Sol, reminded how much I enjoy electronic music and one of my regrets: when I had the chance to study music formally, I opted not to. Insecurities spoke too loudly, drowning out passion. I loved studying music theory, exploring the way audio elevations interact with each other. Memories of improvisation workshops, and the compliments I received for my commitment to rhythm.

Now, though, my poetry echos my musical tastes. Symmetry, rich harmonies, layers, textures, all blending into something far greater than the sum of the parts.

The difference between music and poetry: in poetry words flow in single streams. Together, yet alone; they can’t interact. Several words flowing together at the same time create a pile of textual vomit. Music allows multiple people singing multiple lines simultaneously with their interaction making them greater. Much the way different colors blend into new colors, different feelings, telling a story with each dab.

I often play with the idea of restarting this path. Of exploring all that can be done with today’s computers, today’s sampling gear, today’s synthesizers. I could create words, sung, standing upon each other, blurring, blending into something greater, into something beyond whatever could be imagined. Words building upon words, interweaving with tones, textures and rhythms, pushing through feelings, ideas, the power of souls intermixing and exploding with something more powerful than any human element could be, do, express on it’s own.

With all this, when I was younger I listened to music deeply, richly. I listened to the chords, the words, exploring what the composer communicates with that interplay. Did the pleasant, kind words take on irony with the minor or diminished chord interwoven? Words stacked with changing chords, showing tension, motion, landing on a major chord, resolution, release.

Then there’s the blending of older music, ancient music, such as Enigma, taking ancient chant, interweaving new tones and auditory textures, creating something linking the ancient with the rising sun, with a newness of being, something that both exists from antiquity and yet is brand new.

Lesson: passions drive live, make it beautiful. Explore them fully, deeply, richly. Humanity needs no more bitter business people, soul’s stripped of joy. No, we need more passion, joy, aliveness.

Bring that into being, my friends.

Here is the song by Rufus Del Sol that got me going. Enjoy!

My Thoughts On Seth Godin’s “I’m Sorry Takes Guts”

Carl Setzer

I greatly appreciate the mind of Seth Godin. Here’s what I read from him today:

“I’m sorry” takes guts

I recently saw two men arguing about who got to use the urinal next.

As a result, neither got what he wanted, and neither could honestly say that his day got better.

The need to win every interaction, the inability to apologize, the short-term over the long-term–this isn’t a sign of strength, it’s a symptom of immaturity and weakness that almost always leads to suboptimal results.

If apologizing engages the network and makes it more likely that we can stay in sync, it pays for itself many times over.

For years, so much of what passes for debate in our culture isn’t, well, debate. So often it’s simply shouting past each other. How many social media posts are titled “My political person just pwned yours”. We don’t value thoughtful discourse, the exchange of ideas, and the basic notion of respect. Right now, we’re about “winning”. And even the illusion of winning gives us a sense of satisfaction. This will not move us forward.

We will never work together, fully, as a society with this model. As long as we value this our divisions will remain. And whatever potential we have will remain unfulfilled.

 

Some Thoughts On Motivation

Carl Setzer

A few months ago I made the decision to live move effectively. I’ve been feeling stuck for some time, with the associated feelings of powerlessness and frustration. I’m not a fan. 

I’ve understood for decades the power of the mind. That we can actively, proactively engage our thoughts and change the way we interact with the world. And that doing so is powerful and game-changing. 

I was stuck in some old frustrations: regret, guilt, getting overwhelmed with all the potentials. All come from fear. All weren’t rationale. All held me back. And I got sick of it. 

I’ve also known that what I feed my mind impacts my energy, my focus and my drive. I’m now shifting what I put into my head. What I watch, listen to. 

I’m reading more. Such works as Good To Great, The Power of Habit, The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Every day I want to grow. Every day I want to be better when I go to bed than I was when I woke up. 

I’m starting my day with a focus on motivation, on positive energy. This week, I’m opting for motivational videos (the one below is what I watched today). It does feel a bit silly right now, even with all I’ve studied showing the truth to doing this. When I get past the notions of “what others might think”, though, I feel better. The day feels lighter, and have more energy. It’s easier to say “no” to the things that hold me back. 

The funniest part in all this: “what other’s might think” has done nothing for me. It adds nothing to my life. And, really, in the end, what have I to loose? 

One day at a time. One action at a time. Each moment, each step, each day moves me forward. And that’s where I want to be. 

You going to join me there? 

https://youtu.be/vPMQdVdR0gw