I’ve watched this video everyday for the past week. It’s well worth the watch. Bonus points - all shot on a Flip Mino HD.
I’m in a rut seemingly in every aspect of my life. I rediscovered this video at just the right time.
I suck. My work sucks. What I create isn’t unique. It isn’t inspired. It isn’t special. It sucks. Direction? I feel like I have none. Through it all I’ll learn. I’ll grow. I’ll persevere.
Zack Arias is the man.
(Source: zarias.com)
Today’s rapid pace of change makes it crucial that we, as individual citizens, have a clear idea as to where we want our world to go. If we hope to find and stay on the right course, we must agree on the basic features of the world we want to create. And we must think big as we dare to imagine—lest we waste the unprecedented opportunities that the world is offering us. Let us dream the wildest possible dreams and then pursue them.
- Muhammad Yunus
When I came across that quote in the last chapter of Creating a World Without Poverty my heart sank immediately. It succinctly sums up why I’ve been floundering without direction for the past several years; I have no anchor. (I have no idea why I’m making all these nautical metaphors either.)
I remember in grade school I started to notice what separated most adults from kids: a lack of boundless imagination defined by a pragmatic, “realistic” mentality masked as maturity. I made a promise to myself around then that I’d never outgrow my motto “DREAM BIG,“ hold onto my undying belief in limitless possibility, and continue to allow myself to imagine whatever I wanted. Dream Big resonated with me because I held a perpetual feeling of inadequacy while being constantly reminded of how “bright” I was and the amount of “potential” I had. As long as I could dream big I could escape to what could be.
In the past six months I’ve considered careers ranging from marketing to medicine to art to economic development to education. In the past six years it’s been even crazier. While reading Muhammad Yunus’ book I felt inspired while simultaneously judgmental of his borderline-delusional idealism. It’s funny because I used to be on the other side. I used to share his inexhaustible sense of idealism and hope. Somewhere along the line, while facing multiple disappointments, learning, and living life, I must’ve lost my childlike belief in dreaming big.
It hurts to think about how lost I am and even more so to realize how much I’ve diverged from my hopeful past. While I can’t pinpoint what my dreams are these days and what I want to do with my life, Muhammad Yunus helped me see something pivotal. The value of dreaming big lies in the act of dreaming itself. It isn’t about THE DREAM necessarily. Think about it. When you allow yourself to dream you choose to imagine and therefore believe in possibility. As a result, you pursue it, and act. He didn’t start Grameen Bank and other social businesses because that was the end itself. They came out of his desire to “dream the wildest possible dreams and then pursue them.” Wow, what a dude.
I still don’t know what any of this means for me or my direction in life, but I’ve been sitting at my computer for a while and am running low on my philosophical juices so I’m going to hit Create Post and go sit outside and enjoy the weather.
Peace, y’all.
My lil’ bro Justin getting his jacket fitted for Jeremy’s wedding (February ‘09).
I ran into this picture while organizing my 2009 photos (yes, 2009). I first fell in love with photography because photographs can ostensibly “freeze” moments. There’s no other medium like photography that can evoke emotion, tell a story, and capture life within one frame; pretty amazing stuff. That being said, as I continued to look at the photo I realized that a photograph couldn’t do that moment justice; it was literally a nanosecond in a full day. At best, it offers a glimpse into the fullness of that moment.
As I continued to organize photos I came across this photo, also taken in February that year:
I love this photo because it means a lot to me emotionally. These are two of the people I am closest to in the world and this was our first time going out together to take photos. I look back on this photo and remember all the laughter, the beautiful sunset, Matt slipping in the parking lot because of a patch of ice, Jeremy helping teach Matt and I how to use our cameras properly, the banter, and us just growing closer together as friends. While I love the photo, it was the same thing. The photo could only offer a glimpse into that evening.
Looking at the photo of my friends and I take pictures of the sunset reminded me of one of the best sunsets I’ve probably ever seen in my life. (I’m going to warn you that I’m about to sound like a major hippie here, but I’m from Oregon so cut me a break for being a stereotype once in a while.) The sunset below nearly brought me to tears. The beauty of the colors, the vastness, the depth and intricacies of the light, the contrast, the cool breeze carrying the smell of the Arizona desert, and general setting just left me in awe.
At the time I remember yelling to Jeremy, who was dawdling down the mountain, “DUDE!!! ARE YOU SEEING THIS!? HOLY CRAP! IT’S LIKE THE SKY IS ON FIRE!!!” I continued on like that for about 30 minutes. During the entirety of the sunset Jeremy and I could only take a couple of frames and look at each other occasionally and shake our heads in disbelief. It was just that kind of sunset. Still, as beautiful as I think the photos turned out, I feel like they absolutely do not do the sunset any justice. The fact is, my camera was not even close to being capable of capturing that sunset. It could only handle part of the infinitesimal degrees of detail in the shades of color and contrast in the sky, capture a few miles of what seemed to cover the entire visible sky, and essentially offer a glimpse of the experience as a whole.
You know what though? I’m okay with that. I love living in a world where no camera ever invented has the capability to do justice to a sunset that nearly draws you to tears. A world where nothing can replicate the way the smell of fresh cut grass makes me feel. A world where I can fly in a plane and still imagine what it’s like to soar like a bird. A world where everywhere I look there are reasons to say, “Wow.”
If life is a mist, a glimpse, a flash, of the fulness we’re to experience…I’m pretty excited.
I’m thankful my dad taught me how to change a flat tire like a pro when I first started driving. Not thankful I’ve had to do it several times. ;)
20 years ago Dan Wieden’s words helped catapult Nike into the world’s foremost sportswear company built on this one phrase. Strong copy centered around the foundation of action. If I need anything in 2011 it’s to learn to “Just Do It.” Enough talk, enough excuses, enough dreams, enough ideas, enough perfectionism. It’s time to Just Do It.
This is by far the most important thing I need to work on in 2011 (more so than these words). Thanks, J.D., for giving me a good kick and reminder.
Delta runs Linux on their in-flight screens. Nice.
(by Howard Kang at Grand Canyon)
I’m choosing three words to serve as my “lens” for 2011. These words aren’t really New Years Resolutions, but ways I want to approach life this year.
Create - Whether it be opportunities, solutions, music, art, or friendship - I want to create. I miss it and it is good for the soul.
Give - I feel like I spent most of 2010 taking. I want to give more time, vulnerability, passion, energy, money, and focus. I want to add and share.
Enjoy - I want to enjoy life. Be present. I spent too much time in 2010 focusing on my own despair, what I thought was missing, and trying to shape my future that I forgot to enjoy what was in front of me. I want to enjoy who I am, relish the smell of rain when it hits the payment, appreciate the crunch of snow when I step on it, laugh and relax, remember that sleep isn’t a time sink, and take time to bask in grace.
Did you choose any resolutions/words? Just curious. Anyhow, here’s to a great year. :)
These are my shoes in LAX. My mom made them pretty fresh and clean again. what a gal. PDX was great (though i’m still super sick). Now to try to sleep an hour out of this 3.5 flight to IND…
Yesterday was a first for me…spoke at a conference about maketing utilizing video and storytelling and a few people were crying by the end of my presentation. Help Portrait really struck a strong chord with people.
Turned into a really interesting conversation about vision, storytelling, and art. Amazing.
