Dear Brenden,
wherever you are in life, find a way to love it. They say that the grass is always greener and this hasn’t been more true than in the last few years. I know, you are always looking for ways to improve your situation and use your time more wisely. Sometimes life is not under your control, just how you react to it. So stop trying to make everything better. Try taking a step back and look at how you view what is important. Maybe what you feel is important isn’t really so important. You have to continue to examine yourself on this so you stay balanced and mentally sane.
Speaking of the grass always being greener, stop thinking that your current job sucks. It isn’t that bad, whatever it is. But do continue to look for new opportunities. Always put yourself out there. Never fear being denied or failing. Remember that time you went and talked to those car dealers down on West Sahara in Las Vegas after you bought a $16,000 used car from CarMax? Remember how motivated you were to make your own way to simplify while being able to pay for that new $317 monthly car payment? Remember how nervous you were about what you would say, not really knowing what to say? Remember how well it turned out? Sure you found out that the car dealers are all corporate prisons, but at least you failed fast in the sense that you didn’t waste any time trying to help them manage their online reputation with Google/Yahoo Locals reviews. Their loss. But man did you grow that day. You learned that you can step up to the big boys with 101% confidence, even though you didn’t know that before you tried, but you tried and that’s the point.
Perhaps you are self employed again. I’m sure, just as it was when you first started freelance web design and then that awesome job at Raster Media in June of 2008, that it was new and exciting. No doubt that feeling of freshness wore off like it always does. Find a way to throw some variety into your daily life. Go to the park with Lacy. Go on a spontaneous road trip for 3 days to some place 300 miles away. Learn to take a break. Learn to have a definite separation from financial busy work and real life. Never let real life be overshadowed by busy work. One paradoxical great thing about busy work is that there is always more to be done. So love your life. If it’s hard, make it easier; simplify. Less is more and always will be. You want much more than you need, but if you don’t then congratulations, you’ve overcome a serious human weakness.
While you’re throwing variety into your life, don’t forget to do more outdoors. Sometimes the city lights drape the heavenly lights. Get out there and appreciate nature, or what’s left of it. Hopefully the environment is being better taken care of now than it was when I wrote this letter to you. Maybe alternative fuel vehicles are the de facto now. I hope so. Also, remember that a walk in nature increases your memory retention by like 20% or something. That’s what some study said. I forget. Pun intended. There are many other studies that show huge benefits from just being near nature. So take advantage of what you already have around you.
One last thing. Work with as many different kinds of people as you possibly can and always humble yourself below them. They’ll teach you so much, especially if they themselves are up in years and many times more experience than you. While you do this, don’t enslave yourself to them. Everyone has their motives, and as Proverbs says, some are in want of heart(aka they lack good motive). Build a large network of friends, family, and peers(especially family) and make them know how much you care about them.
Well, that’s all for now. Don’t be sad, I’ll write again soon. Please, though, take these things to heart. They’re very important to me.
Love,
You.
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