YESSSSSS !

We got you buddy

Just Do It: Advice for Young Friends

By Bud Koenemund

(Written: January 2014)

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine mentioned she was about to begin her last year as a twenty-something; 30 would be upon her before she knew it. She went on to list 50 things she wants to accomplish in the coming year – many of which involve money and her art (she is a wonderful actress). It is an ambitious list. I wished her luck, and gave her a few words of advice. Since then I’ve been thinking about what I said, and realized I needed to add some more – both for her and for my other young friends, many of whom are artists of one type or another.

If I can give you one piece of advice: DO IT! Do everything on your list! Don’t wait around thinking there will be a better time to start. There won’t be. There is only time, and it goes a lot faster than you realize. Before you know it, you’ll be 30. You’ll go from 30 to 40 in about 10 minutes. And, from 40 to 50 even faster. Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, or Neil deGrasse Tyson might argue with me, but time really does speed up as you get older.

When I was your age, I thought 30 was old, and that I’d never get there. Hell, there were a few days when I was in the Army, I didn’t think I’d make it to 22. Now, I’m 45 and there’s very little I wouldn’t trade to go back to 25 knowing what I know now.

I wish I could make you understand me. I know you don’t. You can’t. This is not an insult. It’s just the way life works. You don’t know what you don’t know until years down the road. I was young. I had plans, and I didn’t want to listen to “old” people. I had all the answers. I know so much more now.

One of the most important things I’ve learned about life is that it doesn’t mean shit. In a hundred years, you’ll be dead, and very little of this will matter. What people think of you now or then won’t mean a damned thing. Sure, you might change the world; bring about peace in the Middle East; cure cancer; win a dozen awards – but it won’t affect how your private life is judged.

Whether you graduated first in your class at Harvard, or at the bottom of a community college; if you’re buttoned-down and conservative, or you get caught running naked through Times Square; even if your ex- posts your “No, Baby, I swear I’m the only one who’ll ever see it” sex tape on-line; it might rate a line or two in your Wikipedia entry, and that’s it. And, if you’re dead – and if everyone you know, and who judged you, is dead too – what will you care?

Too many people in this world give a shit about things that don’t matter a bit, especially other people’s business. I figure, if you’re not hurting someone else, and what you’re doing works for you, fuck what other people think. It took me a long time to develop that attitude.

You have to do what makes you happy. Do it your way, but do it. Sing your song. If people don’t like it, fuck ‘em. You’re on your journey, not theirs. You have to do what you can with the time you’ve got.

But, remember, it’s also important to stop and look at the world around you once in a while, to sit down and relax; take your bearings, and make sure you’re on the right path. I should say, make sure you’re on the right path for you!

It’s OK to be a waitress, or a tire salesman, or a security guard, as long as you’re also working toward what you love. If you have five minutes, sit down and read the trade papers, or scribble down the words banging around in your head.

Wayne Gretzky says, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” That applies to everything in life. 100 percent of the sonnets you don’t submit get rejected. You’re passed over for 100 percent of the parts you don’t audition for. You don’t get 100 percent of the raises you don’t ask for. The worst anybody can say is no.

Now, I’m not saying you’re automatically entitled to anything. This is life. It’s not fair. The world doesn’t owe you shit; not money, not love, not happiness, not success. You have to work for what you want, and keep at it. And, in the end, it may get you nowhere. But, if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll end up nowhere anyway. You pays your dollar, and you takes your chances!

Oh, and one more thing: Don’t spend too much time sitting around, listening to old men – like me – spout off about what you should be doing. There is no instruction book for life, and most people who claim to have things figured out are faking it, just like the rest of us.

To Damascus, years are only moments, decades are only flitting trifles of time. She measures time, not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise, and prosper and crumble to ruin. She is a type of immortality. Damascus has seen all that has ever occurred on earth, and still she lives. She has looked upon the dry bones of a thousand empires, and will see the tombs of a thousand more before she dies. Though another claims the name, old Damascus is by right the Eternal City.

Mark Twain (via mideastnrthafricacntrlasia)

I...tried to make a meme and got carried away and made A Thing that is like partially unfinished because i spent like 3 hours on it and then got tired.

I think this is mostly scientifically accurate but truth be told, there seems to be relatively little research on succession in regards to lawns specifically (as opposed to like, pastures). I am not exaggerating how bad they are for biodiversity though—recent research has referred to them as "ecological deserts."

