It's time to finally come home
How to deal with negative bias and become more charismatic, the new mac, and more
Hi friend!
Spent the past week in Spain exploring the sights and food of Barcelona and Madrid. It has been incredible and the perfect way to wrap up my travel abroad. Late nights, tapas (patatas braves!), and siestas.
There are so many lessons running through my mind as I reflect on the past six months and get ready for my return back to the States.
First, is the question of whether or not I would enjoy being a digital nomad. Though I love traveling and creating content associated with my travels, I have found that living out of a backpack has me spending so much time on smaller administrative issues like washing clothes, finding clean water, or establishing a stable internet connection. I never knew how much these basic things would mean to me, and I want to set myself up to focus on things more grandiose than these things like work, relationships, and growth. Becoming a digital nomad is a no-go for me at this time.
Second, is the question of where to focus my energy this upcoming year. As many of you know, I left my job and other full-time offers to take this trip. Though it would be easy to jump back into a well-paying full-time job, I want to try something different and go after my passion projects full-time. I have saved pretty aggressively over the years to reach this concept called "retirement," thinking that traveling around the world would be my ultimate retirement plan. But during my trip, all I could think about were my projects I never made time for. With that in-mind, I am going to be dedicating my full attention and funds to these projects when I settle back down. It's finally time.
Third, is the question of where I am headed to next. There are so many cities I could call my next home. Though I absolutely loved the overseas cities in my journey (Berlin tops my list), I miss the cultural melting pot of America. Among many cities I've passed through, none beats the craziness of New York City. There is something about the weather, pace, and people that I have a deep fondness of, and I am drawn to return to NYC for a second round.
In the video this week, I share about negative bias - when we focus on the negative much more than the positives in our lives. I've been reading The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism, and negative bias is one of the big blocks that hold us back. I share six tips on how to dispel this bias and to let go of the negativity looming over us.
I'm headed over to New York now to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising with all my friends. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and enjoy some glitz and glamour wherever you are!
The Mac Pro is Drop-Dead Gorgeous
Those with a design eye will surely appreciate this post. Apple recently unveiled its Mac Pro after years of being idle, and the blog breaks down the architecture of the product. Quite simply, it's beautiful. The simplicity of the design and a nod back to Apple's old design roots.
On Our Mind Loops
Craig Mod went on a 43 day walk across Japan, capturing it all offline. In his post, he talks about understanding the addictive habit loops our phones have. (Hint: tiny feedback loops that give us a small hit of dopamine & pleasure, but otherwise distracting and unproductive) We should opt to delete the apps with these build-in small loops.
AI Keeps Growing Up
Latest developments in AI allows you to change what is being said in a video... Just by typing it. Well, this would make my video editing easier.
As always, thanks for reading!
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share or sign up here:Â mindfulmoments.substack.com
Anything else? You can always hit "reply" to email me directly. 💌
Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | StevenWakabayashi.com