Thank you once again, Tommy for you being you through your writing. For your truth and your beauty. For THE truth and the beauty of your words, hyor thoughts, your contriubtion.
Tommy, Tommy;
I, like you, write from the fire within. I write to contribute. I write to make my life serve as a contribution to others, an awakening for others. I write because I am called to write.
Substack is my Social Media, like you. At the same time, heading for serving the world through a book on Awakening Heart Listening, which, as you know, will be launched early next year, some time, all "coaches" point to expanding my reach through social media. So I gingerly post my Substack blogs on LinkedIn and Facebook, while not really intentionally building either, and I have been told, people have appreciated hearing from me like that.
So much goodness and wisdom from your heart here, and your poetry. The beauty of your writing, is astonishing to me.
I find myself thinking of you when I have not heard from you for a while. But I know you are writing. As well as stacking wood and shoveling snow.
The two phrases I loved, loved, loved the best were (as they are me):
"In other words, think your natural thoughts and burn with your natural passions. Don't become an actor in a part that was not written for you. Become who you are. Love your fate². That is the privilege of your lifetime. That is your pathway to bliss."
and
Joseph Campbell: “Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, 'This is what I need.' It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment--not discouragement--you will find the strength is there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!”
Thank you, once again, from one of your devoted admirers.
Amba, it's so lovely to hear from you and thank you for such a beautiful reflection here. Really, it's a gift.
I'm so excited for your upcoming book and I know it will also be a gift to the world, a major contribution. Please do let me know if I can be of service there in any way. Things have calmed down a bit and I'd be honored to help out.
That Joseph Campbell quote really knocked something loose inside me. That idea of "love of fate".
I am always blown away at how polished your exposition is. Every statement feels like it’s there on purpose, but in the way that goes down smooth and not in the way where you’re being gunned down with an automatic loaded full of aphorisms (though that style has its place).
Something funny is that since I deleted my personal socials, I actually take more pictures. Now I take pictures because of the joy I feel in a moment I’d be happy to look back on rather than just when I feel that what I’m looking might be likable to an audience beyond myself. And also because I now feel confident in my own motivations. Now my camera roll is more of life’s mundane treasures, which are my favorite parts
Thank you for reading macs, and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. And I really appreciate the kind words on my writing. I'm trying to leave more personality, more voice on the page, which can sometimes get cut out in edits.
It's so cool you've found yourself falling into photography. I find photos are such a delicate way to capture moods. Like, I can look back on a photo a year old and remember the exact stage of my life, the palette of emotions I was feeling.
This is also so good: "my camera roll is more of life’s mundane treasures". If anything I think the more interesting photography is of the everyday mundane, finding the magic in it, than the spectacular or grandiose. In that way, photography has taught me to take great joy in simple, mundane things.
Brilliant, my friend. I think this essay is gonna pop off like the extremely online one. Get ready for the fame again. Jokes aside, a lot resonated.
"It is a joy to be hidden but a tragedy to never be found." Incredible line. You touch on it but I equate being found with being seen and heard. Even forest monks need that, I presume.
"Behind anything aesthetic and tasteful is a foolish amount of labor." Yep. And the paradox is it looks so effortless. So deceiving until you start engaging in a similar creative act yourself. Also, this is big with athletes and actors. The game/performance overshadows the real work when we don't know what the real work entails.
"Many focus on doing the finding, through cold emails or job boards or dating apps, but few think about positioning themselves to be found." Loved the working with garage open metaphor.
"How I can express myself in a way that searches for specific people who I can forge meaningful relationships with. That's one reason I care about honesty in my writing. By showing what it's like inside my head, people can see if they would like to live there." You nailed it.
Love the re-frame from "delete all this crap" to laying out what this stuff can actually be good for. Probably a big reason why Substack is becoming so popular -- best place we can share an honest (as you call it) view of what it's like to be us
Thank you for reading Jeremy and writing such a beautiful reflection here. It's so helpful to see what resonated, seeds of what I can build more on in future essays.
Linart, it's so great to hear from you. In photography, they often say 80% of a photo is composition. As in, the subject matter. Most of a great photo is not what you see, but all that you don't see. So a beautiful photo does not mean one's life is entirely beautiful in the same way, because all the messiness has been "cropped out". Hope that makes sense.
Thank you! I really appreciated this fresh take on what the social internet can be. It’s something I’ve thought a lot about, and I’ve taken the negative aspects of social media and (over) sharing to heart, but like you say I don’t want to be completely invisible or impossible to find. For the right people to find! I don’t think I’ve yet read anything that proposed in so many concise words what a positive goal for being online might be. You got my attention!
There's certainly a delicate balance at play Síochána. I don't have all the answers by any means. Certainly I think when it comes to social media, abstinence is probably much healthier than abuse, but there are some benefits, at the proper proportions.
