Two Thoughts From a Talk

Michael Yu
Jul 25, 2017 · 3 min read

Disclaimer: This post was written as merely a way to remember a conversation and the thoughts that ensued — it’s not written very well.

I just had a long talk with one of my close friends. We were inside a car, parked in a random spot, at 1 am — the perfect conditions for those deep conversations to come out.

There were two things that stood out to me:

  1. Our experiences in our first year of college
  2. An agreement that doing anything was better than doing nothing

Our experiences in our first year of college

Our talks made me realize how important culture and diversity were to growth. I go to school in LA and she goes to school in New York, but we’re both from the same cookie cutter suburb in Southern California — a place with a nonexistent culture that seriously lacks diversity. While everyone from our high school had almost the same story and perspectives, the people we met at school had already inexplicably changed our outlook on our own lives and our futures. The way we think, talk, and dream in our colleges are so different than in our hometown.

It’s a sad reality that coming back home makes me feel complacent and undeservingly carefree — it’s as if the dreams I chased in LA were suddenly out of sight. A light switch was turned off and I don’t know who or what flipped it. But, I think I have an answer.

The fact that one’s surroundings changes their mindset has become abundantly clear to me in the past few weeks.

A “comfortable” area is often devoid of any real substance and value to an individual. In my experience, when I am surrounded by a driven, motivated community (as a result of driven and motivated individuals), I feel less self-conscious and more ready to focus on the things I want to. It’s almost ironic — that I am able to focus on my goals when I’m surrounded by chaos.

The inverse is also true: in a atmosphere that is cathartic and slow, I find myself spending less time thinking about myself and more time thinking about useless crap. So, I’m going to make it a goal to place myself in environments that are most conducive to my success and set myself up for experiences that will open the way I think and interact with others.

An agreement that doing anything was better than doing nothing

Whether it’s hitting a jam session, building a website, or taking psychedelics, I have come to conclusion that it is always better to be doing something, rather than nothing. (note: intake of psychedelics is unconfirmed).

Personally, I think this thought boils down to one single word:

Execution.

No… Not the killing kind, but the Elon Musk kind. The kind that moves forward without a clear vision. Because, it’s my firm belief that as an idea progresses, it will illuminate different paths as it moves. It’s something that I don’t always take into account in my own life. I often decide not to do something because I can’t see any immediate tangible benefit. It’s a poor, sloppy way to conduct my life that will ultimately result in me being half the person I want to be. And that’s the truth. So, I’m making another goal: to be unafraid of the lack of short-term gains to pains ratio and haul ass for the long-run. Because as a wise friend once told me:

Don’t underestimate the .01% gains.

I guess gains are kind of like compound interest.

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