Welcome to the New World.
Sorry, welcome to the newer world. I save you the energy of figuring out my position by declaring this article a late bloomer's rant whose attempts to catch up with the fast-changing tides of time have been overwhelming. I attempt to trace where I started getting rained on, an effort to ensure that you, the reader, can recover or can proactively embark on that journey.
The inspiration behind this piece came while listening to a musical Album, Nastradamus, curated in 1999 that I had ignored for so long. I have never been this much surprised of how late I am, after learning how "Early birds"some people were to some issues. I least expected to hear utterances such as the one highlighted below from a rapper in 1999.
"Welcome to the new world, a new beginning. A new way to play, a new way of living. Cash is the past, a new way of spending"
I am writing this, 22 years later, struggling to believe indeed this is Music from the early technology era. I honestly have to tell you this; It costs a lot being ignorant. You will pay dearly for it both mentally, emotionally, and financially. No amount of excuse will justify how you missed an opportunity when it was right in front of you. As they say, time waits for no man. I will break down some fascinating bits of the song here and recommend the rest of it for your digestion.
The opening verse of the song highlights the following;
"Celebrate the new life, New ways to make money, Computers ain't that smart, Whatever man built could be taken apart"
And further states;
"No propellers in the sky, Airplanes like many rockets, Waiting lists for the rich to get tickets to visit Mars, While the poor people starve, Computers taking over they jobs, A man's forced to live off land"
I was so young to comprehend such a forecast at that time, and anybody who was old enough to understand could have alluded it to be fictitious. In a decade, it would be considered a "conspiracy theory." Twenty-one years later, the year 2020, when a few listeners paid attention- that song was indeed prophetic. A year later, I'm here referencing it.
It is a time when the financial revolution of our generation is gaining momentum. Like in a boxing match, Crypto-currencies hit the traditional banking industry heavy blows. We have also witnessed the conception of man's ambition to occupy Mars. An example is the famous Space X mission.
The current COVID-19 Pandemic enables technology to reduce demand for human labor, creating grounds for a much more dangerous crisis that is yet to unfold due to unemployment. It has set the stage for more than we anticipated.
The Gig Economy will be worth aligning oneself.
The last verse has more gems.
"Say hello to the sky, something's out there watching you and I, More enticing than Star Trek, StarTAC phones, Your genes and DNA is used to make clones"
"Scientists say we ain't prepared, What I feel is contrare, Alexander Graham Bell made telephones, yes, But now we request for your e-mail address, I might be old fashioned, up stuck in my ways, But nothing make me more happier than seeing today"
Track 13 off Nastradamus.
https://youtu.be/tzhzU2WUHJ4
According to Forbes, In April 2021, he scored at least $40 million from Coinbase's IPO.
I challenge anyone finding it hard to digest this information with this reminder - trusting a habit is the feeling of being trapped. Opportunity lies amid difficulty. It is a Call for you to embrace an Open Mind and a provocative attempt to enable you to have a Willing hand - A counter-intuitive measure against the harsh realities we all face.
Don't be the witness who remembers it all.
Peace ✌🏿
Fear; Unconventional Outlook.
When you key "Fear" in your search engine it will be defined as a perception of danger, which is either real or imagined. That is factual indeed and for a long time, we have all been urged in social, religious and political institutions just to mention a few, basically all aspects of life; to step forth and Overcome it. Fear, Such a dreaded monster, isn't it? It even makes a fraction of how "Dreaded" as a verb is defined.
There is always fear at the upper echelons of basically anything and it kills everything it touches. It makes good, rational people do crazy things and even go crazier extents to justify the first part. When superpowers create nuclear weapons, they also have it on the sides as the deadliest, Fearmongering. I'm talking fiction, but ride with me.
Think about the process behind anything wise. Wisdom in this case being an understanding of the long-term consequences of your actions. While indulging in that critical approach to issues you are faced with, mark the premises of that process then pause. Don't you see fear as the precursor? If you don't, please let me know in the comment section.
Apart from Time, Fear is another precious thing in your possession incase you didn't know. What you fear gives tomorrow meaning. I believe nobody faces fear more than a wise man. That ability to visualise things at their conceptual level, reshaping them then sketching a plan after considering all factors involved. This includes assessing the risk matrix, a measure of probability against consequence severity. All this are calculated attempts to minimise chances of losing in whatever task that lies ahead.
