February 22, 2019 - Zero Dean

Dealing with disinformation: Think before you act or react

February 22, 2019 by Zero Dean

The amount of disinformation that is going to be spread between now and the next election is going to be unlike anything ever seen or experienced before. And it’s already starting.

It is going to be used to get people to react emotionally. It is going to be used to divide people. It is going to be used to cause confusion. And distrust. And fear. And some of it will be used to incite violence. And some of it will lead to people’s deaths. Possibly many.

And we are by no means prepared for it because we are all still vulnerable to it. And that’s scary.

Try to always keep in mind who you truly want to be and how you truly want to act. And try to think with reason before you act or jump to conclusions. No matter how much something makes you want to respond. No matter how wrong you think something is. Because even with the best of intentions, if your emotions and your knee-jerk reaction can be used against you, it likely will be.

My first one star review (and a lesson on criticism)

February 22, 2019 by Zero Dean

If you’ve read Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled, you’ll know there’s a whole chapter devoted to dealing with criticism. It’s impossible to get through life without doing or creating something that gets criticized. That’s life. Some of the feedback you receive on your journey will be fair & given with good intentions. And some of it won’t be. That’s life, too. You can’t control what people do, but you can control how you respond to it. This includes criticism.

Learning to deal with criticism in a positive & productive way has many benefits, not least of which is it allows you to grow from it if you find truth in it or move beyond it if you don’t. Either way, it doesn’t have to have any impact on your well-being or sense of self-worth unless you choose to let it.

This 1-star review could be 100% true. In which case, my book missed its mark with this person. And there’s nothing wrong with that nor does it subtract from the value that other people find in it. Depending on the person, my book may not be worth the pages it’s printed on. And to someone else, invaluable. In writing anything, all I can do is focus on the potential value my work provides. How people respond to it is up to them.

In closing, everyone gets criticized at one time or another. If it holds truth, learn from it. If it doesn’t, it probably has more to do with the other person than it does with you. Either way, it’s a learning experience and life goes on.

Everyone wants a better future except…

January 17, 2021February 22, 2019 by Zero Dean

Everyone wants a better future except for anyone who stands to lose something if things change. And so those who profit from the status quo will do everything in their power to resist progress and keep things as they are. This includes spending vast amounts of money to convince people that the progress they seek is impossible. Or if it is possible, it’s undesirable for some reason. Neither of which is true.

The fact is, these people & companies are only looking out for their own self-interest and bottom line and care very little about yours. They don’t want you to benefit from anything if it means that they stand to lose money, power, or influence. And so they use each of these things to fight change & progress in every way possible. Because if you win, they lose.