What are you up to these days?

[BloomingLate]

I'm sure you're all aware of the global situation regarding the Corona-virus outbreak. Most of us have been stuck at home due to measures to prevent further contamination. I first heard of these measures halfway through March when I was in piano class (I'm in the Netherlands by the way). That was also the last time I've been in piano class :P

Because of my chronic condition and since the burn-out in 2016 I'm used to being at home most of the time. In a sense, the Corona-measures make little difference for me life. That said, it did take away a couple of things that I'm starting to miss: church, visits to my grandparents and piano lessons (which I still get, but through the phone! Its not the same...) All in all I'm managing alright. My wife and I can still do walks around the neighborhood and there is always plenty to do around the house.

I have to say I haven't been working on any personal music projects or remixes. The last time I worked on something was months ago and I got frustrated and now I'm afraid to go back to it. I keep hitting obstacles with my productions and its just driving me nuts. I did spend some time learning music theory (specifically harmony) and I watched some videos on how to listen to Classical Music. That lead me to purchase the book Classical Music for Dummies, which is somewhat helpful to get me started. By some stroke of coincidence I found a cheap CD of Dvorak's New World Symphony shortly after having watched a analysis video and listening to a performance of it online. Nice :D I really like it.

I may have a new piano piece coming up, which will hopefully motivate me to get back in the saddle. Some companies have been generously handing out free Virtual Instruments during the crisis and I want to give those a try too.

What have you been up to these days? How are you handling the Corona-measures? Has the time home been good for your creative exploits?

 

[Master Mi]

I'm coming from East Germany.

And at the moment, this articial Corona hype as a much more blown up successor than the avian and swine flu doesn't affect my life too much.
I'm pretty glad I got the chance to downshift at my work as a landscape gardener this year right into my desired 30 hours weeks (4 full days working, 3 days weekend).

My line of work got no special restrictions.
So, I usually work from 7 a.m. to 15 (or 16) p.m - every day in the nature.

After this - if the sun shines - I often take a full body sun bath & nap at my balcony (always one the best parts of the day and for getting relaxed and recovered).
Then, after having a shower, I mostly prefer to have a large feast - something like a raw 7-course-dinner right into the evening hours.
At the same time I often read something or check some content on Youtube.

Later in the evening, I often watch movies, rare animes, get into music stuff from time to time - or play some retro games with my best friends during the week sometimes.

The weekends also haven't changed too much for me in these silly Corona times (hope these suckers of politicians and lobbyists won't fuck up my mood in the summer time when I love to go swimming and enjoying the summer at a natural lake at the outskirts of the town).
Training, domestic work and buying lots of organic food and still water for the whole week - so, the usual things most people have to do.

At the evening hours of the weekends, I try to organize at least one gaming evening or gaming night with my best friends, going to cinema (maybe not this summer), watching some movies at home or grow deeper into one of my compositions and remixes.

That's it.
-----------

Since I never was a too big fan of "shopping" or buying lots of stuff I don't need or which I can't really enjoy in the long term, I'm still kinda fine with this annoying Corona bullshit.
I also don't wear those silly masks in the bus or tram (except for some grocery stores where they won't let me in without this nasty stuff - there, I just wrap a normal shirt over my mouth and nose) and I also don't give too much on some sneezing or coughing people around me, as long as I can breathe without restrictions.

On the other side, I kinda enjoy the dead city atmosphere - not too big traffic noise, fresher air and not too many city suckers around who could radically piss me off.
Just went berserk and knocked somebody in a group of three German guys down some time ago after they tried to be the cool 'n' arrogant gangster dudes in my humble neighbourhood by taking a bottle of water from my bike trailer without asking and doing some shitty boss stuff after I had approached them.
Indeed, they 've been the cool guys... until I finished one of them with a jab, a foot sweep and a fatal knee strike to the head until his blood was dripping on the streets and he and his cowards of friends were running away like slapped bitches who forgot their makeup before going out - at least to look like imitating boss monsters.

