The Vs. Studio Blog

There exists a gap between not knowing how you will get through something, yeah at the same time knowing you will get through something.

This gap has a name.

It’s called Faith.

“Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”-Joshua J. Marine

Overcoming challenges does make life interesting and meaningful.

Especially when you intentionally seek them out. That’s when life gets really fun.

I have over 250 half-written blog posts in my draft folder.

I always have intentions to come back and finish them, but rarely do. Mainly because I’m just not in the same headspace as I was when I half-wrote it. And it’s nearly impossible to get back there.

Finish what you start.

Or start something new and finish that.

The in-between is not the place to be.

P.S. – Speaking of yesterday’s imagining your circumstances blog post, this blog post today from Seth Godin.

“Acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” -Sanford Meisner

“The imagination is closer to the actor than real life-more agreeable, more comfortable…The imagination is the ignition key. Without it, nothing else works.” -Stella Adler

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.” -Albert Einstein, Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms

“We are limited only by our imagination and our will to act.” -Ron Garan, NASA astronaut

“The minute the eyes of your heart are enlightened, the minute your imagination gives you the picture of your path, your goal, your aim — it is as good as done.” -David Schwarz, The Magic Of Thinking Big

If the imaginary circumstances of the play don’t inspire you to act boldly, then imagine some others that do.

This applies to anything you’re trying to accomplish in life as well.

P.S. – H/t to my friend Jonas for the great Einstein quote above.

“When you drink water from a cup, it becomes part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later.
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Similarly, thoughts can be consumed or dismissed. Is this thought nourishing? Is this feeling something you should drink? Or is it more like getting caught in the rain?
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You’ll always feel the rain, but you don’t have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass and in a few moments the sun will return. You don’t have to claim everything you feel.” -James Clear

One way to get rid of a negative thought is to simply thank it.

“Thank you, thought. Moving on.”

For the stubbornly negative ones, just keep saying “Thank you.” Over and over until it passes.

You’d be surprised how effective this is.

Yes, I do, I love ya
I swear on the stars above, I do
I swear on the streetlight on the corner
Shoving back the shadows
One shadow cursing
Another shadow laughing
Underneath the streetlight
I don’t know where they’re coming from
I just see ’em passing
Underneath the streetlight -song “Underneath The Streetlight” by Joni Mitchell

Some of the greatest, funniest, deepest and most memorable conversations I’ve ever had occurred after seeing a play. Often on a street corner, under the lights. Catching up with a friend, talking about the work you just saw, which then opens the door for everything else.

If you’re looking for yet another reason to go see live theatre, consider this a great one.

P.S. – I just caught up with my good friend Mattie after seeing SYLVIA SYLVIA SYLVIA at the Geffen Playhouse (not out on the corner, but in a parking garage as we walked to our cars). The play is terrific and I highly recommend, but the conversation afterwards was epic.

“If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.” -Phil Knight

How do you know if you’re following your calling?

You look at failures and frustrations as inevitable. As nothing more than mile markers on the journey.

Not as signs that you’re going down the wrong road and should go back the other way.

(And yes, the highs are really, really high. That helps too.)

To scroll or not to scroll, that is the question.

Actually, no.

The real question is why are you scrolling in the first place? What are you looking for?

Put the phone down.

Go read some Shakespeare instead. Trust me, you’ll be a lot happier if you do.

“The quality of your ideas will be a function of the quantity of your boredom. Output is only possible when you take away enough input.” -Paul Shirley

“Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves.” -James Clear

Economics teaches that you can assess the potential success of a business by how many different inputs are needed to produce one output.

Less is more.

The same holds true for anything you’re trying to accomplish in life. Be hyper vigilant on the amount and quality of your inputs. Focus.

Less is more.

“You really can just stop something that isn’t working for you. You can be polite and straightforward and walk away.” -Justin Welsh

“Time is the friend of someone who is properly positioned and the enemy of someone poorly positioned”. -Shane Parrish

“If you’re already taking action, then ensuring you’re working on the right thing is more important than working harder. Your effort sets your floor. Your strategy sets your ceiling”. -James Clear

“Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” -Seth Godin

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away and know when to run
You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done -song, “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers

Almost every horror film contains an element where the hero has an instinct to get out early, but stays anyway, and now it’s too late.

Whether it’s an investment, a project, a job. a career or even certain relationships…as soon as you start to feel it’s time to get out, then get out. (Or at the very least, really investigate those feelings to see if they have merit.)

Almost always, you’ll never regret getting out early..

You will always regret getting out too late.