Similarly, I've always been an advocate of "it doesn't matter THAT you use technology, it's HOW you use it." I'm super interested in how we can use it better. I wish I could agree with you that people are getting tired of social media, but I fear they won't be able to get out of it on their own. There are fellow highschoolers I know who are on social media an absurd amount, who have never even known what its like to live without it. And the even younger generation? I'm scared.
Regardless, I'm desperately trying to experiment and search for solutions to this problem. It's very complex, but worth trying to address.
What I've come up with is a movement catered mostly to my peers (students) but really to anyone. It's a platform where people can find themselves, regain agency over their time, and get inspired by a community.
You want the messy side? I spent 13 hours animating this 2 minute video. Yep. But it was worth every bit because it turns my vision closer to reality. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts!!
Azark it's so good to hear from you man & it's so impressive that you're thinking this deeply and critically about these things at such a young age. The future of devices, and our overuse of them, certainly can lead to a pretty scary, dystopian image of the future. But I remain stubbornly optimistic.
I will check out the video. LOVE the agency here (:
Aren’t most of us just plain lazy? Ozempic lazy, fast food lazy, sleep in, tune out lazy? SM is easy. Easy is good. Living with the reality of our present self is, well, hard. A few folks will embrace the hardness of facing their inner self, trying to be their inner hero. But most, I fear, will continue along the easy path, injecting hits of falsified joy into an otherwise untested life. You message the ideal, Tommy. Keep at it!
There probably is a 'path of least resistance' piece that makes social media, or smartphone use in general, more enticing. I'm not sure everyone will escape it, but maybe that's okay. As with anything, effort must precede success.
If reading the room were an art, I reckon it is, you are a master. Fantastic, insightful article - TY ❤️
Thank you Linda (: really appreciate you reading & the kind words. Made my day!
Came across your work recently, and really appreciate your perspectives and honesty, thanks for sharing it with the world 🙏
Jonathan, thank you for reading man & taking the time to share a few kind words. Appreciate you being here (: Glad you found my work!
Thank you once again, Tommy for you being you through your writing. For your truth and your beauty. For THE truth and the beauty of your words, hyor thoughts, your contriubtion.
Tommy, Tommy;
I, like you, write from the fire within. I write to contribute. I write to make my life serve as a contribution to others, an awakening for others. I write because I am called to write.
Substack is my Social Media, like you. At the same time, heading for serving the world through a book on Awakening Heart Listening, which, as you know, will be launched early next year, some time, all "coaches" point to expanding my reach through social media. So I gingerly post my Substack blogs on LinkedIn and Facebook, while not really intentionally building either, and I have been told, people have appreciated hearing from me like that.
So much goodness and wisdom from your heart here, and your poetry. The beauty of your writing, is astonishing to me.
I find myself thinking of you when I have not heard from you for a while. But I know you are writing. As well as stacking wood and shoveling snow.
The two phrases I loved, loved, loved the best were (as they are me):
"In other words, think your natural thoughts and burn with your natural passions. Don't become an actor in a part that was not written for you. Become who you are. Love your fate². That is the privilege of your lifetime. That is your pathway to bliss."
and
Joseph Campbell: “Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, 'This is what I need.' It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment--not discouragement--you will find the strength is there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!”
Thank you, once again, from one of your devoted admirers.
Amba, it's so lovely to hear from you and thank you for such a beautiful reflection here. Really, it's a gift.
I'm so excited for your upcoming book and I know it will also be a gift to the world, a major contribution. Please do let me know if I can be of service there in any way. Things have calmed down a bit and I'd be honored to help out.
That Joseph Campbell quote really knocked something loose inside me. That idea of "love of fate".
Superb and utterly quotable throughout Tommy! Looking forward to connecting in person soon:)
Thank you Ruth (: I'm very grateful we've been able to connect on here
I am always blown away at how polished your exposition is. Every statement feels like it’s there on purpose, but in the way that goes down smooth and not in the way where you’re being gunned down with an automatic loaded full of aphorisms (though that style has its place).
Something funny is that since I deleted my personal socials, I actually take more pictures. Now I take pictures because of the joy I feel in a moment I’d be happy to look back on rather than just when I feel that what I’m looking might be likable to an audience beyond myself. And also because I now feel confident in my own motivations. Now my camera roll is more of life’s mundane treasures, which are my favorite parts
Thank you for reading macs, and leaving such a beautiful reflection here. And I really appreciate the kind words on my writing. I'm trying to leave more personality, more voice on the page, which can sometimes get cut out in edits.
It's so cool you've found yourself falling into photography. I find photos are such a delicate way to capture moods. Like, I can look back on a photo a year old and remember the exact stage of my life, the palette of emotions I was feeling.
This is also so good: "my camera roll is more of life’s mundane treasures". If anything I think the more interesting photography is of the everyday mundane, finding the magic in it, than the spectacular or grandiose. In that way, photography has taught me to take great joy in simple, mundane things.