In times like these I'm kinda free to ask myself, if viruses and microorganisms can be really that bad compared to such sneaky, shady 'n' pretty loveless human-like looking creatures that often dwell in the big cities of this world.

But I won't complain - because besides that my life is kinda peaceful, healthy, joyful, vitally alive and pretty exciting.
And I live in a pretty green and natural environment which gives me some additional inner peace.

So, I often see natural stuff happening in my corner of life.
For example, the offspring of the bluetits (often flying from a little forest on the other side to my balcony for getting some organic food or for feeding their offspring in one of my nest boxes made of wood concrete) was hatching some time ago - and I guess I'll have to support at least one of those fluffy mini Chocobos with some flight hours for not feeling to much at home for a too long time at my cozy balcony.

Yesterday, I saved the life of a baby rabbit getting caught and hacked by a crow.
Although the baby rabbit was randomly hopping in my direction aftwards, I'm sure the rabbit mom was kinda happy and relaxed after having her little fluff pouncer back.

I guess this is what legendary bunny knights and true heroes do in real life - no matter who big a "crisis" might be.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure what those politicians, lobbyists and shady families and shareholder jerks behind the big profit-over-life companies are conspiring within this artificial Corona hype.
Maybe it's just about money or simulating some kind of a Great Depression to weaken society and bring fascism back into the capitalistic society (those useless power-hungry assholes and greedy money sniffers can make much more money if human rights are no big issue anymore).

But if it's mostly about the influence of pharmaceutical companies trying to force people to buy and take their worthless or radically dangerous products like pharmaceutical medication and vaccination, I'll consider this as a war against my health.
I don't need and I radically boycott their unpredictable pharmaceutical "health care" products - and I really want those profit-over-life companies to break down and vanish from this world.
Besides, fresh air, fresh water and sunlight, I just need food for my health... raw, natural, vital and highly nutritious food.

So, if their shady pharmaceutical "scientists", junkie promoters and money-driven doctors come to me with their nasty needles and act tough like M. Bison,
they should be prepared to fly through the air like some opponents of Mike Tyson.
 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay safe, stay at home,
but load devastating ammo in your studio microphone.
Heavy ammunition between 20 and 20000 hertz
fired in the direction of Merck, Bayer, I.G. Farben and shady carrierists like Friedrich Merz.

Pigeons coo it from the roofs with pleasure, precisely like a sonar,
thick neck, insatiable battle rap masher: "Coo, coo... Corona".
Son Goku gathers his last powers for a final Genkidama
against the apocalyptical, pharmaceutically induced Corona propaganda.


(just for the musical interaction - a small part of a battle rap poem I was breeding in my mind some days ago)

Edited May 5, 2020 by Master Mi

[Liontamer]

I'm slammed with work.

[Rexy]

The virus hadn't done as much damage as I thought, but it's still done some rough rounds.

Prior to the outbreak, I had been trying to get a longer-term paid job with a strategy of doing volunteer work in my local area.  I was actually due to be an IT technician in my hometown's library on the day the lockdown got in place, and I'm sure the offer will still be there once restrictions get taken down.  As of right now, the only volunteer work still running are actually here in the remix community - judging everyone's music submissions to OCR, and the contributions to RadioSEGA as well.  As long as it keeps my mind sharp, that's all I can ask for.

Outside of here, I'm either hooked on Animal Crossing: New Horizons (or as I'd like to call it, "outdoor play simulator"), and I've also been one of those using Zoom to keep in touch with my family.  It's especially good for my father, as because of his suppressed immune system, he is forbidden from leaving the house at all.  The only time he'd ever head outside is to use the garage, and that's it.  Two of my family members had also contracted the virus, but are both recovering well and I am thankful for that. 