Feel free to repost, no need for credit

Kestrel-dad not sure how to dad but he’s trying his best.

a chaotic but accurate representation of the little things I love in my day-to-day academic career, aka a moodboard of all the little things I really miss and can’t wait to do/see again once I can go back to my full-time on-campus Arts & Media Student life after this worldwide mess is all over

just goofing off around campus, bc we’re young and nothing matters so why tf not

eyes open to all the wonderful différences in fellow students, noticing and enjoying how unique and awesome and varied their colourful outfits are

also everyone is wearing doc martens, and so are you, bc that’s what everyone at this university wears

high-fiving that friend that you always walk past on a Thursday morning as they hand out fliers, and you won’t see them again until next week doing the same thing, and that’s the extent of your friendship

going to the university bar after we’ve all handed up an assignment, let’s split the bottle between us bc we’re broke uni students but we love a good red

cheap pints and pool tables, arcade games and deep booths, sharing a bowl of mouth-scolding potato chips with your mates

student discount on art supplies

trips to the next door art gallery to kill time between classes

studying/lunch in the botanic gardens bc theres 4 hours until your next class

naps on the grass, soaking up the watery autumn sunshine with people you love

instant noodles and snacks from at the uni general store, boiling water and vending machines in the student kitchens

cook-ups with friends to last us the week to save $$$ on food, but also buying plenty of beverages with the money we were supposed to save with this exercise

camera comes everywhere around campus, ready to immortalise the moments missed with a blink

a collection of hoodies/rugby jumpers, first years flock the uni-merch store for their jumpers to wear around campus with pride

homework session in the study rooms, actually in in each others company, who knows how much work is actually getting done bc my best friends are sitting across from me as we study together late into the night, we’re hilarious and distract eachother lots but we know we will eventually get it done, and it’s better to be procrastinating together than have the distraction be the interior of your mind in isolation

I say “See ya later”, and it’s true, I will see you later, and I’ll see you tomorrow, and the next day

lecture theatres: full

couples on campus, initially you scrunch your nose at them, but you realise how lovely it is that they can freely share affection, who would have thought it would be taken away like this?

a myriad of evidence that you have consumed caffeine, dishes not done bc you’re glued to your assignment and you love it bc it’s your 2,500 word baby

bumping into a stranger and you don’t immediately run to wash your hands or get tested for a deadly virus - it’s just an awkward funny accident, and you laugh it off and probably see them around campus more now after that circumstantial exchange

practical research, primary sources, touching things, holding things, learning through touch

holding hands, linking arms, greeting and parting hugs, a kiss on the cheek

groups of friends, groups of people, line ups for cafes, huddles of friends around a table, huddling over a project, group assignments but we’re not separated by a wifi connection

texting my friends during class to meet up afterwards at our favourite cafe, it’s a dark and scrumptious overcast day and it’s our main haunt ( @academicinfj )

hugging your friends goodbye, shaking hands of new acquaintances

networking! NETWORKING! NEW PEOPLE! Hiya, how’s it going, what are you all about? Interviews and photoshoots, drawing real people in front of you, learning all about them, writing up an article from scratch but it’s easy bc they’re right in front of you and they’re handing you the words

knocking on your favourite lecturers door for a chat, it’s a meeting you set up with them, rather than dropping by in a video call

greeting your local barista who knows your order bc you’re consistent and has already started on it bc you’re always here at this time, the legend, they see you walk in and smile and ask after you, and you them bc even though you only ever see them in this context, they are in your circle and this exchange is more precious than you’ve ever given it credit for before

your lecturer rolls their eyes at your joke about the course content, but you can see their hidden smile clear as day across the lecture hall bc it was a bloody good joke and they know it, it’s a real-life détail and it’s not lost in a poor wifi connection

Theres $15 pizza and live-jazz nights on Tuesdays in the night-life district not far from campus, we go there every Tuesday after that class thay finishes in the evening, and the band knows who we’re the group in the corner, bc we’re always there with our pizza, and we’ll be there next week to hear the same songs and make a ruckus and cheer them on and dance, keY CHANGE YES LOVE IT!!! ! THAT SOLO!!!! REAL MUSIC BABEY !!

