Mid Sized Archives · Matt Hogan's Blog

New, Better Ideas

Published on July 1, 2021

New and better doesn’t come until there’s room.

If our minds are filled with old, redundant ideas then maybe it’s time to clear some space.

How?

Write more of your ideas down. Even (especially) the old, redundant ones.

The key here is that remembering takes up thinking space, thus consuming the exact space you need to generate new, better ideas.

Furthermore, it’s often the case that ideas piggyback on each other.

So, whatever time you spend trying to remember initial ideas, is in turn stifling the ideas that want to piggyback off those initial ideas.

Don’t rely on memory.

In paper and pens; thumbs and screens—we must trust.

Keep your headspace clean and clear and ready for whatever you might think of next.

Like a dresser filled with old clothes, you have to let go of the old in order to make room for the new. If you feel like you have no time or space to do new things—things of interest to you—maybe it’s because your dressers are full.

This doesn’t mean you need to be done with something just because it’s old. Just that you should carefully inspect everything old—as you would if you were clearing out your belongings.

But, don’t let your possessive side take over.

That shirt you haven’t worn in over a year? It’s probably time to part ways.
Those jeans you had forgotten all about? Obviously weren’t missed when they were gone.
Your favorite button-up that you haven’t worn since it got stained? Yup, time to move on.

Being possessive is instinctual. We want to hold on closely to all that we’ve acquired. But, the more we hold on to, the more we become held down. The more we stuff our drawers will the old, the less space we’ll have for anything new. And the more stubborn we are with our current lifestyle, the harder it will be to upgrade to any kind of a new one.

Close The Loop

Published on June 29, 2021

Satisfied people are far more thoughtful than unsatisfied people.

Worth pointing out: by thoughtful I mean someone who has shown careful consideration or attention.

What I don’t mean: someone who gets overwhelmed with impeding thoughts.

The benefit of being thoughtful up front, is that once you’ve paid the appropriate dues (in careful consideration or attention), then the thought becomes a closed loop.

In other words, once you understand what satisfies a person (you), you can be done thinking about it.

Otherwise, if you don’t know, only think you know, or outsource your thinking (to others who don’t know, only think they know or, even worse, to multi-million dollar media brainwashing campaigns)—the loop will stay open. And unsatisfied will remain the reality.

If you’re unsatisfied, rather than chasing forever fleeting desires, maybe spend more time in careful, reflective, reasoned thought.

Close the loop.

Not All Battles Are Fought With Fists

Published on June 26, 2021

“Last week, a kid rode beside me while I ran, yelling ”Chinatown!” Today, a 2nd one rode by and spat on me. I’m shocked because they were with their parents, who didn’t say anything. I’m even more ashamed because I didn’t either. One day, I hope to be courageous enough to.”
Aletheia Délivré, Twitter

Courage isn’t cursing the kids who act disgustingly.

Courage isn’t forcing lessons down kids’ throats whose parents could care less.

Courage isn’t on-demand TED Talks on why you shouldn’t spit on others or use derogatory language.

Courage is far more versatile than that.

Courage is breaking the cycle of hate and deploying actions of love.

Courage is careful reflection and the igniting of hard-to-have conversations.

Courage is transforming the pain of life into something that can be gifted to others.

Let’s not pigeonhole courage into a one-size-fits-all box.

Each of us should fight our battles utilizing the unique strengths that have been gifted to us.

Writing is how I fight mine. And I suspect Aletheia’s tweet sent out more waves of support and acceptance than anything she could’ve said or done in the heat of those above mentioned, disgusting moments.

Nothing can be said to the ears of those who don’t want to hear.

But, to the ears that do?

When the right message makes its way to the ocean of ears who do care, are willing to support a just cause, and have the conviction to unite and fight?

The result may very well match the might of the ocean herself.

And to you, Aletheia, who did absolutely nothing wrong, hold your head up high and keep fighting the good fight. You have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to look forward to. You’ll become better from this. And so, too, will the world.

Hope Is Not A Strategy

Published on June 25, 2021

Hope is not a strategy.

“Hopefully, I’ll wake up on time.”
“Hopefully, I won’t get too busy.”
“Hopefully, I’ll do better tomorrow.”

Strategy is action-oriented.

“Here’s how I’m going to wake up on time.”
“Here’s how I’ll manage my tasks.”
“Here’s how I’ll do better.”

Hoping for change is about as helpful as praying for luck—it isn’t strategy, it’s lazy.

Even if change did happen luckily, wouldn’t you prefer to be the cause of change in your life? Rather than supernatural forces and serendipity doing the work for you?

The most successful among us don’t rely on hope or luck, they act. Will you?

Where Best Moments Come

Published on June 21, 2021

I find that the best moments often closely follow the worst ones.

The moments of compassion that closely follow pain.
The moments of gratitude that closely follow grieving.
The moments of redemption that closely follow injustice.
The moments of decision that closely follow breaking points.
The moments of vulnerability that closely follow heated arguments.
The moments of presence that closely follow run ins with death.

If you find yourself in some of your worst moments, hang on. Allow the depth of the experience to move through you. Let it deepen your roots into the ground.

Remember that, eventually, your worst moments will be no more. They will pass as all moments do—best and worst alike. And, more solid into the ground, you will be able to reach higher into the sky than ever before.

How do I know this? Because it’s how great heights are only ever reached. Not in spite of the worst moments—as a result of them. Not without deepened roots—precisely because of them.

Who Brings Out The Best/Worst In You?

Published on June 18, 2021

Question #1: Who brings out the best in you?
Question #2: Who brings out the worst in you?

And now for my real question: Is it really ever anyone but you?

In other words, sure, it’s easy to think that the best people will bring out the best in you and the worst people will bring out the worst in you. But, what comes out from you shouldn’t ever be dependent on them.

What comes out from you should solely be dependent on you.

Everybody should get your best. Not because they deserve it or have earned it—maybe they haven’t. But, because regardless of who you’re surrounded with, even the worst, nobody has the right to control your state of mind.

Life is too short to spend even one minute (that’s sixty seconds we’ll never get back) in your worst state.

And that’s not all—it perpetuates. Their worst state becomes your worst state which likely will become someone else’s worst state. We have to become the alchemists of our minds. We must learn to convert anger to patience; frustration to perseverance; pain to creativity. We must choose to break the cycle.

Otherwise, we might as well pass over the quality of our life to the people nearest to us throughout our days. And hope for the best.

Tag: Mid Sized