Author: davidsnow

The Problem Being a Perfectionist

Nothing ever gets done. Well, eventually things will get done. Even when it comes to writing my next post. No matter what the topic is (for the most part), there’s a lot of research involved. It really can be time consuming. And because of that I’m back to doing what I normally do, which is nothing.

OCD

I believe when it comes to being a perfectionist and having OCD, they tend to go hand-in-hand. Whatever the project you are currently working on, there’s this sense of feeling that everything just has to be right. But it also depends on what the project is. If you’re designing blueprints for buildings, that absolutely makes sense.

As a writer too, it’s pretty much the same. And that goes for just about everything else. In its’ own ways, you want to make sure that what you are doing is at least up to your standards. Writers should always remember to proofread what they wrote before finalizing. Sadly, I’ve seen one too many times with articles on the internet where a simple grammar mistake threw off my reading completely.

Don’t worry though, we’re not perfect. Mistakes happen. And I’m pretty sure I’ve had some grammar errors in some of my previous posts. Which is the point I’m trying to make as well. When you work so hard at making things right, you tend to forget what you’re actually doing. That is when you are too disciplined, and you are no longer enjoying yourself and what you do.

Take it from me; learn to relax a little bit more and loosen up with your work. Sometimes the best ideas or work can come from just going with the flow. But you don’t need me to tell you that. It’s already within you!

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Gossip Never Sleeps

Ah, yes. The classic saying, “Gossip never sleeps.” But why is that? Why talk about somebody behind their back in such a manner that people would see you as a bad person? The problem with that is there’s a good chance these people are the agreeable type. So, just about anything you say they will take your side. In terms; you’re not bad to them at all.

Maybe though, there are the few that will call you out on what you tell them. Which unfortunately, they will probably just end up talking about you when you’re not around to somebody else. And that’s the unfortunate cycle we live in.

Insecurities

We all come from different backgrounds. Whether good or bad, rich or poor, there’s only so much you can blame on how you were raised. Maybe it’s got something to do with being more privileged than others. Where you aren’t even aware of your actions and how you are when others aren’t even around to defend themselves.

I get it though. Most of the gossip happens when we’re younger. We honestly don’t know any better. That’s what comes with being young, you’re naive. But as we age, we learn. We learn about how terrible we were and what we said about others. Yet, I’ve witnessed even as older adults, the bad-mouthing still remains with some.

Your level of intelligence should not matter one bit. Except it’s even worse when the individual is smarter. And that’s because they know how to be more subtle about it. Your life cannot be that dull where you have the need to spice things up hoping to get a rise out of someone. If that is the highlight of your day, then I do hope that you become aware of your actions and choose to change yourself for the better.

If not… well, let’s just say I want nothing to do with you.

Put Gossip to Bed

The thing is, we all have problems in life that we have to deal with on our own, like it or not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t seek help or guidance to give us what we need to come to a decision in the choices we make.

Life just is. And because everyone is going through it, you don’t have to make someone else’s life more difficult by adding to their fire. That’s why I personally, especially in a professional setting, am kind to others. You can’t always know if somebody is having a good or bad day. The least you can do is offer them positivity.

Your actions, no matter how big or small, can pay dividends to those who need it… even if they don’t ask for it.

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Life After Graduation

“Congratulations class of…”… and there it is. That moment you’ve been waiting for. You and your graduating class celebrating together one last time. Not knowing if you’re actually going to see each other again. When you think about it, it’s pretty wild… but unfortunately sad. The next question to ask yourself is… what now?

Reflecting

Looking back in my past was something I did often. Maybe one too many reminiscing moments. But it wasn’t always a bad thing. I got to appreciate the good times I had when just about everything was so much simpler. Smart phones weren’t around then. Plus, I had almost no responsibilities compared to what I’m dealing with now. I don’t pick my nose as often. Boy, that was something! I constantly picked my nose when I was younger. Never ate the boogers though. Anyway, I kind of grossed myself out a bit.

There were many great things about my time growing up. For instance; most household had one telephone, which was a landline. So, if you were trying to get a hold of someone, you had to actually wait and see who would pick up the phone before having a conversation. It was that or we would go over to the person’s home to see if they wanted to hangout. You could have an interaction with almost every family member of the person you’re trying to see. And thinking back at it now, that is pretty cool. Especially if you’re the type that likes to make conversation.

Speaking for myself, but who knows, maybe many of you would agree, that what I miss the most when I was going to school was… pretty much all of it. Even though my mindset seemed to be elsewhere, because I’ll be honest, I did not care for half of my classes. For the most part, I really wanted to build relationships, have friends, and never ask out most of the girls I was crushing on. Best way to put it, I was easily distracted, which explains why my schoolwork was subpar. Thinking back at it, I’m pretty sure I had A.D.D.