Anything else I mention here would go into what the UK in general had endured under the outbreak, so that's gonna be worth another thread on its own.  In the meantime, I'm doing well, and I aim to keep being proactive for as long as it takes x)

[Rukunetsu]

Resident of the Bahamas here - Damage to human life (virus wise) is minimal, but being heavily reliant on tourism, this bad boy has changed the face of our economy for the forseeable future.

I'm still up the same old same old however - still working full hours, and still making remixes; but spending less money due to the lockdowns put in place after 9pm and on weekends (24 hour lock down). However, things are slowly opening up and for what it's worth everyone is taking things in stride.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Staying inside, looking for a remote job, trying to get various side-hustles going. My entire industry is completely shut down (though I was planning on attempting a career change this summer anyway). And my wife is immune-compromised, so we really can't take any chances.

Otherwise, lots of Starcraft 2 and Melee. A bit of banjo practice.

And that's about it.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Geoffrey Taucer

[TSori]

Sorry to hear about those of you who are having a rough time.   

I've been fortunate to be able to work from home, so it really hasn't affected me too much. 
As far as the extra time at time home goes. I've been doing some recording and a lot of woodworking.   My girlfriend and I got engaged while she was here visiting for the past couple months too, so now I'm going through the visa application process for her so we can get married in the U.S.  

[thebitterroost]

4 hours ago, Geoffrey Taucer said:

Staying inside, looking for a remote job, trying to get various side-hustles going.

Very much this. The whole situation has made me have to really take my existing side hustles and hastily convert them into main hustles. Thinking I might try drumming on a freelance platform, but hoping it won’t be the potential nightmare situation I sometimes envision it being.

 

Also, congrats @TSori!

[Jorito]

Pretty much staying inside, working from home on my steady job and taking daily 30-60 minute walks outside to stay sane and active. Apart from missing the social interaction with friends, family and co workers, it's doable; just got to be a bit more creative and intentional about some stuff. Not getting much music work done though; have been struggling a bit with motivation and energy lately, but that seems to slowly get back, so in stead I mostly spend the time relaxing and doing other fun stuff like learning to play the baritone uke and playing FF7R. All in all not too bad.

[BloomingLate]

Good to hear most of you are doing alright, all things considered.

There have been concerns about our culture's saturation in social media and an increase in loneliness before all this. I find it interesting how it is exactly those social media outlets that keep people connected now. But when you don't have a smart phone and are not using all those platforms (like me and my wife) you will find yourself increasingly isolated. Everything social is now via chat and video calls or live stream. Almost no one has sought to contact us by phone or by card. My family has a family chat on WhatsApp, but I don't participate and so I don't know whats going on and they tend to forget to let me know stuff. I really miss just phone calls and visits.

At first I felt really useless and wanted to help people out (for example grandparents). But no one really seems to need my help, or any help at all (that may actually be a good thing). I think a time like this is a good test to see how strong our relationships really were. And with almost no one seeking to contact me or even asking me how I'm doing, I'm starting to think they weren't that strong to begin with. Which is partly my own fault and I'm not necessarily bitter over it. I learned some time ago that if you want something (in terms of social interaction) you need to go look for it yourself, not passively wait for someone to remember to call you. So our social investments (or lack thereof) are being paid out now. On the other hand: maybe other people are not really seeing this as a very serious situation and so they don't see a need to contact people more than usually.

When things eventually do go back to normal, I hope people will have learned to slow down a little. One of the reasons relationships didn't blossom is because most people are so darn busy all the time. Maybe that will change.

 

[DarkeSword]

I've been working from home for a little longer than most folks. First two weeks was just me and the dog, but then my wife started staying home too. I'm safe and not as worried about money as other folks, but I'm starting to feel the isolation a little more every day. When there isn't a global pandemic, I'm a fairly social person; I've got Wednesday game nights at the local Panera with pretty large group of people, and I usually get lunch with coworkers most days of the week, and I'm heading over to my Dad's house every few days. But right now the most social interaction I'm getting is brief hellos to neighbors who are taking walks and small conversations with restaurant and retail workers when I'm picking up food and other things. I'm loathe to form the habit of regular video calls with folks; it just isn't the same.

