#108: landscape of possibility
👋 Welcome to the 108th issue of Out of Curiosity, a weekly newsletter promoting ideas to help get 1% better everyday.
My name is Reza, and every week, I go through nearly 100 pieces of content (from books and podcasts to newsletters and tweets), and bring you the best in this newsletter.
We are no longer content with simply experiencing or enjoying activities (like reading a book or running), but feel pressured to measure, track, and share these experiences for social validation.
We no longer know how to sit at peace with time. That time must be spent on beating a goal, and when we check social media in an attempt to slow down our brains for a second, we are met with others posting about their own goals, making us feel that overwhelming sense of guilt and return to whatever act of our life we are in the midst of gamifying.
Instead of turtling, I went in the opposite direction. I started blogging. I put myself out there, shared my knowledge and experience, and built a network. Literally everything I’ve accomplished since 2006 is because of blogging. By forcing myself to get out there I met tons of people virtually, and built a local network as well.
Networking and building a brand remain the best ways to open yourself up to opportunities. You put value out into the world and sometimes good things come back.
Working even a good job cramps your sense of possibility, imposes narrow objectives, and eats away at the little things that could grow into big things if they weren’t so oppressed by the rigors of existing structure.
I’ve seen this with my friends, in how they are full of ideas and adventurous spirit a few months after I convince them to quit their jobs. The world is full of ideas and opportunities to explore, but it takes time outside of structure to even adjust your eyes to the landscape of possibility. You are cramped by your job, unable to make the class of investments that is necessary for a life beyond the existing tracks.
👋 Until next week,
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