What Now?

However your time was spent during your school years, let’s just hope you made some fond memories. Of course, that will always come with some bad ones. Which is just a part of life. But school isn’t just for education. It’s an experience. Making friends, falling in love, and in those unfortunate times, getting bullied or doing the bullying. Let’s just hope lessons were learned and to those that did the bullying, it stopped. Otherwise, that’s on karma.

Even though I was nowhere near the best student in my class, or the most popular, I did enjoy my time when I was in school. Apart from a lot of mistakes I would change, but who wouldn’t make changes? What happened happened and we have to accept it. Learn and grow from it. But I do appreciate the school I went to for even providing me with an education. And not just an education, but for the classmates and teachers that have come in and out of my life and most importantly, the memories. It’s the memories that define us. How we use it in our everyday lives from what we learned from it.

So, whether you have chosen to continue your education further into college, or to do something else, consider that a new chapter in your journey. There’s so much world out there. Make the most of it!

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What If… You’re Not from This World?

Close your eyes… or not. But at least imagine yourself on this incredible planet with what it has to offer. The landscape: like the mountains, rivers, oceans, and all the scenic views to you. It’s just everything that this world has to offer, and all you can do is just soak it in. But it is breathtaking, nonetheless.

The people, the music that they create, and all the things that we know that entertains us. The best way to sum up this world is that Earth is the entertainment capital of, at least the galaxy. So… if you’re wondering if “aliens” have not visited us, it might be because they are in disguised. Think Captain Marvel and the skrulls (shapeshifters). They don’t want to destroy us. They are entertained by us. Which is why they would rather choose to be a part of this world. See what we have to offer. And from my point of view, we have a lot to offer!

You could be a part of this world while not being a part of this world. Video games do that to you. Especially if you’re playing The Sims. It’s just a better version of your life. The only problem is your motivation has been taken away from you (probably blame ‘Story Lord’ on that). Other than that, there’s not much more to say. This world pretty much has a little bit of everything.

My only question is: what do people not from this world have to offer? And when I say this, I am hoping that there are solutions to a lot of unanswered problems that is constantly going on with our planet. But anyway, just something to bring to your attention for no reason. That’s why it’s a ‘what if…’

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The Problem with Inflation & Cost of Living

Just about everything comes at a price. No matter what it tends to be. It could be buying a coffee, food at a restaurant, or even playing your favorite sport. The cost of all of these and so much more continue to rise. So, what’s the reason behind it? Will it ever stop, let alone slow down? Come with me (as Neil deGrasse Tyson would say) and we’ll go on this exploration with my theory.

As the population around the world continues to increase, that means more mouths to feed (no, I’m not trying to sound like Thanos and wipe out half of civilization to fix this). But it’s not just that, it’s everything that goes with it; clothes, housing and all of its’ components, and pretty much everything to keep everyone entertained. And what do all of these elements create…? Supply and demand.

Because of the rise in population, the demand for products is growing exponentially. Businesses have to comply to these in order to stay running. If you can’t meet expectations to where the world has evolved to, there’s a good chance you may go out of business. Hence the term, “survival of the fittest.”

I hate to say this, but demand has felt higher than ever. Since covid, it appears that people are making up for the loss of loved ones. Prices of eggs are insanely high. It made me have to stop buying them for a long while. Either I have to have a little farm for myself or switch over to being a vegan. Since I’m somewhat broke and don’t have my own land, I chose the latter.

Anyway, I’ve lost my point (as always), but I digress. Leading me to my next point. Can we do something about it? I believe we can. It’s going to take some work, but if we all do even a small part, it will make all the difference. At my school growing up, they taught us a valuable lesson in the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Something tells me that as an entire civilization that we consume way too much. For example, if something is used up a little bit, it gets thrown out instead of looking to see if it can be refurbished. I know this isn’t one of the 3 R’s, but it still has the “reee” in it. But what I mean is can this item, this product still be used just fine if we put a little TLC to it? And by that of course; tender, love & care. If you don’t treat your personal items like this, then I don’t want no scrubs. (I… am an idiot, I know)

Again, as I was saying, the biggest thing about recycling is that if we don’t do it, we are literally destroying the planet. There’s an actual garbage island from what I saw on Family Guy. I know, it’s a cartoon show but that doesn’t mean they don’t have valid points in them. I believe we keep forgetting that every resource on this beautiful planet is limited. But we have to do better. Otherwise, it’s like we failed, and I would hate to see that. In a way, I see myself to be like Captain Planet.

Let’s do our part and make these changes now. Even if you’re just one person, anything helps. But deep down, we’re all one (whatever that means… use your imagination).

