Category: Thinking Clearly

Restoring Past Versions (Of Ourselves)

Published on October 15, 2023

“How can I remove 3,000+ infected files from my websites?”

…Has been the focal point of my thinking over the past two days.

The options that I keep rotating between are:

Option 1: Hire a web developer.
Option 2: $199 to clean each website then $249 to protect each for the next year.
Option 3: Learn how to remove malware myself.

…None of the options looked good. And the longer my websites were down, the greater the penalty would end up being.

Until it occurred to me… reinstall the backup.

Rather than try to remove each and every line of infected code… or hiring someone else to do it… I could simply reinstall a backup version of my website from a week or two ago with the hopes of it being a pre-malware infected version.

…And let the overlay of the fresh code wipe out the malware altogether.

Which isn’t only a solid strategy for malware infected websites… but, for malware infected minds, too.

Hear me out…

What if, instead of focusing the majority of your thinking on the 3,000+ problems in your life (mind)… what if you simply found a way to revert yourself to a point in time when those problems didn’t exist?

What if you focused all of your time/energy/attention on doing what you used to do when you were feeling your happiest? On reconnecting with the people who made you feel your best? On engaging back into the communities where you felt your most seen and heard?

What if… instead of obsessing on the problem… you tried obsessing on possible solutions and doing more of what you remember giving you solutions in the past?

Letting Go After Doing Everything You Can

Published on October 14, 2023

I found out today (October 14) that both of my websites: MoveMe Quotes and My Blog were infected with Malware.

And not just a little bit of malware… but, 3,000 compromised files worth of malware.

This is not even two weeks after my websites were down for other reasons I shared.

And I’m frustrated.

And I have anxiety about all of the content that’s at risk that could be lost.

And, maybe worst of all, I feel helpless.

…When it rains, it pours, eh?

But, I’ve done all that I can do. My web developers are on it. I have an appointment set up with a specialist on Monday (October 16). And all I can do now is wait.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation recently. One where there was plenty to worry about, but nothing more that could be done about it.

And while we could allow the frustration to flourish, the anxiety to continue to brew, and the helplessness to continue to fester in our minds…

…What these situations could also be are opportunities to practice letting go.

And practice filling ourselves up with gratitude that we have something (someone) worth feeling this way about. And meditate on ways we can better prepare ourselves moving forward—because this sure won’t be the last time something like this happens, eh?

And to be clear, this isn’t empty “positive thinking” and this isn’t head-in-the-sand avoidance.

…This is how we flex our resiliency muscles.

…This is how we keep moving forward in life rather than mentally dragging ourselves to an intolerable standstill.

…This, my friends, is Grade-A strategy.

Skipping Thinking

Published on October 5, 2023

Thoughts that we try to remember end up throttling our brains—like a skipping record that’s stuck playing the same beat.

Here’s how I imagine it going down:

Average thought
Average thought
Average thought
Average thought
Average thought
GREAT IDEA
REMEMBER
REMEMBER
Aver—REMEMBER
Averag—REMEMBER
Avera—REMEMBER
Ave—REMEMBER
GRE—REMEMBER

Essentially all further thoughts get halted as our brains try and remember the one.

We need to write down/record the random thoughts/creative ideas we have so as to free up our minds for smooth, continued thinking.

The more we try to remember, the fewer total ideas we’ll have.

And the fewer ideas we have, the lower the chances we’ll come across (allow) our best ones.

P.s. I use the notes app on my phone for this. It’s simple and easy. Don’t complicate this. You just need an easily accessible place where you can brain dump on the fly.

Curveballs Never Come At Good Times

Published on October 3, 2023

…And without missing a beat, life throws a curveball my way two days after the launch of my new guide and breaks my website.

Hopefully it’s fixed by the time you read this, but when you click on that above link, at the time of this writing, you get the dreaded “404 error message.” And not only on that page… but on EVERY PAGE OF MY WEBSITE (except the homepage).

Which means, of course, that everybody who tries to “Learn More” about the guide from all of the sharing I’ve done, will be met with a 404 error page instead.

…And then likely click away and forget about it altogether.

Not to mention all the people who were hoping to read one of my blogs, collected quotes, or short stories who will be met with the same.