I have been playing a lot of FFXIV with my wife, Arrow, and BardicKnowledge though. So that's nice.

[The Damned]

My entire industry, hell, multiple industries related to each other, are shut down until at least August, if not the end of the year. There are genuine worries about having hundreds of people working in close proximity together in multiple industrial locations, which have never had the best hygiene in the first place due to terrible access and operating cleanliness in the first place.

Luckily, we have a pretty robust and reliable unemployment system here in Canada, plus that CERB program for people that don't necessarily qualify for EI.

Mostly, I've been playing games, and just staying home all day. I'm not in a quarantine situation, and my province is pretty low on the infection rate, but that's because people have been distancing and isolating themselves like they were asked to. Most stores are either limiting the number of people allowed in at once, or offer curb-side pickup for online orders. Some places are shut down, like my favorite Japanese place down the road. I'm hoping they're surviving through this. Small independent places like that don't have the corporate money backing them up during times like this.

I was experimenting with some customized GameBoy shells to replace the more damaged and roughed up original ones I have... but everywhere that sells the higher quality shells are shut down, and the ones that aren't are shipping from... China. I don't know how well corona virus survives during shipping, but I'm not going to risk it. I'll wait until a regional seller for parts reopens than wait weeks or months for it to get through the mess that is international shipping. So it looks like my plans to make some (hopefully) really awesome customized GameBoys is on hold for at least a few mote months. Until then, I will just have to shelf the whole project.

Until then... I guess... maybe hit up the rolling machine in the living room more often? I got the time and boredom. Might as well do something rather than kill the entire day watching random things on YouTube.

[Meteo Xavier]

Major clinical depression, insomnia, divorce, dead kid I use for "social currency" whatever that is, misanthrope, vulgarity, projects that just refuse to ever get finished no matter what happens and my dad has cancer.

So pretty much the same as it's ever been before COVID-19 except for that last one.

[thebitterroost]

4 hours ago, Meteo Xavier said:

Major clinical depression, insomnia, misanthrope, vulgarity, projects that just refuse to ever get finished

Can relate to these points for sure. Sorry to hear about your dad.

12 hours ago, BloomingLate said:

I find it interesting how it is exactly those social media outlets that keep people connected now. But when you don't have a smart phone and are not using all those platforms (like me and my wife) you will find yourself increasingly isolated. Everything social is now via chat and video calls or live stream. Almost no one has sought to contact us by phone or by card. I really miss just phone calls and visits. Which is partly my own fault and I'm not necessarily bitter over it. I learned some time ago that if you want something (in terms of social interaction) you need to go look for it yourself, not passively wait for someone to remember to call you. So our social investments (or lack thereof) are being paid out now.

When things eventually do go back to normal, I hope people will have learned to slow down a little. One of the reasons relationships didn't blossom is because most people are so darn busy all the time. Maybe that will change.

I’m got a mixed bag version of this feeling as well. Mainstream social media platforms are more depressing to me than anything else, and discord often seems too fleeting/shallow for real conversations and connections to be had, and has lately also been kinda depressing. Most of my closest IRL friends live a ways away, but they've actually stepped things up on the virtual front, and that definitely helps. I share your hope about busyness and slowing down. 

[duskvstweak]

We moved to North Carolina basically a week before everything got shutdown, was a stressful time. We moved for my wife's new teaching job, of which she's been doing remotely. I had an interview schedule but it's been delayed indefinitely and most of the other jobs I applied for have said the same thing.

Besides looking for work, I've been recording lots of podcasts, reading lots of X-Men on Marvel Unlimited, watching lots of Criterion Channel and playing older games like Mega Man X, Sim City 2000 and XIII.

[BloomingLate]

Sorry for not replying to everyone individually. I guess I didn't expect so many responses. I easily get overwhelmed.

