And just like that, 1/12th of 2022 is complete and we’re moving forward at light speed. I’ve been transitioning, re-settling, and recalibrating on several levels in an attempt to find a new normalcy. I’m back in Austin, away from the hustle-bustle of NYC, and everything’s been weird. I know many of you are also in “changes of states” and find yourselves in limbos but I hope you have found some pace and normalcy in this first month of 2022.
i’m feeling lucky
New month means new playlist! This is easily my fav part of every month, and I think this collection of tunes is perfect to keep the energy flowing for February. Happy listening, and send me your thoughts!
[Archive playlist can be found here]
think logically, not sentimentally
We make so many decisions literally every second of our lives. Even during the simple act of making breakfast, you could decide between 3 cereals, pick a big bowl or a small bowl, 1% milk or almond milk, milk first or cereal first, eat in the kitchen or in bed, 2 servings or 4? Decision after decision after decision, we are vexxed with too many options. I think some of us end up being “Chidis” and can’t pick anything. But more importantly, we NEED to make these decisions in order to keep our days moving. Most of the time, small decisions are built into our muscle memory and we don’t think twice about it. We pick the right cereal, the right bowl, the right milk, the right room amd it all just snaps into place. But what about the decisions that take too long?
Recently, I’ve found myself very frustrated when I’m not able to make a decision quickly. Since time is realistically one of the most valuable resources, we need to eliminate simple stupid decisions from our wasted time quota. I think a solid way to approach this is to “think logically, not sentimentally”. This phrase is pretty self-explanatory and is partly synonymous with phrases like “it’s not that deep” and “just do it”. The point is to leave the sentiment and emotion out of certain decisions. Approach more of your world with logic and simplicity will follow.
Here’s a bad example: I have this one fork that I really love. It’s the perfect weight and size, and I prefer to use that whenever I can. But when that fork has already been used and I have 9 other forks in my drawer, it makes no sense for me to wash that specific fork again just so I can use it for lunch. It’s a waste of my time and it’s just not logical, especially when I have other forks in my drawer.
I feel hypocritical writing this passage because so many of my decisions are made from the heart. But I’m quickly learning to shift those decisions to my head and use my heart for other things… like pumping blood. The more we can automate our own decisions and build strength in our decision making, the more efficient we become. We can devote more time to creative thinking, mindless playing, and productive doing.
document, document, document
Like I said earlier, it’s been a transitionary month for me. One thing that comes along with transition is a shift in mindset, emotion and memory. We start to make new memories as we turn a page in our lives and we often forget registered emotions of the past. A simple example is seen in our material purchases; we buy a pair of boots because we love them and we want to wear them, but soon after that, we may turn the emotion card and never wear those boots ever again. And they’ll sit in the back of the closet for months before we throw them out. When we do throw them out, we question “Man, why did I ever buy these? They’re ugly!” This, my friends, is why I recommend you document.
The example of the boots is simply material and doesn’t apply to deeper, emotional segments or memories in our lives; but the task at hand is the same. We cherish certain times and events and happenings so deeply in the moment. We also hate and despise so strongly at times, often more than we love and adore. It’s so so important to document these emotions and how they are assigned to certain doings and happenings and things. It allows us to remember times how they were and not how they are. This note is not necessarily in an attempt to dwell on the past and encourage nostalgia, but rather to prove accuracy of emotion. When I remember my time in New York, I sometimes over-romanticize or overly jade those memories when I don’t have good documentation of them. Maybe I forgot to take photos or write something down and then my memory of a certain day becomes a long-strung game of telephone that loses accuracy over time. Documentation doesn’t have to be robotic or methodical, as that would be unnatural and contrary to memory-recollection. Rather it can be a simple photo of the sky, or of your dirty shoes at the end of a good day. Documentation can be keeping a notebook full of silly quotes and happenings throughout a month of travel. You can even keep a shoebox full of parking tickets, concert wristbands and lucky pennies. Documentation just allows us to associate memory with emotion in the most accurate form, much like a newspaper cements the day’s happening in writing.
And don’t just document the good stuff. Document everything. Capture all the highs and lows because that is the most accurate form of the past. You will look back in 5/10/20/40 years and cherish the documentation, and appreciate that you even took the time to remember that certain day, even if it was a day that you lost someone special. And then you can look even further and recall their brightest moments with you and their beautiful impacts on your life.
And be sure to keep these documents safe! Download Dropbox today for as little as $5.99 a month and kee- Shit, sorry, almost got carried away with a sponsorship ad there.
Go live your fullest life and document all of it.
So What?
I’ve been doing these newsletters for nearly a year now. It’s been really fun! I enjoy writing and thinking about the quirkiness of simpler things in life. However, at times I find myself asking “So what?” I wonder if people really relish these newsletters and if anyone appreciates them. To be honest, I don’t care. I don’t mean that in a callous way, but rather I want these newsletters to have some meaning and value to someone other than me. It brings me joy as is and I hope it brings some of you joy. I don’t advertise this as loudly as I do my photography or any of my other work because it’s meant to be intimate and subtle. But I do hope some of you find value and appreciate these. If you do feel so inclined, leave a comment or text me your thoughts. Maybe send me a song or an article that you found interesting.
link dump
Most Popular Recipes of January 2022
A very innovative photography project
What the heck is the The Great Resignation
A link that takes you to a better link dump
Also what the heck is Web3
One month down, eleven more to go. Foot on the gas for the next month, we’re all going to be mentally stable, happy and productive! Excited for cold Austin weather and new creative projects. As always, send me your thoughts and opinions from this month’s newsletter. And tap into the playlist if you need a soundtrack for the next month.
Nicely written Rish, I really loved the "think logically and not sentimentally" and the transition you are making. I love the thought of Document document document to be reviewed later in a completely different context... loved some of your link dumps. You seem to have jumped across such a wide array of subjects in this edition...
Very nice, Rish.