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Sunday Caffeine - Small Moments

David Sherry
3 min read

Hey all, welcome back to Earth. Same laptop, different backdrop.

Traveling again. Hanging out in San Diego to drop by a conference and see some internet-friends.

While here it's the usual thing; a well crafted Airbnb (OneBunk SD) and getting to know some like-minded people.

Out back there's a shipping container and a black cat that roams the yard. I jacked in my MacBook to the speakers and played Feta Kuti while I put my shirts on the rack and laid out my shoes. Simple pleasures in my life currently include; organizing my things at a hotel or BnB, stealing my girlfriend's moisturizer, and slowly acquiring things made from leather.

Time

I have a fairly simple morning routine. Everything in my home allows me to be quick. The shower is heated on its own — I don’t need to go out and put a bucket of water over a fire to heat it. I don’t need to hunt for my breakfast, and the blender easily mixes my fresh fruits and vegetables. I could be ready in minutes.

Technology has the ability to give people time — and people are using that time to create new technologies... so it’s compounding and freeing us from all types of labor.

We're are able to work on interesting problems because we no longer have to think about the simple ones.

And that is a fantastic luxury that I have been gifted in my life.Even writing this post to you comes from that luxury. How lucky am I to be free to do this?

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Tech Inversion

There's a funny thing that happens when things go from commodity to obsolete to luxury.

Take for example the candle. For a thousand years their cheap, ubiquitous and as boring as a bar of soap. And then, in the span of 50 years, we get electricity. Suddenly no more need for candles. Suddenly way fewer house fires, and 24/7 lighting without a match.

And as soon as there's no need for the candle...

Tech inversion. They become a sign of luxury, even of wealth.

We start giving them scents and the market for them grows...

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Burn Out.

Does your body ever just say no mas? I've had it happen to me once in a big way:

Shingles (a year and a half ago).

But every three or so months since then I hit a wall. It starts in the back of my neck, usually on the right side. Then a headache persists and when I'm like this everything seems to be a tall order. Thank god I work on my own schedule.

Then again, I'm my own worst boss. And life continues whether you're making things happen or not.

At this point, the best I know how to ride this out is excessively watching Mad Men. I think it has to deal with too much people time, but also of too much caffeine and consistent 6 day work weeks. Today I gave myself the cheat of a diet coke and peanut m&m's. A real emergency...

Anyways, I'm not trying to complain but maybe you can relate. The hardest part is that you think that this shouldn't be happening. I just type things into a keyboard all day why should that be so hard? Plus, I enjoy the energy and making things happen so it's doubly hard to ride the bench.

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Strangers.

Sometimes it's often unexpected people who have the most interesting stuff to say. One time I was at a gathering up in Northern California at a ranch called Hopland.

I didn't know anyone.

Right as I got to the farm to check in, I noticed a girl in a sweatsuit with a flat bill hat hanging out on her phone in a giant lawn chair. She looked out of place, but she was by herself and I thought about saying hello. Instead, I simply checked in and found my yurt which we were staying in. The next time I saw her she was up on stage speaking and giving an amazingly passionate talk about the multiple businesses she ran...

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Small Moments

"Apparently inconsequential moments determine the fate of relationships more than arguments... like that time two weeks ago when your friend asked you if you wanted a cup of coffee." – Shane Parrish

If we’re actors, we’re poor ones.

We slip out words en mass that give insight into how we’re doing. It’sFreudian. We want to be seen and heard and most people tend to focus their conversations on whatever their current struggle is. But this is something to embrace. Finding ways to help people on their course in the small moments.

I've found that for a long time in my life I never really SAW people. I was with them, sure but maybe I had too much going on in my own head to really listen or fully hear them. Once you empty that, and look outward everything changes.

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I'm excited for the progress this week, and you should be too. Try and not look into the mirror too much. If you're in the woods, simply step out. Take the extra time technology has given us to take care of yourself...


xx David