The book quotes science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon as saying that 90% of everything is crap. He was talking about creating and writing, but I think it applies to nearly everything else. All the things you do in a day, some people call it ‘busy work’, some people call it distractions, some people call it life. I mean, in my case, it’s definitely crap. My youngest is in the middle of getting potty trained. But hey, the smiles and cuddles totally make up for any inconveniences.
The book says, ‘Small things, over time, can get big.’ I can see that in my children (my main source of work), but I can also see that in my side hustle of proofreading. All my work has come from word-of-mouth referrals, or sometimes I drop a note via the contact page to the author of some site that I’m looking at. Sometimes that results in jobs and sometimes not. We’ll see what THIS all leads up to. (I know from making fires (long story) that small things can also fizzle out.)
The book says, ‘Your influences are worth sharing because they clue people in to who you are and what you do.’ Again, I do and do not agree with that. I listen to Jocko Podcast and Cleared Hot (Andy Stumpf), doesn’t mean I’ll be a Navy SEAL (I’ve posted my story here), doesn’t mean I’ll do what they’re doing, or be who they are. I look up to them and try to apply what they’re imparting when and where I can, but… How to put it into words…? Concise words. The book says, ‘A two-sentence explanation is usually what the world wants from us.’
Two sentences: I admire Jocko and Andy, and who they are and what they’ve done outside the military and what they’ve done for the general public. I listen to what they say, take what is applicable to me, and discard the rest.
In other words, I’m trying to be Bruce Lee… *wry smile*
Join me in the next installment here: https://peoplegettingafterit.com/thoughts-while-i-read-show-your-work-continuing-on/