Dr. Seuss Sums up my philosophy on people

Today, I'd like to talk about someone very important to me - Dr. Seuss.  His books guided me when I was young, both in fueling my imagination and in guiding me in my life.  The Places You'll Go was a gift to me when I graduated from high school, and its message has stayed with me ever since.  


Now, I'd like to talk about a different quote, specifically: 




‎"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
-Dr. Seuss


I've been living this way in my social life for a while now.  The latest time I've come across this is actually with a winter hat shaped like a baby seal.  It's cute and most people think its awesome.  And I wear it when I'm not at work, so it doesn't affect me professionally.  But one person actually suggested it was a little too crazy, and I politely told her that it was my choice and I liked wearing it.  I bet a couple years ago I would have been much less likely to deal with it that maturely.  


It took me several years to figure out who mattered and who didn't.  And I'm still struggling with the idea that those who matter don't mind.  The problem is that, in my job, I often face political concerns that forcibly bring "the people who don't matter" into my life.  I've read many business books that suggest that if you have a strong will and the right direction, those people will melt away, but that just isn't the case, especially for my age.  

Technology of Storytelling

I happened across this TedTalk, discussing the technological evolution of story telling mediums, beginning with the book, movies, twitter, etc.  Originally, we had the oral tradition of passing down stories.  Then it began to incorporate the visual, when we began creating pictographs in caves.  Next came the written word, in the form of the first writing systems.  And since then the main innovations have been adapting the medium (light, sound, paper) to better convey the story.

I've read about the basic structure of a story - the characters, plot, and settings.  I love storytelling because it allows you to use a medium, either new or old, to tell a story that is completely unique.  One of the dangers today is that your work will be derivative.  This is especially important when you consider the speed at which information moves through the collective consciousness.  But everyone adds something to any idea they touch.  That said, I tend to shy away from telling stories because they can be so heavily influenced by the world around you, which is toady filled with other people's information.  But down the road...  :)

This fits into the technological evolution of just about everything in our society.  Social networking, manufacturing, and even FOOD, all are moving from traditional methods to more modern techniques.  I would like to suggest that, once again, our society is changing in a fundamental way, and its impact will not be fully understood for many, many years.

Average Time Use in a Lifetime

So when I happened across this, it really made me think about how little time I really have in my life.  I hope that the 1/5 of my life that is mine to spend is spent in the most valuable way possible, to both me and those around me. 

 I'd like to point out here, that all the things that are shown in this sheet are completely under your control.  Not necessarily how much time you spend at each of the tasks, since those are likely required by everyone.  I'm referring to the quality of the time you spend on each.  I, for one, enjoy sleeping immensely.  Especially when I have a comfortable bed, interesting and memorable dreams, and a warm body to cuddle up to.  

There is also the conscious choice to leave off some of the items on the list.  I bet people in Guatemala don't spend, on average, 19 days of their lives looking for the remote.  And if you have no phone, you can't spend two months waiting on hold. 

That reminds me of something else I recently learned about - Stop Doing lists.  They assume that there are negative actions you take that can be completely eliminated from your life, and should, to make room for more productive, engaging, or fun activities.  Maybe I should put "waiting on hold" on that list....?