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Writer’s Block

It’s happened before and more than likely will happen again. As writing can be very therapeutic for you, you just can’t help but have those days where nothing comes to you. Whether it’s an article, book, or anything else, the canvas is going to be blank. So, how can you change that? What’s causing you to have writer’s block?

In the last couple of months, writing for me has been incredibly difficult. Not just from lacking the creative mindset to put in the work, but with how I’m living my life as well. During this time, I’ve been completely unmotivated to work on any of the handful of projects I have going on. My free time consisted mostly of laying on the couch and watching TV or playing video games. Which I understand that the mind needs some time off from the real world. But where does it come from? Does it ever end? Or is it normal because life just is?

A short time ago I actually did something I only imagined doing but was not sure if I would need to. A went to seek help from a therapist. After my doctor’s visit, I was missing something in my life that kept me from being truly happy. That’s when he recommended I see a therapist. What came from this after just one session was that I felt like I might have been juggling one too many things that I wanted to do with my life almost all at once.

The other big thing I learned was not holding myself accountable. When it comes to some of my jobs, I’m great! I do the best of my abilities during my time at work. I show up when I have to, perform the task given to me and crush it. If only I could say the same to the many projects I’m currently or been working on for some time now. It’s the aspect of other people that I don’t want to let down. When it’s just me, I am responsible for myself. Am I just used to letting myself down knowing there’s no repercussions?

The seriousness of letting yourself down might be more punishing than what’s shown on the surface. Coming from someone who almost constantly looks ahead into the future. The days that turns into weeks and even months that goes by without accomplishing anything wears me down mentally. That disappointment of no real achievements and the constant let downs. It’s heartbreaking.

Anyway, by seeing a therapist, I want to better myself. I know something is off and know that change needs to happen. What it comes down to, at least for me, is that by having someone that I go to for help, I see them as a mentor. Someone I don’t want to let down. After just one session, I’m confident that every day will be better as long as I continue to work on myself.

So far, I’m already seeing progress. Up until this very post, I had been writing from home. Something I am implementing is changing location. It could be that the atmosphere or my surroundings was causing me my lack of motivation to write or work on anything I have going on. For anyone else out there that’s dealing with something similar, give it a shot. A change of scenery could do you wonders!

And if you’re like me, single yet ready to mingle, it could be a great way to meet people and potentially build a friendship, colleague, or even a mate… but only time will tell.

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A Long Time Ago, I Farted

Going back to my childhood, not long after moving into our first house with my family, I was with my brother and sister in the downstairs living room. For the most part, we were watching TV, then suddenly, my brother let’s off a fart. Like the kids that we were, everyone laughed. Shortly after, my sister would do the same. And again, more laughing. But not realizing then, I was put on the spot. I felt like it was my turn to take a fart. The only problem was I didn’t have one loaded up. But I didn’t want to disappoint everyone (which was just the 3 of us), so I did my best to release what I could. Pushing a little too hard, it was at that moment, I had to throw out my underwear. I completely shat myself!

I don’t know if there was a moral to this story. But who doesn’t like a good fart?! And just for the record, I was able to fart… it just came with bonus material.

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The Time I Failed to Be a Good Samaritan

Not that long ago, in my neck of the woods, there was a snowstorm. Well, actually, more of an ice storm. It was freezing rain. While I was at work, it started accumulating only for a couple hours. Shortly after I would get off work, I headed home. As I came to a stop at a light, I noticed a couple vehicles stuck in the middle of the road. They were slipping on the road that had built up to be icy enough to make driving difficult.

For a moment, I hesitated. Not exactly sure what I should do. But after a brief moment, I took action. Pulled my e-brake and decided to at least try to help one car out. Unfortunately, I wasn’t wearing the best shoes, so I was constantly slipping on the icy road. Trying my best to help rock their car enough to get momentum to power through… yet nothing happened.

At this point, I was now holding up traffic, so I felt the need to get back to my car and apologizing to those that weren’t able to clear their car from that slippery slope. Not only did I not help, but I caused a bit of traffic. So, it was really a lose-lose situation. The only positive note was that I did not get stuck myself.

Moral of the story, when you try to be helpful to those in distress… it’s not as easy as everyone plays it out to be. Otherwise, it really is just me. Because here’s the thing: only a couple days afterwards, I was doordashing and was picking up an order at a restaurant. When I got inside, the assistant manager was on the phone trying to get a sheriff over for something that had happen not too long ago. This other gentleman that shortly arrived after I did heard that as well.

Then, not a minute later, this individual showed up causing a scene and the guy next to me just ended up leaving. The person that was making a scene started walking back into the ’employees only’ location of the restaurant and continued to get louder. It was at that moment I noticed an employee breathing heavily. At first, I wasn’t aware of what was going on with him. But shortly after, I just decided not to waste my time and ended up leaving myself.

