Dear Denny,
This year, I'm resolved to stop being tired and start working again. I have a larger overall theme of introducing more discipline, and I believe in using my discipline and focus to vote with me feet.
2017 and 2018 (and really, the many years leading up to today) were fucking horrible in that I felt like I was constantly under a barrage of bad ideas and content and pressures. With everything seemingly on fire, I felt I had this obligation to constantly try and keep up, and that anything less than 'paying attention' meant that I might let the world pass me by. So I think that's why I tried so hard to drink straight from the firehose.
After a certain amount of that deluge, I kind of broke and got this learned helplessness. For a while I felt stuck. So in an effort to get unstuck, I started thinking - well, what can I control? Here's what I can do.
Eating meat is bad for the environment. I'm consciously reducing my meat eating patterns whenever I can, especially at home. I'm replacing it with vegetables and fish.
Amazon is a Bad company, but Amazon is a symptom of a larger culture of consumerism. Every dollar I spend on some 2-day shipping for some minor thing, I get some amount of convenience, but that convenience comes at a cost of taking that money out of my local community.
I'd rather put money directly into the community and local people, and there's a real appreciation when you do it in person and realize that you could be saving $0.50 by doing it online, but that just wouldn't be as much fun and you don't get to interact with humans.
When you get stuck, it is very very hard to unstuck yourself alone. There are some superhuman people or special movie moments that maybe can climb out of depression or helplessness on their own, but if it's easier with friends and allies, then why not?
Allies are people who share the same moral vision for the world that you share. Chances are if you make yourself available to seek new allies, you'll find evidence of other people who've faced the same challenges you've faced and dealt with it. Those people can serve as inspirations and show you the way.
I had a blast volunteering and canvassing for a campaign last summer. Service work is work that you do for a cause or in the name of someone else. More service work is good.
It is too easy to try to unwind or look for enjoyment in things or objects, and when someone has money, seeking enjoyment just means spending more money.
This year, I'm going spend less effort looking for fun outside of me, and having more fun from within me - by making stuff. I'm probably happiest when I'm being creative, and there's lots of ways to be creative and have fun without spending money to do so.
All carbon emissions are bad, but it matters where in the atmosphere you put it. Flying is bad for the environment because you're putting several tons of carbon emissions directly into the part of the planet that can't offset it.
I recently drove a trip that I would normally fly, and it was a lot of fun. I got to see new things, visit friends along the way, and listen to lots of podcasts. I'll be trying to avoid unnecessary flights whenever I can.
I think if I did these things, I will be fighting against the end of the world and I would feel better about the coming ecological and economic apocalypse in 2030.
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