submitting an assignment 3 minutes before it’s due, the EXHILERATION of it

TL;DR: life is all around; no glitches, not delays or lags, we’re smiling and laughing and talking in real time, there’s nothing between us, no screens, just atmosphere

it’s good to be around

Found this chat for you on Tumblr

لهذا السبب يجدر بك التخلي عن أفكارك القديمة النصف منجزة أو غير المنجزة

"تنظيف حياتك" (أو التخلي عن الأشياء غير الضرورية في حياتك) هي عملية أكبر بكثير من مجرد تحديد الأشياء التي تؤدي أو لا تؤدي إلى الفرح و التسلية. يمكنك أن "تنظف" أمتعتك العاطفية: لقد أظهرت الأبحاث أن التخلي عن الضغينة تجاه شخص ما، على سبيل المثال، يمكن أن يجعلك حرفيا تشعر انك أخف وزنا. يمكنك "تنظيف" عاداتك التنظيمية مثلا، عن طريق تضييق لائحة الأعمال التي عليك إنجازها لتتضمن الامور الاكثر اهمية فقط. وكما كتب (نيك دوغلاس) مؤخرا في مجلة (لاييف هاكر)، يمكنك تنظيف المساحة العقلية التي تكرسها للمشاريع الإبداعية من خلال أن تأخذ بالاعتبار ما يسمى (مفهوم الديون الفكرية)

"الديون الفكرية"، كما يفسر الكاتب، "هي الكومة من الأفكار التي نعود باستمرار لإعادة النظر فيها و التفكير فيها ولكن لا ننجزها، وربما لا نبدأ بانجازها ابدا. يمكن أن يكون كتابا، تطبيق، عمل تجاري، أو أي مشروع ينمو في عقلك ولكن ليس في الواقع. "الديون الفكرية هي الملاحظات التي تكتبها على هاتفك و ترفض حذفها على سبيل المثال" و على الأغلب أن هذه الأشياء تجعلك أقل سعادة. يقول الكاتب:

" يمكن لهذه المشاريع أن تبدو أكثر إثارة من المشاريع التي تقوم بتنفيذها في الواقع، بسبب كل خيبات الأمل والتنازلات التي تأتي مع المشاريع التي تنفذها. كما يقول كاتب السيناريو (كريغ مازن)، "السيناريو الأكثر إثارة في العالم هو السيناريو الذي كنت على وشك كتابته. والكتاب الأقل إثارة هو الذي أنت تكتب في الصفحة 80 منه". وهكذا فإن الديون الفكرية تهدد بوقف المشاريع الحقيقية، أو توقفها لفترة طويلة بحيث تصبح هي الأخرى ديون فكرية أيضا.

"

لديك طريقتين لمنع ذلك: يمكنك إما جلب فكرتك إلى الواقع والبدء بتنفيذها، أو يمكنك التخلي عنها.

ولا يتوجب على أي من الخيارين أن يكون جديا و صارما إلى حد كبير.لنقل أنه لديك فكرة نصف منجزة لرواية كنت قد اجلتها أكثر من مرة. البدء بانجازها لا يعني أنه عليك الجلوس في مرة واحدة و كتابة الرواية بأسرها في ليلة واحدة - كما يقول (دوغلاس)، قد تكون قادر على دمج أجزاء من مشروعك غير المنجز في مشروع آخر، أكثر تطورا و منجز بنسبة أكثر. ربما يمكنك نقل الشخصية الرئيسية من الرواية إلى شيء آخر،أو ربما نقل الحبكة لتصبح فكرة مكثفة فرعية في حياة شخص آخر. أو ربما يمكنك تحويلها إلى قطعة من قصة قصيرة.

التخلي عن فكرة ما يمكن أن يكون أكثر متعة من مجرد أن نضع الفكرة في سلة مهملات خيالية في عقلنا و نسيانها. إذا كنت تعرف أنك لن تفعل أي شيء بخصوص الفكرة، يقول دوغلاس، لماذا لا ندعها تجد منزل حيث تجد فرصة للتنفيذ؟ يمكنك الإفراج عن فكرتك إلى "براري شبكة الإنترنت" من أجل أن يلتقطها شخص آخر. أو، أفضل من ذلك، أن تفعل ذلك مع كل افكارك. وإذا كان هناك مشروع حقا لا يمكن أن تتحمل فكرة التخلص منه - حسنا، إذا كان يشعرك بالفرح والتسلية، إذا على الأرجح الوقت قد حان للبدء بتنفيذه.

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