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    “The distractions of the digital age hack the vulnerabilities of our psychology. They give us little microbursts of dopamine that feel good in the moment, but amount to very little in the grand scheme of things.”

    Mark Manson, Blog

    On Social Media: “What If My Posts Are Causing Other People Pain? When Should I Share and When Shouldn’t I Share?”

      “Social media is still an energy exchange… in case you were wondering why you’re exhausted all of the time.”

      Unknown

      Beyond the Quote (245/365)

      When it comes to social media, what do we do if what we post causes other people pain? Assuming that’s not the intention, I find this to be a very valid concern when one of the main criticisms of social media use is the pain it can cause. The pain in seeing others in seemingly happy relationships. The pain in seeing people post exotic pictures from across the globe when you’re stuck at home. The pain in seeing distorted perceptions of beauty and then comparing it to yourself. The pain in seeing other people hit milestones that you haven’t even set as goals for yourself. The pain that comes from comparing highlight reels to your “normal” reels. Not wanting to contribute to any of that, the question that I find constantly stirring in my mind is, what moments to share and what moments to keep to myself?

      Read More »On Social Media: “What If My Posts Are Causing Other People Pain? When Should I Share and When Shouldn’t I Share?”

      Epictetus Quote on Prioritizing What’s Important

        “If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters.”

        Epictetus, via Stillness is the Key (Page 31)

        Beyond the Quote (100/365)

        In a world of 24/7 news coverage across hundreds of thousands of news coverage sources, it’s impossible to consume everything that is being broadcasted—it’s never ending.  And because it’s always a race between news coverage organizations to be the first to broadcast, so much of what’s shown is speculative, shallow, incomplete, and, well, excessive.  If you always want to know everything that’s going on in the world at all times, then turn on the news and scroll through your never ending social media timelines for every waking minute of your day.  The crazy part is that you will be able to do it. 

        Read More »Epictetus Quote on Prioritizing What’s Important

          “Social media is a playground for our insecurities and self-pity.  It not only makes us feel like we’re not enough, but it chips away at our confidence, encouraging us to lash out in uninspiring ways.  I don’t want to feel insignificant in comparison to others, and I don’t want to belittle others to make myself feel better, so I took responsibility to reduce how often I expose myself to those triggers, which are highly addictive.” ~ Humble the Poet, Things No One Else Can Teach Us (Page 225)

          Humble the Poet Quote on Reducing Social Media Usage

            “Reducing my social media usage has made me more aware of how addicted I was to the micro-gratification it gave me, and it has reduced the number of times I beat up on myself.  I was no longer falling into the rabbit hole of other people’s carefully curated presentations of their lives and then comparing those presentations to the whole of myself—at least not as much as I was doing that before.  And I instantly started feeling better.”

            Humble the Poet, Things No One Else Can Teach Us (Page 225)

            Beyond the Quote (86/365)

            One tip that has helped me reduce my social media consumption was making it a rule that before I could consume, I had to produce.  In other words, before I allowed myself to look at any of my social media timelines or feeds, I had to produce content for those feeds, first.  This idea has forced me to engage and actively participate in the ongoing conversations rather than just passively and mindlessly consume them.  Furthermore, by not scrolling as frequently on never-ending timelines, I have been able to focus more on myself and the tasks of my day rather than others and the undertakings of their days.

            Read More »Humble the Poet Quote on Reducing Social Media Usage

            Steve Jobs Quote on Focus and Working Hard To Keep Thinking Clean

              “That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

              Steve Jobs

              Beyond the Quote (41/365) Part 1: On Focus

              The ability to focus, or more clearly stated, the ability to block out distractions—especially in today’s world—is absolutely critical in producing the best work of your life.  Think about it.  Distractions are the things that take your attention elsewhere—away from what it should be/ could be doing.  And when your attention is over there, it’s certainly not over here—focused on the deep, thoughtful work that requires long chains of uninterrupted time for thought, flow, play, introspection, and execution.  And the more that your attention ends up over there in distraction, either deliberately or unexpectedly, the work you could be doing over here gets sidetracked and lost.

              Read More »Steve Jobs Quote on Focus and Working Hard To Keep Thinking Clean

                “We all waste so much time doing meaningless bullsh*t.  We burn hours on social media and watching television, which by the end of the year would add up to entire days and weeks if you tabulated time like you do your taxes.  You should, because if you knew the truth you’d deactivate your Facebook account STAT, and cut your cable.  When you find yourself having frivolous conversations or becoming ensnared in activities that don’t better you in any way, move the f*ck on!” ~ David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me

                  “I don’t care how many friends you have on facebook or how many followers you have on twitter. Those are not actual friends or truly followers. I care about how many people will miss you if you’re not back here again tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception