sprezzatura.

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: ‘In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.’ I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.

(Author: Cindy Gallop)

First and foremost, I like to think that I’m a bit of a futurist. I believe in all the possibilities that pretty much have no clear destination. When asked to explain what these possibilities add up to in my future, it’s like asking about the one place I’d like to see before I die. What do you mean, one place?

So, here’s how I predict my future to be. I’d like to spend a few years traveling. I know, I know. You and everyone else! But here’s the thing. I’d like to see the world and work at the same time. I’d like to volunteer in my spare time too, domestically or abroad, wherever I’m of the most use.

Technology makes it easy to work remotely.  I’ll be writing, recording, and contributing to various sites and publications with one book finished by then — and hopefully working on another. I’d like to do consulting work for companies by developing their business and new media strategy, both here and abroad. I’d like to explore ways for bringing digital tools to other countries and bringing bits of their culture to everyone else. I still have a dream to host a radio/internet video show – maybe traveling can play into it somehow.

When I return from traveling, I’d like to spend some time on the east coast. Maybe somewhere in or near  NYC or Boston. Here, the focus will shift to promoting the digital arts while continuing consulting and project-based work. At some point, maybe I’ll go back to school for my PhD. I know that at some point later in life, I’d like to teach.

What can I do to get there now? Well, I need more resources for travel. I also need to hone my skills and finish my first book. That’s the realistic way I think about it now…but maybe there’s another.

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When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name;—— the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can you remember a moment in your life when you had life in yourself and it was wholly strange and new? Can you remember the moment when you stopped walking a path of someone else, and started cutting your own?

Write about that moment. And if you haven’t experienced it yet, let the miracle play out in your mind’s eye and write about that moment in your future.

(Author: Bridget Pilloud)

I attended a dinner party not too long ago with some incredibly interesting folks in attendance. Every single person at the table could be credited for doing something original and creative. One guy was pushing for a defined arts agenda within the U.S. government, someone else was a nonprofit ninja and another was an accomplished author. All of these folks were original and renegade thinkers who trailblazed a path to somehow make an impact.

It got me thinking about how the great thinkers and doers of the world are completely submerged within their own independent way of thought. Because of this, they’re considered to be rebels, even outsiders, to the rest of the world.

I felt some kind of validation in this discovery. Growing up, I always felt like an outsider, even an outcast. I always thought there was something wrong with me for not thinking or communicating the way those around me did. I often felt frustrated when I didn’t fit in.

On this night, I found myself feeling completely renewed, because I realized that this whole “being a misfit” thing is not a bad thing at all. In fact, it’s the opposite.  I don’t need to fit in. I should stay exactly the way I am  - perhaps become even more eccentric – in order to find my own path and do something new.

Because those who don’t fit in are more likely to subscribe to their own philosophy. And those folks are more open to the possibilities of doing something great.

Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.

(Author: Colin Wright)

I’d like to write a book. I feel pieces of it coming together now, and I’d like to continue on as someone who can readily write essays about music, technology, lifestyle, and even fiction. I think the action steps I need to take to fulfill this goal lie within the pages of this blog. I have some documents stored away that include short essays, outlines, and random notes, but this is the true sandbox.

Read more of my daily responses
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