Month: July 2023

Do not major in minor things.

It’s entirely possible to major in minor things.

Inaction is much better than sweating over minor things that doesn’t make a den.

Majoring in vital things requires reflection and thought.

You’d need to “waste” time to figure out what to major in, so that you don’t waste your future in trivialities.

Trivialities might seem important and appeal to our FOMO. On the other hand, the fear is heightened when we approach things of higher stakes.

To major in minor things happens by default.

To major in major things happens by design.

Why does “major in minor things” happens by default? Because there is a constant stream of shiny things vying for us to be consumers.

Meanwhile, to major in things that are truly important to you, you need to be intentional. You need to to engage in active contemplation before contemplative active can happen.

You are called not just to be a consumer, but a creator.

It’s silly to put it this way, but it’s worth stating the facts. When we major in minor things, the cost is that we end up minoring in major things.

Major in things that matter, not just for now, but for the “long” now. Design your life around those things that matters most.

Don’t start your day with the news. Don’t major in timely things; major in timeless matters.

Here’s how you can begin to major in things that matter to you:

1. What is a measure of success in your life?

Take the time to reflect deeply on this. Don’t outsource this to society’s standard. Define what is a life well spent for yourself.

Think of this question in 3 sub-categories:

I. Personal

II. Relationships

III. Work

2. Measure the Major things.

It’s tempting to reach for things that are easily measurable. Do not end up valuing what is “good” to measure, but measure what is of value to you.

From 0 to 10, put a number to where you are at now. Figure out where you are at in order to figure out where you need to go.

3. Don’t Measure the Minor Things.

Finally, it’s tempting to keep track of everything. A huge cost is involved when we keep score of things that actually don’t matter.

The cost is a wasted life.

Let that go. It’s minor.

More than a single story…there is a symphony of selves, and the softer voices inside are asking for your attention.

You are a multitude.

You are not your trauma, though it may be part of your experience.

You are not your grief, though it might have made you brought you to your knees.

You are not your happiness, though you once felt the giddiness of gladness.

You are not your pain; be careful, as it carries power.

You are not the depressive, you are not the anxious. You are not the angry, you are not the crazy.

You are not just a man, you are not just a woman, you are not just a transgender individual. You are not just a minority, you are not just a rebel. You are not just a father, you are not just a mother. You are not just a husband, you are not just a wife. You are not just a son, you are not just a daughter. You are not just rich, you are not just poor. You are not just in the middle, you are not neither here nor there.

You are not either/or.

You are “both/and.”

You are a multitude. Don’t reduce yourself to a story. You carry many, many stories.

There is a symphony of selves.

Pick the ones that bring you to life. Take care of the ones that are neglected and is calling out to your attention in a small voice.

Don’t let the louder voices crowd you out.