Adventures in Independent Thinking

If I possess one superpower it is not worrying about what other people think of me. I learned a long time ago that people are typically thinking of themselves anyhow and I cannot control other people’s thoughts one way or the other. All I am responsible for is my own life choices as I endeavor to live according to my principles and practice of faith. I have discovered independent thinking is the key to living a life liberated from peer pressure.

And I have observed that the principal factor in the failure of people to experience adventure is trying to please other people at their own expense. Appeasing others’ selfish demands and lame opinions of you is a surefire way to squelch your own giftings and maybe even sacrifice your dreams. Suffice it to say that until the pain of not changing exceeds the pain of change we are not likely to make the necessary moves to experience adventure in our lives.

“Explorers and adventurers understand a great truth. In order to experience the fantastic, they have to first put themselves in fantastic places. It is the same for us. Conversely, if we rely solely on common sense, we experience a common life,” suggests writer Allen Arnold. And I could not agree more. If Linda and I had listened to the naysayers we would not have embarked on the amazing journey that we have experienced these past dozen years.

I am writing this on the thirteenth anniversary of a neighbor’s tree falling on our dream home, which helped motivate us to sell it in order to live and move more freely and lightly. And we are looking forward to a visit this weekend from a couple friends of ours who try to celebrate their anniversary with us at each of the fantastic places we’ve called home in the meantime, including Nantucket Island, middle Tennessee, coastal Maine, and now the Shenandoah Valley.  

Former nurse Bronnie Ware shared in her book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, the most common regret of all was, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” And Steve Jobs advised in his famous Stanford commencement speech, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Amen and amen.

Practicing Uncommon Sense

I am not a huge podcast enthusiast but Linda and I do like to occasionally watch (as opposed to simply listen to) a handful of podcasts on YouTube in the evenings. And lately a couple of thought leaders I respect have advocated a notion I have long supported given the scarcity of common sense and that is practicing uncommon sense.

Carey Nieuwhof here has featured both Seth Godin and Cal Newport on his leadership podcast and each has stressed their absence on virtually all forms of social media. Godin hosts his own podcast and simply reposts his blog entries elsewhere while Newport limits his online presence to his own blog and podcast, period.   

By definition the minimalist journey is one of living counterculturally and learning to not care so much about the socially accepted way of doing life. And one of our primary forms of resistance is refusing to spend our precious time scrolling mindlessly on social media platforms that monetize our personal data for their own financial benefit.   

Another area that we try to be more intentional is in our news consumption, which is largely limited to local issues since that is all we are in a position to influence. I got to where I was paying too much attention to the news application on my phone and getting stressed watching televised clips before bedtime so I minimize both.

As I have hinted in this and other posts there is much to be said for thinking for ourselves instead of allowing others to unduly influence our belief system and overall lifestyle. If there is one takeaway from the pandemic I think it is the compelling need for us all to learn to discern between the different voices vying for our hearts and minds. “Democracy dies in darkness,” indeed.

Think Different

It is no secret that Linda and I are long-time Apple aficionados and to continue the advertising-related vibe from last post I am writing here about the need to “Think Different,” as reflected in the award-winning campaign from Apple several years ago. It stated so eloquently:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

While I don’t purport to place myself in the pantheon of notable people featured in the above campaign, I would like to think Linda and I are helping others (hopefully including you all) to see things differently regarding the relationship between life and stuff. And I must confess I have been called a rebel and troublemaker a time or two. 

As a similar statement I came across suggests: “Blessed are the weird people. The artists, the writers, and the music makers. The dreamers and the outsiders. For they force us to see the world differently.” And I love this definition of a bohemian: “a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices. Also, one who lives a wandering or vagabond life.” As a writer and wanderer I guess I am guilty on both accounts.  

And I got to reflecting upon several other phrases that succinctly summarize the ethos of thinking differently, including: Learn to think for yourself. Rethink your assumptions. Challenge the status quo. Color outside the lines. Think outside the box. Swim against the tide. Blaze a new trail. Question authority. Rewrite the rules.

Suffice it to say that opting out of our materialistic culture in favor of a more meaningful and minimalist lifestyle is unconventional, not to mention countercultural. Not everyone will understand your thinking and some may even call you crazy. But all you need to remember is that it is your life and you are not duty bound to do the bidding of others. So my friends, think different, lessen your load of stuff, and reap the rewards of a lighter life! 

Sense of Place

I got to travel to my home state of Virginia this past weekend and while there I visited founding father Thomas Jefferson’s private retreat called Poplar Forest, outside of Lynchburg. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s initial visit to Poplar Forest, one of only two homes he designed and created for his own use—the other being Monticello in Charlottesville—and free admission made it even more fun.

The home speaks volumes about the man and his mind, as it is reportedly the first octagonal home built in America and featured many state of the art amenities, including indoor toiletry to supplement his octagon-shaped outhouses. Of Poplar Forest, Jefferson wrote to a friend: “When finished, it will be the best dwelling house in the state, except that of Monticello; perhaps preferable to that, as more proportioned to the faculties of a private citizen.”

Poplar Forest’s website at www.poplarforest.org hints at the special place it held in its owner’s heart: “Poplar Forest was an important part of Jefferson’s life: a private retreat, situated far from the public scrutiny, where he could indulge in his favorite pastimes of reading, studying and thinking. Poplar Forest [was] a place where he came to find rest and leisure, rekindle his creativity, and to enjoy private family time.”

In a letter written to another friend, Jefferson wrote of Poplar Forest: “I write to you from a place 90 miles from Monticello…which I visit three or four times a year, and stay from a fortnight to a month at a time. I have fixed myself comfortably, keep some books here, bring others occasionally, am in the solitude of a hermit, and quite at leisure to attend to my absent friends.”

What was so special about visiting Jefferson’s hideaway is that it gave me a sense of place and how his home informed and inspired one of the truly revolutionary thinkers in history. It was moving to spend time in the same space that the author of our nation’s Declaration of Independence used to read and study and think grand thoughts.

Thinking of Abundance

I share my thinking on this blog for the creative fun of it and the simple satisfaction that comes from communicating with readers about what’s on my mind. With that said, like any other blogger, or creative artist of any stripe, it always feels good to be validated in one’s thinking and that is the prompt for this posting.

As a longtime subscriber to Fast Company, I am regularly treated to a cornucopia of innovative and interesting ideas so suffice it to say that I was particularly pleased to read a recent article about the business success of Panera Bread [which I had written about in my 06/15/09 posting titled “Mobile Avenue”].

As I mentioned in my post, Panera’s “unlimited Internet access is the drawing card for countless professional nomads like myself who are looking for a cool, cozy place to conduct business.” My point was, and continues to be, that businesses with an abundance mindset will trump those with a scarcity mentality.

As the aforementioned article states, “Mention Panera Bread and fans are as likely to praise the free Wi-Fi as they are to gush about the Asiago cheese bagels. And that, execs at the restaurant chain say, is the point. While its competitors scale back on upscale ingredients, trim portion sizes, and create value menus, Panera is selling fresh food and warm bread at full price, and encouraging customers to linger. That recipe is succeeding.”

The article also points out that while others aim to limit laptop-lugging patrons, Panera has realized that fostering community contributes to cash flow: “And the company has combined that menu with an unpretentious atmosphere—there’s no table service, but also no time limit. As a result, it has become as much community gathering space as a bustling lunch spot. ‘In many ways, we’re renting space to people and the food is the price of admission,’ says CEO Ron Shaich.”