by MP MacDougall | Writing
As a writing exercise, my friend Scott asked me to name one accomplishment I’m proud of. Being a self-deprecating perfectionist, listing achievements that may cause a swollen ego isn’t exactly my strong suit – I can always point to several things I’d change or do differently to make the thing better next time. To add to the difficulty, I tend to see pride in general as a liability rather than an asset, so I’ve significantly handicapped myself right out of the gate.
In order to get through the exercise, then, I have to adjust the phraseology of the original question. Instead of naming something I’m proud of, let’s see if I can’t at least name some pursuit that I enjoy and am reasonably good at.
On that subject, my wife and I were talking about the intersection of passion and work the other day, and she asked me what I’m passionate about; what do I like doing so much that I’d do it for free; what do I do that can solve problems for others, etc.
I drew a complete blank. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Lifestyle Design, Writing
Jimmy strode toward his high school counselor’s office with a purpose, armed with high test scores and naïve optimism. Today was the day – the day he’d discover what his future would hold. Wealth, fame, accolades – it all hung on the career decisions he would make behind the doors of the humble office ahead. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and opened the door.
“Well, well,” said Mr. Snidely, the counselor. “Good morning, Jimmy! Are you ready for the first day of the rest of your life?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Snidely,” Jimmy said with a smile. “I can’t wait!”
“Good, good. Take a seat there, and we’ll get started.” Jimmy sat on the edge of a cheap plastic chair facing Snidely’s desk. He felt his pulse quicken with anticipation and the promise of a bright future.
“Now, then,” Snidely said, looking over several forms. “Let me just make some preliminary notes here…” He peered through his glasses and spoke under his breath as he checked several boxes. “Career Description: Prostitute.”
“Excuse me?” (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Writing
The other day I was reading a post on Ernie Dempsey’s blog where Ernie discussed the disturbing trend of ingratitude in our society these days. The example he cited was Apple’s recent launch of the iPhone 6, where Apple execs simultaneously gave away rock band U2’s latest album – to every iTunes user on the planet.
On the surface, this seems like a pretty magnanimous gesture, not just for Apple, but more especially for U2. They’re the ones who put in the work to produce an entire album of new music, only to give it away completely free.
Publicity stunt, you say?
Okay, yeah, that’s probably their angle. Apple technology launches are still a pretty big deal worldwide, so this would give U2 heavy exposure to that demographic. What U2 and Apple may not have anticipated was (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Writing
“…a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.” – Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Courage comes in many forms.
For most of us, the word evokes mental images of heroic physical action under extreme danger.
A soldier sprints unprotected through enemy fire to pull a friend to safety.
A good Samaritan wades through flames to rescue an accident victim on a lonely stretch of freeway.
A bystander steps in front of a weapon, preventing a criminal from harming an innocent.
These are all examples of people who willingly face injury or death to help others in need; but facing physical danger in spite of fear is not the only definition of courage. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Lifestyle Design, Productivity, Writing
Sometimes it’s difficult to see our lives objectively.
We’re so close, so caught up in the living of our daily grind that we can’t always see what got us here; what we missed by taking this path, or what we gained by not taking another.
Things may look better or worse to us in our present situation, simply because of our perspective.
For example:
Twenty-two years ago, (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Lifestyle Design
Ninety days ago, I was very close to being in the worst shape of my life. I was forty pounds overweight, I had back and knee pain constantly, and no endurance for anything more stressful than climbing one flight of stairs. (Even that was becoming a stretch.)
I felt like my weight and lifestyle were inevitable and irreversible – it was too much weigh to lose, and too difficult to get it off. I didn’t have time, energy or expertise enough to turn my life around to that extent.
I looked forward to eating.
I loved food, and it was slowly killing me.
Then I looked in the mirror one morning and thought – You, sir, are a disgusting pig. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Editing, Writing
The following is a post I wrote for my previous blog when we were in China adopting our daughter in late 2010. Remembering it makes me laugh – maybe it’ll do the same for you.
When one culture attempts to translate their language into another for the benefit of tourists from a second culture, there will inevitably be some degree of confusion. In some cases, that confusion can manifest itself into high comedy. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Productivity, Writing
Today, I got published.
No, not six-figure book deal, private jet, book tour published.
Not self-published on this site either, where I control the editorial staff with an iron fist.
But published – somewhere else.
Somewhere that someone else controls – which requires knowing somebody on the inside. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Lifestyle Design, Productivity, Writing
My parents grew up during the Great Depression.
That experience taught them the importance of not wasting anything – and they passed that on to me.
At meals, they impressed upon me the fact that somewhere in the world, starving kids would be happy to have leftover boiled potatoes (again?!?), so I’d better eat mine.
I took that lesson to heart, and now I have an innate aversion to throwing food away.
I hate wasting food, so I always clean my plate.
The problem is that I used to load my plate with more food than I really needed, which sadly caused my waistband to expand at an alarming rate, and led to an urgent need to change my behavior. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Writing
Today my lovely bride and I went to the mall to get me some new clothes. I’ve lost 26 pounds in the last 60 days, which made my slacks a bit saggy, so she insisted. On our way back to the car, we walked past Victoria’s Secret (which, in case you didn’t know, is a place where women go to purchase frilly covers for their naughty bits).
Victoria’s Secret is in the habit of plastering their storefront with skyscraper sized posters of happy-go-lucky underwear models, photographically frozen in various poses specifically staged to not look staged. Whenever we pass this store, I make it a point to look the other way, while my wife makes a point of making sure I look the other way. But today, one poster in particular annoyed her more than usual. Once we were safely in the car, she asked me:
“Did you see the model eating cake?” (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Productivity, Writing
In the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way But Loose, Cholla, the leader of a gang of outlaw bikers called The Black Widows, always barks the same order when his men make their entrance to a scene and dismount from their hogs:
“SPREAD OUT!!”
This is pretty good tactical advice, if you’re expecting a fight and you don’t want to get bottled up in a corner. It allows you to cover the exits, prevents opponents from easily flanking you, and establishes control over a wider area.
The only problem with the tactic was that Cholla’s men were idiots. (more…)
by MP MacDougall | Productivity, Writing
Completely drained.
That’s how I felt about writing today.
As I opened my laptop this evening to write something – anything – I realized that my heart just wasn’t in it.
I’m still struggling with yesterday’s news, and the struggle has seriously impaired my enthusiasm for writing.
Tragedy has a way of stealing the joy from every area of your daily life, to the point that you don’t want to do much of anything for a while.
It tends to lock you in place, and threatens to hold you there.
You lose focus, and begin to dwell on the loss, the sadness, the pointlessness of it all.
I did a bit of that today, and in the midst of my funk, I couldn’t find a good reason to write.
Then I thought about what helped me through yesterday.
Writing. (more…)