Brilliant, my friend. I think this essay is gonna pop off like the extremely online one. Get ready for the fame again. Jokes aside, a lot resonated.
"It is a joy to be hidden but a tragedy to never be found." Incredible line. You touch on it but I equate being found with being seen and heard. Even forest monks need that, I presume.
"Behind anything aesthetic and tasteful is a foolish amount of labor." Yep. And the paradox is it looks so effortless. So deceiving until you start engaging in a similar creative act yourself. Also, this is big with athletes and actors. The game/performance overshadows the real work when we don't know what the real work entails.
"Many focus on doing the finding, through cold emails or job boards or dating apps, but few think about positioning themselves to be found." Loved the working with garage open metaphor.
"How I can express myself in a way that searches for specific people who I can forge meaningful relationships with. That's one reason I care about honesty in my writing. By showing what it's like inside my head, people can see if they would like to live there." You nailed it.
Love the re-frame from "delete all this crap" to laying out what this stuff can actually be good for. Probably a big reason why Substack is becoming so popular -- best place we can share an honest (as you call it) view of what it's like to be us
Thanks for sharing this one!
Thank you for reading Jeremy and writing such a beautiful reflection here. It's so helpful to see what resonated, seeds of what I can build more on in future essays.
A joy to have you here pal (:
Tommy, one sentence intrigued me and I've seen you write this a few times before.
What do you mean by "the art of photography is composition"?
Linart, it's so great to hear from you. In photography, they often say 80% of a photo is composition. As in, the subject matter. Most of a great photo is not what you see, but all that you don't see. So a beautiful photo does not mean one's life is entirely beautiful in the same way, because all the messiness has been "cropped out". Hope that makes sense.
So many good thoughts here! I have not read that Oscar Wilde quote before. I really love it.
Thank you Dawn (: That Wilde quote really floored me. Appreciate you reading!
Beautiful piece of literature my friend. Thank you for sharing, may God continue to bless you!
Thank you for reading! Appreciate the kind words (:
Thank you! I really appreciated this fresh take on what the social internet can be. It’s something I’ve thought a lot about, and I’ve taken the negative aspects of social media and (over) sharing to heart, but like you say I don’t want to be completely invisible or impossible to find. For the right people to find! I don’t think I’ve yet read anything that proposed in so many concise words what a positive goal for being online might be. You got my attention!
There's certainly a delicate balance at play Síochána. I don't have all the answers by any means. Certainly I think when it comes to social media, abstinence is probably much healthier than abuse, but there are some benefits, at the proper proportions.
Appreciate you reading & the kind words (:
Similarly, I've always been an advocate of "it doesn't matter THAT you use technology, it's HOW you use it." I'm super interested in how we can use it better. I wish I could agree with you that people are getting tired of social media, but I fear they won't be able to get out of it on their own. There are fellow highschoolers I know who are on social media an absurd amount, who have never even known what its like to live without it. And the even younger generation? I'm scared.
Regardless, I'm desperately trying to experiment and search for solutions to this problem. It's very complex, but worth trying to address.
What I've come up with is a movement catered mostly to my peers (students) but really to anyone. It's a platform where people can find themselves, regain agency over their time, and get inspired by a community.
You want the messy side? I spent 13 hours animating this 2 minute video. Yep. But it was worth every bit because it turns my vision closer to reality. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts!!
https://youtu.be/sDS8ukuWr4M?si=EMd4_bcHWyJZY1sa
Azark it's so good to hear from you man & it's so impressive that you're thinking this deeply and critically about these things at such a young age. The future of devices, and our overuse of them, certainly can lead to a pretty scary, dystopian image of the future. But I remain stubbornly optimistic.
I will check out the video. LOVE the agency here (:
Your writing is absolutely mesmerizing. I love and agree so much with your perspective.
Thank you for reading & the kind words. So happy it resonated (:
Loved it, thank you
Thank you for reading Julia (:
This was an enriching read. Loved it.
So happy it resonated Aamir, thank you for reading (:
Aren’t most of us just plain lazy? Ozempic lazy, fast food lazy, sleep in, tune out lazy? SM is easy. Easy is good. Living with the reality of our present self is, well, hard. A few folks will embrace the hardness of facing their inner self, trying to be their inner hero. But most, I fear, will continue along the easy path, injecting hits of falsified joy into an otherwise untested life. You message the ideal, Tommy. Keep at it!
There probably is a 'path of least resistance' piece that makes social media, or smartphone use in general, more enticing. I'm not sure everyone will escape it, but maybe that's okay. As with anything, effort must precede success.
Appreciate you reading mon pere (:
Full of great ideas Tommy! Where can I find the post-Reading Gaol quotes by Oscar?
Thank you Chris! De Profundis, by Oscar Wilde (available open source here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/921/921-h/921-h.htm )
Thanks Tommy! I’ve read it but don’t remember those lines—thank you for refreshing my memory! I’ll check it out