In Conflicting Prudential judgement, we get more insight on how silently fear has infiltrated almost all aspects of life. Let's narrow down to a policy of prohibition for example drugs. It may be objectionable on Prudential grounds precisely because it is likely to result in invasions of privacy or other violations of basic rights in the course of enforcement. Such kind of forethought behind policies should also provoke us to pay keen attention on basics surrounding our commitments.
While we strive to surpass our fears, we should note that the energies which reside within it can be of great advantage to the course. Demonizing fear only renders us ignorant to the fact that it is an important tool which we all possess that can influence better choices. It can be equated to pursuing what you think you need inorder to achieve something, while neglecting what you already possess that can be useful in serving the same course.
To be continued..
Professional Procrastination.
This is one lucrative career whose main qualifier is COMFORT. I once served in this job description and rose above the ranks faster than I could imagine. It is so outstanding an occupation that it has never been affected by any Pandemic or disaster in the recent past. Well, as you read this, please bear in mind that I was forced to step down. They say memories feed the soul, and indeed I find so much insight from that kind of experience upon reflection. I believe that you as a reader has either served, is currently in it or once eyed this game changing position. I would like to hear your experiences too. To create a great ambience for that, let me start with mine.
This is mostly a result of giving the mind an opportunity to seek gratification. Let me assume that we all know how curious and unstoppable our brains can get, especially when we neglect the role of proactively shaping the process. I was recently working out and laziness kicked in. My brain convinced me that I was tired and just when I was about to stop, I awakened myself to the reality of things. The truth was that I could lift some more. As much as I intended to call it a day and wait for the next session, I challenged myself to go harder after a short break. It got productive because I had managed to reframe my mind. That is amongst the few times when, in rare occasions, I managed to tap into the workings of my own brain. I no longer serve it, instead, I make my brain serve me. Now imagine what procrastination can earn you when patched into a month-long and more, of activities. That is how one becomes a professional procrastinator.
This is postponing what can be achieved today, to a future date. It is a loss by itself because you have allowed yourself to be defeated by your own brain in the debate of "whether now or in future". That is an internal process which even the most righteous minds go through. Ancient Stoics have addressed this specific topic and that shows how old an issue it is. So do you want to be another statistic? For you to even read this, I had to count that small WIN first. "Of Overcoming my immediate gratifications inorder to have this morning journaling routine"
Gratifications are meant to be delayed. We are all men racing against time to ensure that we fulfill our God-given purpose in life. I hold the belief that nothing at any given point should ever come between one and the fulfillment of his Purpose. I am not filling words in here to get your attention, I have been there. I am sharing my life experiences.
I believe the man next to me doesn't need to go through what I have been through inorder to learn what I know. We are meant to share experiences and educate one another. Apart from it reducing the burden of facing things as a complete stranger, it saves time too.
Professional procrastination is being deeply stuck in a rabbit hole. If you are ignorant, that makes you a victim unknowingly. If you are bold enough to care about it then it marks the beginning of your journey out of it. Being accountable of my self to myself changed everything and I believe it's the solution. I am talking about the self imposed pressure. Filling journals daily sounds easy but it isn't, it calls for discipline and commitment, not towards the journaling itself but to set Goals. It will be easy to track down your activities when they are put down on paper. And just the way Power dwells in knowledge, writing stuff down plays as a manifestation. Project it!
Hungry Convictions.
Aggressively pursuing your interests in a sense of hopelessness, a sort of desperation, is a process nobody understands better than you do. How It appears to the outside world, I compare to the best cut slice of Beef which gloriously makes it to the display, representing the rest of the stock in a Butchery. It is the kind of drive that can be compared to LIFE itself,with nothing to lose but everything to WIN.
Just a while back during my final year in school, an interesting occurance which I find memorable to date happened. It was a philosophy class which had a wildly heated debate on religion, with our lecturer being a Catholic priest making it even more interesting an occasion. The kind of debates where everyone is right in their ways yet "One common right" must be achieved. It is during such moments when three hours seem like One. About a quarter an hour to the end of class time, when the lecturer had rendered the unending Hot topic a takeaway assignment, a young guy knocked and was allowed in. He requested for a short time to address the class and that chance was outrightly granted to him.
