June Meditations

Thoughts to ponder and act on this month

Photo by Carl Tronders on Unsplash

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1.

Everything is training. Doomscrolling. The compromises you accept—at work, in relationships. Things aren’t just happening; every experience is shaping us to become people who are in a certain way.

What you are doing now, what is happening in your life right now, what is it shaping you into? Do you want to become that person?

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2.

Sometimes, I revisit music that I loved in, say, my high school years. A really good song may not have tens of millions of views on YouTube. There simply weren’t as many listeners then as there are today. (I’m especially referring to consumption over online platforms.)

There will be more consumers for your work ten years from now than there are today, but you won’t benefit from this if you don’t keep creating.

Despite everything—and I am especially qualified to tell you this, given the life that I’ve lived—life generally gets better. Don’t be lied to; don’t give up on your future.

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3.

Regular readers of my writing know that I place a very specific emphasis on dreams. I dedicated an entire chapter in The Practice of Living to this subject, and many who’ve read the book have loved it.

I cherish dreams because they are a thing nobody can take from you. You can dream, regardless of what you were born into, where you are in the world right now, or where you are in your life’s journey.

And if you execute diligently and consistently, you can actually create the world you dream of.

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4.

There are no socialists in poor countries. Everyone can see there’s nothing to redistribute. Only people in rich countries flirt with this economic distraction, and for a simple and predictable reason: there’s wealth to fixate on in the first place.

We must discuss reforming capitalism, especially, uplifting those being left behind. Socialism, however, only fools those living in countries enjoying plenitude created by capitalism.

In a capitalist society, possibilities and incentives remain. In a socialist system, they are removed, for everyone, and everyone sits by the fireplace, emptying the granary, and cheering on the upcoming poverty of all.

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5.

Speed is an indicator of prioritization and optionality. What we want, what we really need to happen, we do immediately. What we don’t want, when we have options, we do other things first.

A job that you keep saying “I’ll apply,” the partner who won’t commit, a delayed response from someone you want to collaborate with, etc. How fast we move is an indicator of how much a thing means to us.

This is not about rushing, which just reveals incompetence. It’s about how soon we give an informed yes when presented with an opportunity.

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6.

You can be rich by acquiring more, or by letting go of your desires. Each comes with its set of costs. If you are the type that values more, you suffer the costs of obtaining. If you are the type that caps and eliminates, you bear the costs of going without.

All the whining and wailing are coming from those who are playing a game that isn’t meant for them. Choose your way to riches, and pay your costs happily.

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7.

If you don’t love the person initially, you don’t grow to love them. If you don’t like the job at the start, you won’t grow to like it. All the excuses and justifications eventually start to mean nothing, and what you’ve always known becomes impossible to not see.

The one searching for their path either finds it or at least finds meaning in the search. The person who said yes to what wasn’t aligned dies from the crushing weight of a wasted life.