For those suffering depressions or other mental problems: I hope you still have access to professional help, even if it has to be via phone or something. This is not a good time to be left to your own devices.

Also: this may be a good time for people to think about life, death and your relationship with God. We recently celebrated Jesus' resurrection in church ("Easter"). As a believer, I am not surprised or shocked by the whole Corona event (that's not to say I don't think its terrible that so many people got sick and died, not to mention the effects on the economy). Whatever happens, I know God is in control and eventually, all sin, sickness and death will be conquered when Jesus returns from heaven. In the mean time, the crisis is taking away securities that are not really securities. So our trust in God needs to be all the stronger. Seek Him while you still can.

[JohnStacy]

The Corona has caused a lot of changes in my life, some positive, some negative.

I'm a band director normally, and that is not something that translates to online well. I get tons of people telling me "just make a virtual ensemble" or "use this time to teach theory or production" at which point I point out that I'm not the only band director in the district, and I am in charge of the remedial kids. IE, a middle school band made up of mostly 7th graders that were at the bottom of their beginner classes the previous year. So the online transition has not been easy, fun, or productive. I feel like such a lazy POS, because I have tried to do the absolute minimum amount of work as a teacher, when in reality I know that a lot of the kids I teach are  not self motivated by any stretch of the imagination. I can give playing assignments, etc, but does that actually teach anything? The district policy is one assignment per week, and you have to balance that with the core classes, which take priority. So I can't really teach much during this time. That is a lot more stressful than you would think.

Because of that, I've gotten time to do other things that I haven't had time to do. My workload dropped from 80-110 hours per week to about 10, which is pretty much 2 full time jobs' worth of time. So what have I been doing with it?

I've started producing more music. Original music, VGM arrangements to be released on a YouTube channel starting at the end of the month, writing scripts for some educational theory content I want to produce, etc. I've also been able to practice horn as much as I need to (2 hours per day minimum). I've been able to start walking again, and do 4-6 miles per day. On the walk I answer emails from my phone if needed. 

I've also started studying Japanese again. I've missed doing that a lot, and it's nice to be back.

This all sounds like a lot, but it actually gives me a routine to use - 
Wake up 8:30, walk 8:40-10:15 or so.
Study Japanese from then until right before noon, then check morning turnip prices in AC.
Short lunch, then practice until 2 or 3.
From 3 to 10 is whatever else I feel like doing. Sometimes arranging, sometimes streaming, etc.

[Souperion]

Best wishes for our suffering musicians out there. And maybe the rest of the world while things sort out. Regardless of whether or not things are being done right about this pandemic, I hurt for those really struggling from this abnormal situation.
A full transition to online college classes was not in my spring plans, but it's a negligible complaint. At least studies keep one busy. When neglecting that, it's back to FL Studio, Starcraft 2, or other computed time vacuums. I find it somewhat amusing to be part of this fascinating demographic that can, in response to "what have you been up to during quarantine," say "oh, produced about X novice remixes." And hey, for what it's worth, if any of you are struggling with musical motivation, drop a piece by at the workshop forum. I'll be lurking around there to try and put in a few good words.

[Master Mi]

On 5/6/2020 at 9:23 PM, Meteo Xavier said:

Major clinical depression, insomnia, divorce, dead kid I use for "social currency" whatever that is, misanthrope, vulgarity, projects that just refuse to ever get finished no matter what happens and my dad has cancer.

So pretty much the same as it's ever been before COVID-19 except for that last one.

major clinical depression - potentially reversible
insomnia - potentially reversible
dad has cancer - potentially reversible
divorce - could be painful, but also the best luck ever
dead kid - obviously not reversible and maybe the only thing I would be truly sad about for a longer time

I don't know if these are the true reasons behind your depression (since there seem to be a lot of people out there who are deeply depressed without recognizeable reasons from the world around them) - or if your depression lasts much longer than those incisions in your life.