He introduced himself then went straight to his intent. He mentioned that he was there to remind us all that God loves us. The whole room burst into laughter, not because what he said was funny, but it posed a probable continuation to a debate which had not even been concluded. He was a stranger to that and it made him feel awkward, yet still managed to contain himself and proceed with the presentation. His conclusive remarks received a wild round of applause, in my opinion for the Courage to stage such an act. He unknowingly managed to settle the waters of a divide during that occasion. When Muslims defended their faith as Christians countered and Atheists checked both, he had somehow made us understand that God Loves us All,as simple as that.
Such a firm stance behind what we want to achieve is what i am talking about. I still contemplate the inspiration behind that act, the innermost motive. Imagine that kind of drive transferred to a life goal, a task at hand or everything we face. To be honest, If I were wagering, I wouldn't bet against such a guy.
It further shows how all idealism is deeply rooted in the Beacons of Realism. For someone to boldly do what they do in an aggressive and consistent way,it doesn't just reflect what they desire alone, it also speaks of past situations and experiences. We read and educate ourselves because we understand how illiteracy can almost reduce one to a half-human. Even the problems which early man faced inspired innovation and invention as an attempt to solve what appeared problematic.
In Conclusion,I allude that an individual's past experiences makes up a great percentage of why and how they do what they do. Indeed, History is more than the path left by the past. It influences the present and shapes the future through shared idealism,unity of ambition and a passion for freedom.
With all that said, I would like to know one thing; How do you feed your Convictions?
Situational Wisdom.
Once again, I write to shed light on areas of our daily lives which we overlook, or in worst situations,like blind men, Fail to see. This is the ultimate aftermath of a conditioned mind and a corrupt thought process. Every action, decision and choice made afterwards will either be fulfilling a Fantasy,seeking validation or both, just to mention a few of the likely outcomes. On my quest to overcome that and save myself from that trap, I had to unlearn so many things and put on new mental regalia. The most interesting part of the process was catching myself in that exact act, when I was about to speed off from the realm of things. It is one of the most beautiful things I have encountered my whole life. Moments I scrutinized myself ruthlessly and faced the reality as it was. This are the situations that taught me humility and how to remain calm however much pressure I faced, Stoic. Regardless of how a personal experience it is, I voluntarily choose to paint it, so you can see the bigger picture. Our canvas is already laid. Right?
During the lunch break of one busy day, while in the confines of an institution where I spend most of my time during the day, I chose to read a new book I had on me and was anticipating to indulge myself into it. All that while awaiting an afternoon working session. I was seated at the waiting bay and had given the book my full attention, that I didn't notice a young lady approaching untill when she excused herself. With a smile on her face she apologized for the interruption then went ahead to seek my help, to send money to her digital wallet in exchange for a fiat currency if I had some on me by chance. She went ahead to explain that it could cost her more time to deposit by herself yet she needed to respond to an emergency. As risky as it seemed to be, my mind instantly took me to a memory when I was in a similar situation and judging by the desperation on her face, I was willing to give more than she was asking for. How exactly? I sent the money and asked her to settle what she needed with it, without Refunding.
She moved closer, placed the money on my lap and what she said thereafter provoked my thoughts for the rest of the afternoon. She stated that it was her offer to me that I assist in exchange for what she had, I should not violate that. She went ahead to explain that what I did tells how judgemental I was; that I was assuming she is problematic, which I silently affirmed to myself. Why? Because when I was in a similar situation myself, I was problematic and it blinded me. She concluded by saying that however good intentioned I might be, she can easily find it offensive to be judged wrongly although that wasn't the case. It was such a short, but of high magnitude a Concord which ended with a friendly laughter, completely spontaneous.
When I reflected on that incidence during my immediate next journal session, I was able to understand how such small acts we do can ruin a relationship between friends, allies and associates, without catching our attention. We never get to narrow down to the immediate mistakes we made even when the waters have settled. This happens because our minds are always occupied with thoughts of the next minute, hour, day, week and a whole mysterious future ahead, at the expense of a realistic present. What I perceive to be a gift. No wonder our forefathers, through their literary works, tell us how We each face life-changing experiences everyday. That incidence helped me to understand better.
