The best (imperfect) week ever

On By brainsbriIn Personal Development, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

In the past week I:

  • Tried to show up virtually to an in-person business meeting
  • Was outrun in my HIIT class when I’m typically the fastest
  • I was completely demolished on the tennis court during an event that I’m typically one of the strongest players
  • Found my car out in the road because I didn’t fully engage my parking brake

In spite of – or perhaps because of – all that imperfection, it was actually a great week.

The road less traveled

On By brainsbriIn Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Today I took a new route to a familiar destination, without using a GPS.

  • Did I take the fastest route? Probably not.
  • Did I use my intrinsic sense of navigation for the first time in a decade? I’d say so.
  • Did I view, for the first time, a previously unknown part of a local neighborhood? Yes.

Funny how GPS has turned the road trip into a video game, following a guided path on a screen to a destination (and if you’re like me you try to beat the time by arriving at the destination sooner than predicted).

Your brain knows the way. Look up and enjoy the trip.

How to reach Infinity

On By brainsbriIn Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

You don’t.

No matter what number you choose, it will always be closer to zero than it is to infinity.

unknown

Human beings invented numbers in an attempt to quantify their surrounding environment, and we’ll keep increasing them as needed in order to make sense of life.

There is no end.

The grass may be greener…but does that make it better?

On By brainsbriIn Environment, Nature, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

The answer to this question depends on your perspective.

Driving through a neighborhood today, I came across two adjacent lawns. The first was a pristine, verdant lawn that was worthy of a magazine cover. The second lawn was left to grow naturally.

The former may be appealing to the human senses (not mine), but the latter had the birds. So many birds, in fact, that the lawn appeared black at first glance. What was even more intriguing was the dividing line between the two lawns, drawn not by a fence, but by the abrupt end to the birds at the edge of the natural lawn.

They wouldn’t venture into the green grass. There is nothing for them there.

Things change

On By brainsbriIn Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

In 2003 I attended Presidential Classroom, and in one of the seminars this brilliant man by the name of Dean Kamen demonstrated his new invention, the Segway.

I was in awe.

I just finished reading ‘Originals’ by Adam Grant a few days ago, in which I read all about how the Segway was a commercial failure.

Funny how things work out.

What’s more important?

On By brainsbriIn Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Turns out there was a Super Bowl yesterday… who knew…

I stopped watching football after watching a particularly frustrating Giants game years ago (thanks Eli). I remember standing in my dining room, emotionally stressed out about that game, and I finally asked myself why this game was bothering me so much.

In that moment I decided football was no longer a priority in my life, and I gained back about six hours every Sunday during football season to do other things.

Your time is yours. Your time is finite. Be selfish in how you spend it.

Why do you eat?

On By brainsbriIn Food, Health, Personal DevelopmentLeave a comment

Why do you eat? “Because I’m hungry” is an insufficient response. Think deeper and truly grasp the meaning of hunger.

Why do you eat what you eat? My answer to this question was always: “That’s what I grew up eating.” This response sounds eerily similar to the dangerous phrase: “We’ve always done it this way.”

Ask questions.

Challenge the status quo.

Maybe there’s a better way.