A really great impact on your mental state, your health in general and your feelings towards life makes the life force (or maybe call it bio-electric energy potential, Ki, Chi or Mana) inside you.
If your life force is radically low, you will need no special reason from the world around you to be depressed.
And you are not just depressed in this case, you might be also in a physical state pretty close to death.
So, if your life force inside you is critically low, you will also feel that way... which should be a warning for ya - because if your energy level drops to zero, you will die.

One of the best ways to get your life force, your joy and state excitement (which is kinda the opposite state of depression, right from the feelings and inner view towards life) back or radically increase your life force, is by making wise decisions within your daily lifestyle which consists of many important choice - like the food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breathe, your sleep behavior, your connection to living nature, the amount of sunlight you get or by leaving time and room for possibilities to create and express yourself truly and honestly without constrainsts...
... and of course by avoiding all the things that damage your body (your physical structure) and lower your life force (like smoking or breathing too much big city air, drinking alcohol, taking pharmaceuticals or other drug chemicals).
Of couse, I also wouldn't allow venomous snakes to be at in my home - wild birds, rabbits, bunnies or Golden Retrievers might be much better choices for the well-being of your body and the fluffyness of your soul.

But one of the best ways to increase your life force and get back into a state of joy, intensity and excitement in the long term is by supercharging your body with proper natural food - so,...

1) Avoid processed and conventional food from the food industry (things like bread, cereals, pasta, pasteurized dairy products, ready-made meals).
2) Add more and more raw, unprocessed and species-appropriate food in your diet - real foods like:
- raw fish (maybe in the sashimi style), not the aquaculture stuff - only fresh wild fish caught with nets, fishing rods or by hand-line fishing in the ocean or clean, natural inland waters
- raw organic eggs (4 raw organic eggs a day already keep many doctors away)
- maybe a few raw organic dairy products like raw milk or raw curd
- raw organic plant-based fatty foods like avocados, olives, okra, nuts and seeds
- raw, fresh and organic vegetables, leafy greens and wild herbs like lamb's lettuce, dandelion, ashweed, leafs from the limetree, cucumbers, celery, kohlrabi etc.
- some raw fruits like bananas, watermelons, apples, peas, oranges, maracuya, durian, jackfruit etc.

Don't get trapped by the (unfortunately) pretty dominant vegan movement in the raw food world - the vegan lifestyle might "work" for years and you might feel really good with a plant-based diet for a longer time - but in the end it will deplete your body in essential things like vitamin B12 (really important for your nervous system, your metabolism and your mental stability).
So, you can straightly go for the raw omnivore diet or keep at least the ovo-lacto vegetarian style (works too - although with raw fish you can achieve a much higher body and muscle mass, a higher energy level and a greater flexibility of your body).

If your health and life force rises, you will also have a pretty different view on life and see more possibilities than hindering obstacles - and you'll get more courage, motivation and joy to go a new path.
This might be a good base for starting life 2.0.

If it works for you like it worked for me and other people, don't forget to tell your dad... before pharmaceutical medicine finishes him off with chemotherapy, radiation and other kinds of physical mistreatment.

...

Since you obviously have nothing much to lose, try it out at least for a year and tell us, if and how it affected your life.

Maybe I'll write a little bit more about this pretty interesting health topic and my own experiences with an omnivore raw food diet in a separate thread at OCR someday.
Until then...

Good luck, dude. ))

[Meteo Xavier]

On 5/22/2020 at 1:56 PM, Master Mi said:

divorce - could be painful, but also the best luck ever

Not even close to the best luck ever. I'm not going to go into details, but like everything else in my orbit, it's a lot more complicated, dramatic and pretty much impossible to communicate correctly to others than normal things of its type and trying to elucidate it to others just gives them the wrong idea and impression of what's really going on. For all intents and purposes, it's more like I'm widowed than divorced, except I use Gmail to talk to her instead of a ouija board.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

So I did my first attempt at a speedrun the other day -- behold the 20th fastest Tetris Attack Stage Clear run: 

(pretty sure I can get top 15 if I keep working at it)

[noTuX]

Wow, it seems like forever since I made a post here. I have been lurking from time to time, but never got around to posting or replying to anything.