My take away is that, In any situation, please stick to the Premises that surround it. With that said, I do wish you productivity in all that you indulge yourself in.
Until the next piece, remember to catch yourself before you lose yourself.
Definition of Time. Perspectives of the Unemployed.
Traditional definition of morning, is the opening of the day, or a time when people stream out of their houses to work in the fields, a triumph in the struggle between day and night. From the definition we can tell morning is not just the transition in time but also of events and practices. Night, on the hand marks the end of day, characterised by darkness. Weekdays to the employed are typically busy working days.The weekend bridges an ending and an incoming week,a time when employees stay at home with their families and rest. This same period to the Unemployed is usually equalled to holidays such as Christmas, which they find unbearable. Their low income doesn't allow for the societal pressure to celebrate family bonds with items of consumption. It therefore makes some of the Unemployed find weekends similar to weekdays.
In today's Capitalist age, we all tend to be living towards a certain direction, as we share the same time-scale and its warning pace gives life purpose. It is no rocket science that many hold the belief that some social groups may have different times or some, no times at all. This is mostly based on the fact that the texture of our daily lives vary. Full-time paid jobs and schooling hold a firm grip on how our time is lived. This is because such institutions somehow define time and even structure it, for example, a factory employee whose shift begins at 6:30 cannot define a morning in a different way other than the time he/she commences their day job.
Activities such as preparing for work, traveling to work as well as doing the paid work itself are of a great significance and that ends up to be the informant's reality. At this juncture it is therefore right to conclude that, what motivates and drives such a person towards fitting into that schedule is the task which lies ahead of them. The conviction that mornings are only acceptable if there exists something to get up for; either work or an absorbing activity. Isn't it what it is? Now take time and think about the Unemployed.
Unemployment automatically grants an individual plenty of unstructured time. Omit 8 hours(which is the average recommended sleep time) from the 24 hours we all have each day and think about how the remaining 16 hours are spent by the Unemployed. While some strategize and structure their days into productive activities which act as substitutes for employment, most suffer negative effects. We as humans are always in a state of dialogue between the unfolding present and memories of the past. The self always struggles to integrate these moments and to a person who is living under structured time(Employed), they might not pay so much attention to these events as compared to those whose time is unstructured (Unemployed). The Unemployed will easily invest their energies and time on these moments, congregate and hold conversations about the unfolding events. This makes the reason why they struggle to maintain friendships/relationships with their employed counterparts who seem distant since they are always pre occupied with work.
Unemployment breeds a general need of the self to solve the problem of unstructured time and as a result the individual will proactively indulge him/herself in activities such as;
(i) Taking courses. Examples of such courses include; Driving, Carpentry, First Aid, Swimming and Cooking amongst others. Technology has also made it possible to learn and generate an income online by selling goods, selling wisdom, trading and marketing amongst others . These activities are proven to equip the individual with skills that are easily applied to daily lives. They also offer their own satisfactions with the promise of the skillsets being exchangeable against a future condition of employment hence inspiring hope.
(ii) Doing volunteer work. This can be any form of social practice in an institution such as a hospital, school or a Non governmental Organization which equips the participant with a work like function. It opens up the chances of meeting new people and newer opportunities hence adding value to an individual's life.
(iii) Carrying out hobbies amongst others. It is important to note that most of the Unemployed are younger, artistic individuals who consider the day job oppressive and thus prefer to pursue their creative interests in the course of a free flowing day. When practised consistently and perfectly, these hobbies and creative abilities become a livelihood and completely enable the individual to escape the rat race for example Playing a musical instrument, singing, making jewellery and Sports.
We therefore see how unemployment places someone in a state of self discovery and a point of no return at the same time. These tools propel one towards a great direction when they choose to, and thus become greater versions of themselves. That is not a guarantee at the same time, especially when nothing is being done. Doing nothing is killing time,an act which violates the well known ethic: that one's time should be spent in purposeful activity and not wasted.
@One95Earner