#028 Horse Blinders

I mostly think people on the internet are evil, but there are little moments that remind me that not all of humanity is crumbling. I love that the wins people share on Twitter can have viral moments.

I can't find the original tweet today, but I remember flipping through a thread documenting a particular stranger's weight-loss journey. On the topic of diet, they had mentioned something that felt more profound than I assume was originally intended:

"You don't realize you're feeding your body poison until you stop feeding it poison."

It translates to everything. We can be so far down one particular path that it's nearly impossible to see a way out. Overworking, dysfunctional romantic relationships, addictive substances, vices, etc.

We're all living through a different phase of this type of trap at any given moment, and life is constantly challenging us to find a way out. Then once you're on the other side, you can't imagine going back.

A lot of us don't need to be told that we're working too much, or need to leave a job that we're unhappy with, or that our romantic partners are emotionally abusive. We know those things, and whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we can feel them.

We seldom lack the recognition or need for change, but find it difficult to take action.

I think a lot about the rigidness of the world. And how it’s conditioning us operate in a way that suppresses the opportunity to innovate and make change. There are boundaries put in place that require us to do X before Y, and do both before we can even think about Z. I remember thinking the police were going to burst through the doors the first time I saw my dad open a bag of snacks in the checkout line before we paid for them. Or later in life, 6 months after dropping out of undergrad that I had made the worst decision of my life because the statistics showed you had to finish school to have any sort of promising future.

People who are waiting until they're ready will always be waiting. It never feels like the right time to change, shift, or leave what's comfortable. And really, our actions are dependent on whatever set of conditions we've decided are necessary in our mind. Prerequisites, if you will.

Too many prerequisites float a lot of opportunities for us to excuse the action that separates us from the things we recognize that we need for ourselves. It's often the distance between us and the state of being that can bring joy or relieve a load of anxiety. It's the person who is waiting for new gym clothes to arrive before they can start a wellness journey.

I love the way Ava from Bookbear Express puts it:

"Waiting can be seductive—why now when later is so easy to fantasize about? But in the end how we approach our days is how we approach our lives. If it’s the wrong time every single day then it will never be the right time. On the other hand, if you stop waiting for the right time you can do what you want right here and now."

We often think that change would be too difficult to engage with right now, but today is likely your best chance. The further we go one particular path, the harder it is to turn around.

— Alex

Ideas from me

I. FIRST IMPRESSIONS

People often ask if we can complete projects in a shorter time frame than we originally quote for. The answer is yes, but there’s a good chance that we’ll have to sacrifice along the way.

You have one shot to make a lasting first-impression. Rarely will anybody remember if it was on time, but everyone will remember if it was bad.

II. THE BEGINNING

Acknowledging how much you don’t know is the beginning. Some people go their entire lives without ever touching the starting line.

III. UNSEEN WORK

Work that is never seen or out in the open can never be wrong. Airing it all out is scary, but an important part of the process. Every critique you endure, no matter how revealing, is making us braver, more courageous artists.

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Quote from somebody else

“The man who chooses not to read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them”

— Mark Twain

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Links worth sharing

🎧 New episodes of MOUTHWASH Podcast are live on our website and wherever you listen to podcasts.

🎞 Great campaign film for Asics by our friends at Querida

🎨 Somebody from our team shared this yesterday. It feels like the future is here.

💭 Me

✍️ Ian Hatcher-Williams from Gardener shared this 6 month review of 2021, revealing so much about his business and transparency in how he executes. Lovely read.

💻 The last thing I’ll ever share about COVID. COVID Museum is a unique digital experience.

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Thanks for another week!

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