Lately, I have been involved in real estate investing, lending, and building my business so I can quit my job, and focus on spending the rest of my life doing stuff I actually enjoy. Well, trying to figure out what I actually enjoy.  I am going through sort of a "self-rediscovery" period i guess. I have realized that I have spent most of my life working my ass off instead of living a life and seeking true happiness. So much so, that I actually don't even know what makes me happy. I can barely remember a time when I was happy...just content, but not happy. I really don't know...

Anyway, I haven't done any new remixes in a while. I do short, simple songs that focus more on improving my production and sound quality, but I have not had much inspiration to create a whole new song. I get all these dope melodies in my head when I'm working or something, but when I sit down in front of my computer with FL Studio open...nothing.

So yeah, I have been trying to get my life in some sort of order.

 

 

[BloomingLate]

On 6/2/2020 at 2:54 AM, noTuX said:

So yeah, I have been trying to get my life in some sort of order.

Hey, sounds like you're at the start of an interesting process. I hope you'll find what you seek.

Two things came to mind when I read your post:

1. I heard a sermon once where the speaker talked about this paradox. He suggested that when we look for happiness, we won't find it. But when we're not looking for it, happiness tends to come alongside. I thought that was interesting.

2. I also remember a TED talk in which the speaker talked about how people who turn their hobby into their work - that is to say: their job is to do what they like to do the most - are the most likely people to burn out. His suggested remedy was to go find a need in the community and to do something to meet that need. A side effect of that may well be that feeling of happiness and finding meaning.

Maybe these thoughts can benefit you on your quest. :)

Personally, I'm starting to see that the most important and meaningful things in life involve serving/helping other people. Most of my hobbies and interests are fairly self-oriented, so I'm trying to find things that help people other than myself. I'm doing some translation work on a voluntary basis and found that this is really appreciated by others. As a bonus effect I feel more useful and happy, knowing that what I'm doing actually has some impact somewhere (before, I always felt like I was disconnected from the world around me and that what I did, either good or bad, had no effect on my surroundings whatsoever).

[noTuX]

On 6/9/2020 at 5:23 AM, BloomingLate said:

Hey, sounds like you're at the start of an interesting process. I hope you'll find what you seek.

Two things came to mind when I read your post:

1. I heard a sermon once where the speaker talked about this paradox. He suggested that when we look for happiness, we won't find it. But when we're not looking for it, happiness tends to come alongside. I thought that was interesting.

2. I also remember a TED talk in which the speaker talked about how people who turn their hobby into their work - that is to say: their job is to do what they like to do the most - are the most likely people to burn out. His suggested remedy was to go find a need in the community and to do something to meet that need. A side effect of that may well be that feeling of happiness and finding meaning.

Maybe these thoughts can benefit you on your quest. :)

Personally, I'm starting to see that the most important and meaningful things in life involve serving/helping other people. Most of my hobbies and interests are fairly self-oriented, so I'm trying to find things that help people other than myself. I'm doing some translation work on a voluntary basis and found that this is really appreciated by others. As a bonus effect I feel more useful and happy, knowing that what I'm doing actually has some impact somewhere (before, I always felt like I was disconnected from the world around me and that what I did, either good or bad, had no effect on my surroundings whatsoever).

Thank you. I'll keep this in mind. Do you happen to know what TED talk it was?

[BloomingLate]

On 6/13/2020 at 6:25 PM, noTuX said:

Thank you. I'll keep this in mind. Do you happen to know what TED talk it was?

Yes, you can find it here:

"To find work you love, don't follow your passions" - Benjamin Todd

I just listened to it again. The comment about burning out is around 7:00 minutes. The context is a little different than I remembered, but there ya go.

Edited June 15, 2020 by BloomingLate