After getting in my car and driving off, I started doing what I do best… using hindsight. The employee that was breathing heavily to me appeared to be having possibly a panic attack. All I could think of was what I could have done differently if I was back there. Which was trying to get his attention to me and to breathe slowly and take deep breaths. Motivate him and tell him he’s doing such a good job in calming down. To let him know that there is so much greatness out there in the world and not to focus on this one bad situation.

Sadly though… I did nothing… as normal. As much as I want to help people out, especially in situations like these… I crack under pressure. It may be one of my biggest weaknesses. I want to do better. I want to help those in need… maybe I’m just afraid. Or maybe I’m just too slow. My mind doesn’t always process things as fast as I would like. Some things, yes! But others, not so much.

Maybe that’s why I fail so much in life…

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Why Having Your Driver’s License Should Be a Privilege

Depending on what part of the world you’re from, there’s an age requirement you have to meet before you are allowed to drive. I’m sure for most people, getting your license may be fairly easy. Once you get it, you almost go by your own rules and not the one’s we have to comply to.

The problem is that there are driving etiquettes we’re not aware of and in ways, are not taught to us when obtaining our license. The question is, should it be? Almost every day I’m on the road I see drivers that are one mistake away from an accident or would be getting pulled over if in the right time and place.

Multitasking is another big problem. If you can’t do it well, then don’t. Some stoplights don’t stay green for long, which is why we have to be ready to go when it changes. It only takes one person staring at their phones without realizing how long they have held up traffic.

I now steer clear of aggressive drivers. If they want to weave in-and-out of lanes just to get to their destination faster, I’m not going to get in their way. Just as long as they don’t put anyone in harm’s way. And according to studies, you may only be shaving just minutes off if you were to drive normally.

But I get it, I get anxious at times myself. If people accelerate too slow and take forever just to get to the speed limit, I will drive past them. The thing is, there is so much to be grateful for when driving. Just knowing how quickly you could get to your destination if you had to compare it to walking, riding a bike, or taking a carriage and a horse (which actually sounds really cool and maybe romantic on some occasions).

As an entire civilization, we have come incredibly far. I just don’t feel like getting your driver’s license should be as easy it they make it. At least not without knowing what to expect with other drivers. I’ve had one too many times avoid getting into an accident from other drivers lack of road awareness. Not everyone is going to be as sharp, so please, stay focused. Be responsible. And of course, be safe.

(Honestly, this feels like a public service announcement… not what I intended but okay!)

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Why My Neighbors Might Think I’m Crazy

“He’s talking to himself again.” says the neighbor. “Just ignore him, honey.” their significant other responding. “It’s not like he’s really bothering anybody, I hope…”

The conversation I sometimes think that my neighbors might be having about me. The thing is my home of which is also my office (and the unfortunate part of living in an apartment), is also my sanctum. But I don’t always like to be in my own head, which is why I like to say things out loud. And the beauty of that is it helps with your speech. Especially when you’re out in public or have a job where you almost constantly are talking to people. Someday I would love to talk or perform in front of a crowd. I know it would be incredibly nerve wracking but it’s a goal of mine. Possibly something of a Ted Talk.

Now, getting back to my neighbors, the reason I mention this is that I hear a lot of noise and activities from my surroundings. Half the time it sounds like one of my neighbors is banging on the wall… or ceiling, maybe floor. I really don’t know. When the place is made up of concrete, the noise almost echoes, which makes it all the more difficult to know where it’s coming from. Maybe, as far as I know, I’m not being loud at all. I try to keep my TV volume to what I believe is a reasonable level. I don’t want to consider myself as “that” neighbor.

If the walls just happen to bounce sound that easily where you can be heard, I’m sorry. But there really isn’t anything I can do about that. If not and they are plenty soundproof and it’s just that some people are really that loud themselves, I’m in the clear. Otherwise, hopefully I’m putting on a good show for you. I do try to be as entertaining as I can.

The other thing about talking to yourself out loud isn’t just to practice your speech to see if you’re saying things correctly, but maybe it keeps you from being inside your own head too much. For me, it’s how I like to work. Crafting my passion together but also when I talk to myself, I’m not actually talking to myself. I pretend that I have an audience. Or just another person here with me. What that does is it makes conversating that much easier. But definitely doesn’t make it so difficult which many people do have trouble with. Considering I’m a procrastinating filmmaker, but also my own actor, I’m constantly practicing my speech as well.

With that, as I mentioned before, whether or not I can be heard from my neighbors, I do hope you see what I’m doing as a form of art. Because it is! It’s just taking me a little bit longer to put together a story, a script, the idea to what I want to do. When you do all this by yourself, it is a slow progress. I like to say that my job in this life is to impress the world… and plenty more.

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