Focusing on what matters
Dealing with internet trolls, my latest podcast on yellow fever, being mindful with our digital devices, dark family secrets, and lessons from Confucius
Hi friend!
Has October come and gone so soon? Though I can't be too mad since it also means moving into my new place soon! 🔑🏢
In the past few weeks, I've been getting back into a few social channels like Reddit and Twitter to discuss queer and racial issues and so forth... but I haven't been feeling too good about it.
First, regardless of what I posted, there seemed to be always people who disagreed with me. Even when my intention was to be positive, mindful, and happy, someone, somewhere always had a counter to it.
Second, I found myself wrapped up in arguments with those whose opinions were never going to change in the first place. I tried to create discourse through compassion and kindness, but regardless of my efforts, nothing seemed to make a difference.
In both cases, I wound up feeling extremely worked up and exhausted. A few times, I ended up losing patience and went on a "call out rampage" pointing out everything that was wrong without any compassion. I didn't like how I sounded. I didn't like how I felt. And I didn't like what I was putting out into the world.
The world is our mirror. What we focus on is a reflection of ourselves. In my scrutiny of these people, I saw an angry reflection of myself. And the truth is, anger doesn't bring about change. Neither does proving a point to those that aren't listening.
(Do you remember a time when you were nagged and you felt compelled to change? Probably never.)
Instead, we need to set an example, focus on putting out work that matters, and do something bigger with our message. And in my case, I need to be more conscious of my limited time and energy, move on, and avoid spending it on these internet trolls.
Many will argue that by surrounding ourselves with only the voices we want to hear, we segregate ourselves into our own echo chamber.
But people who are argumentative and thrive off of putting down others are not in a place to learn. The more we can walk away from these situations, the less ammunition we provide to them.
So moving forward, I am trying to clear the way of this negative energy and keep my eyes on the road ahead.
This week, I recorded a podcast episode on yellow fever - the fetishism of Asians. It's been getting a lot of good feedback from groups I’ve shared it with! (One being the Liberate Meditation community - a free meditation app for black, indigenous, and people of color - check them out!)
In almost every relationship I've had, I've felt various levels of objectification based on my skin color. And for the longest time, I was ok with it. "He's hot, whatever." Talk about, needing self-love, amiright? Anyway, this episode I cover the origins of fetishism, the cultural story behind yellow fever, my experience with it, and some advice on how to manage racial fetishism.
You can find the latest episode on these channels:
Have you ever felt objectified or fetishized?
Regaining control over digital lives
Chris Bailey has been one of my favorite productivity authors, and he recently posted an article on how to regain control over our digital lives. Really great tips on how to be more mindful of our digital devices within our analog world.
What is reality?
Tell Me Who I Am is a documentary about a twin losing all of their memory, and the other twin is hiding a deep, dark family secret. I don't want to give away the plot, but this film is incredible. The way this documentary was shot was unlike most documentaries. You'll leave feeling all sorts of emotions towards the end.
A quote I love
“You have two lives. The second begins when you realize you only have one.”
-Confucius
As always, thanks for reading!
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Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
Yellow Glitter Podcast | IG | YT | FB | TW | StevenWakabayashi.com