And it is in this state of frustration that I am reminded of two timeless lessons:

(1) Expect curveballs — especially when you least want them. That way, if they don’t come, it’ll be cause for celebration! And if they do, well… you were expecting them

(2) Relax — I did what I could do. I contacted my IT team. They got to work on it. And they’re going to send me updates. There’s nothing else I can do (short of learn the entire inner workings of a website and try to fix this issue myself—a task requiring hundreds if not thousands of hours of learning). And while updates every 12-24 hours sounds awfully long, it pales in comparison to that alternative.

Curveballs never come at good times.

But, it’s always a good time to practice adjusting to the curveballs that are thrown.

Grand Champion Class

Published on October 2, 2023

“That was probably the worst kata I have ever done.”

…Was said by the martial arts competitor who won the grand champion division at a tournament I attended this past weekend.

Now, for those who don’t know, kata is a pattern of moves that are performed in martial arts as a means to practice self-defense without needing a partner.

And the grand champion division takes the winners from several different divisions and has them compete against each other to determine a “winner of the winners.”

What’s more about the above line is that this competitor said it after he found out he won.

While it may very well be true that from his perspective it was the “worst” kata he had ever done, I (and several other competitors) found it to be quite distasteful. What he was saying, essentially, was even his worst kata was better than everybody else’s best katas.

To which I say: keep it classy.

Be humble—in victory and defeat.

Keep comments that demean others (whether directly or indirectly) to yourself. And be grateful for your talents, opportunities, and surrounding competitors. You won’t always be in the position you’re in. And when you no longer are—it’s only a matter of time—people might not remember that specific tournament…

…But, they’ll always remember how you made them feel.

And making people feel like crap isn’t a good strategy for any worthwhile means or end.

P.s. If you share my new guide on any social platform, I’ll send you the first three meditations free! Just reply to this email and let me know you did it. Thanks in advance!

Leashing Your Mind

Published on September 29, 2023

When I take my dog for a walk, I follow a premeditated path and she follows the pulls of the leash.

My dog without her leash is like my mind without focus—ready to wander, deviate, explore, circle, double back—all aimlessly—and in whichever direction the circumstances pull.

The leash I use with her is a tool that keeps her on track, just like my noise cancelling headphones, silent mode on my phone, and a block of uninterrupted time—are all tools that help keep my mind focused and following a premeditated train of thought.

Walk your (untrained) dog without a leash and good luck following any kind of premeditated path. Walk your dog on too tight of a leash and neither of you will have a very good time.

Somewhere in the middle—where there’s a modestly sized leash and a patient demeanor—lies an ideal experience for both dog and walker that covers the premeditated ground while also leaving space for mini-explorations and imaginative deviations along the way.

P.s. The Art of Forward: Consistency > Intensity drops TOMORROW! You guys will be the first to see. Thanks for your ongoing support and readership. I hope you love it :)

Complete Tasks Completely

Published on September 28, 2023

Some tasks build competence and some build character.

Clearly distinguishing which type of task you’re in helps tremendously in the doing of the task completely.

The problem I see too often is character building tasks are resented, rushed through, outsourced, automated, or just plain ignored. And competence building tasks are done half-assedly—with distractions galore, via accelerated means (2x playback speed), and in hopes of becoming a master minus the hours.

It’s a whole bunch of tasks being done minus the deliberate which equals… wasted time.

…When all that’s needed is a little extra attention to reap full benefits from (and this is the key) the things you’re already doing.

This is why it can feel like what you’re doing isn’t enough… because you’re not present enough; why you can feel unproductive even when you’re busy as ever… because you’re not fully doing any of your tasks; why you can feel stagnant even when you’re checking off all the items on your “supposed to-do lists…” because growth comes from the deliberate that’s missing when you’re hurrying.

The trick isn’t in the realigning of everything in your day… it’s in the realigning of the how you’re doing what you’re already doing in your day.

When you’re doing a character building task like washing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning up trash… be there. Don’t rush; do the work slowly. Don’t think about finishing; flex that self-discipline muscle and focus on correctly.

When you’re doing a competence building task like studying, training, or practicing… be there. Don’t try to expedite the process; take your time. Don’t hurry; do it deliberately. Try to truly absorb the material and flex that patience muscle.

Complete tasks completely.