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Some People

It’s a truly unfortunate fact, but once understood could save us a ton of time and mental strain…

Some people suck.

I currently make my income by serving tables and last night I had a purely low-class couple. By “low-class,” I’m not referring to their clothing or their skin color, I’m referring to the way they treated me and how my service was compensated. Not once did they say please or thank you. Each and every time I went back to the table, they needed something else. All I was thinking was “just get them out as soon as you can.” My expectations were low, but the final blow still hurt. Their bill was $90. I hand him the check and he slips me cash….5 bucks.

There is absolutely nothing more frustrating in the service industry than working your ass off for little to no payoff. I looked down at the depressed look on Abraham Lincoln’s face, said “I feel ya buddy,” but before I went into a pissed-off state of mind, I reminded myself something that put my heart at ease…

Some people suck.

3 Things You Need

In whatever you do, especially in a skill you wish to improve upon, you need three things:

1) Someone better than you. A mentor or a coach who challenges and inspires you to learn efficiently and desire the most out of yourself. Watch what they do. Listen to what they say. Spend time with these people and you will slowly accumulate their skills.

2) Someone of equal ability. A friend, teammate, coworker, rival…who is on the same level as you. Don’t improve merely to become better than them, but learn to love and bond over the growth process as you see this person and yourself advancing. Push each other. Win win.

3) Someone less skilled than you. So you may be a mentor for someone else. This gives you an opportunity to take all the lessons and hardships you have endured and pay it forward. When you teach something that you’ve learned, you get to learn it twice. Articulating your knowledge in a clear and concise way is the true test of how well you know what you’re doing. Also (on a more cynical note), it’s nice to get a confidence boost by seeing you’re not the worst at something. By seeing people who aren’t as proficient as you, it reminds you that you have improved, as long as it’s balanced out by the humility of “But I still have so much to learn.”

Balance these three things. Be inspired by each. They will help you climb the mountain.

Drink Water

This morning, I woke up to my alarm feeling violently groggy—almost hungover (even though I haven’t had alcohol in weeks). My sleep-aid app told me my sleep quality over the night was around 45%…my record low.

I forced myself out of bed more reluctantly than usual, went downstairs, and after going to the bathroom, did what I always do to start my day: drink a full glass of cold water.

Most of us don’t drink enough H2O. Even more don’t drink water right when we wake up, which should blow our minds when you think about the fact that your body has gone 7-10 hours (often times more) without water. It’s hard to fill up while you’re sleeping.

After my second glass, the fog began to fade. It felt as though I was coming back to life. Much of our exhaustion in the early morning could be eased by simply drinking some fucking water.

A water bottle helps. Fill it the night before and keep it cold in the fridge. It also helps you drink more throughout the day, and is perfect to take to a place like Chipotle (no wasting their cup and no temptation to get soda [poison water]). I prefer a Nalgene because it’s simple, cheap, and dishwasher-safe. If you feel like splurging, Yeti or Hydroflask are companies which offer great quality bottles. Perfect for camping or any activities where you don’t have time/access to keep refilling.

In honor of the cells in your body—before you reach for the coffee, drink a glass of cold water.

Everyone is Against You

A poem by Phillip Lopate (as seen in Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott):

We who are
your closest friends
feel the time
has come to tell you
that every Thursday
we have been meeting,
as a group,
to devise ways
to keep you
in perpetual uncertainty
frustration
discontent and
torture
by neither loving you
as much as you want
nor cutting you adrift.
Your analyst is
in on it,
plus your boyfriend
and your ex-husband;
and we have pledged
to disappoint you
as long as you need us.
In announcing our
association
we realize we have
placed in your hands
a possible antidote
against uncertainty
indeed against ourselves.
But since our Thursday nights
have brought us
to a community
of purpose
rare in itself
with you as
the natural center,
we feel hopeful you
will continue to make unreasonable
demands for affection
if not as a consequence
of your disastrous personality
then for the good of the collective.

Starting

Having an idea is fun. It’s perfect in all of its unknown potential. You have no idea what will become of it.

99% of the time, it will remain in your head and you’ll never attempt to make it tangible or bring it out into the real world. Because if you do, then it won’t be perfect anymore. It’ll be muddy, incomplete, worse than your friend or coworker’s idea. So we keep it bottled up, safe and sound, until years go by and we have an archive of all of these could have’s and should have’s…many of the best parts forgotten.

This is the first blog post on this website. And similar to the content of my YouTube channel and podcast, I have no idea if anyone will consume this. And I certainly have no idea if anyone will derive value from it. But what I do know is that if I just kept these ideas to myself, there stands a zero percent chance of reaching even one person. None of my dreams will be realized.

If you’re worried about beginning because your work will be garbage, don’t worry, it will be. The trick is to understand the value of sucking and keeping at it until you develop the potential quality your idea deserves. Here we go.

Start.