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Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.

Zero Dean

Author | Photographer | CG Artist | Filmmaker

Zerosophy

Be someone’s reason to smile today

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You don’t have to be a superhero to make a person’s day better by having been a part of it, but you might just feel like one.

Kindness is being someone’s reason to smile today.

Look for opportunities. Lead by example.

Be the change.

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Life happens.

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Life happens.

Sometimes it’s good.
Sometimes it’s bad.

And sometimes it dumps a pile of shit in your path.

What matters is not whether it’s fair (it often isn’t).
What matters is how one chooses to deal with it.

We can spend time complaining.
We can spend time pointing the finger.
We can spend time blaming others for the situations we find ourselves in.
And we can learn to identify as a victim of the unfairness of life.

Or we can take personal responsibility for our lives and use our ability to seek out more favorable options (including how to cope) and move on.

Every single person on the planet is forced to deal with hardship and misfortune at one time or another.

Sometimes it’s because we make bad decisions.
Sometimes it’s because we tolerate things far longer than we should.
Sometimes it’s because we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And sometimes we are simply thrust into things we don’t want to be a part of.

But that’s life.
It happens to everyone at one time or another.

You don’t improve your life by complaining about the one you have.
You don’t improve your life by refusing to take personal responsibility for it.

You improve your life by taking steps to change it for the better.

It can be a lot of work — and it may require some sacrifices — but taking personal responsibility for one’s life and taking steps to change it is far more effective than staying where one is, doing nothing, and complaining about the view.

The fact is, our lives are a direct reflection of our priorities.

Want to be healthier? Focus on your health.
Want to be smarter? Focus on your education.
Want to be a better person? Focus on self-improvement.
Want to be more resilient? Challenge yourself.
Want to get over your fears? Face them.

If we don’t like where we are in life, we can change that. But complaining about it won’t do it. And blaming others won’t do it either.

Want a better life? Work for it.

Change your priorities and you change your life.

No one else is going to do it for you.

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

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Something wonderful

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Whether it’s a smile on someone’s face or a look of gratitude in their eyes, every day is an opportunity to bring something wonderful to the world that won’t exist in the universe until you — and you alone — create it.

Every single moment in our lives is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. And although the positive moments we share with others can sometimes seem insignificant, never underestimate the power they can have on those who are affected by them.

Every time you perform an act of kindness, you generate a wave of positive energy that didn’t exist in that form before you created it. That wave creates ripples that can be both long-lasting and far-reaching.

Create and contribute to these ripples whenever you can and you may just find you attract more of the types of positive moments you desire in your life.

The people you encounter in your life are always much more likely to treat you with kindness when they witness or experience your kindness, your compassion, your generosity, and your willingness & desire to find ways to be helpful or make things more convenient for others.

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Where “being yourself” fails

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Seen in a meme:

“Embrace who you are and don’t make any apologies for being yourself.”

I’d like to add a major caveat to that:

First, we are *all* works in progress, we all make mistakes, we all have blind spots in our level of awareness (particularly with regard to ourselves), and we all have room for improvement.

But some more than others.

While I am all for people being authentic and real, I’d much prefer not to encourage the assclowns, douchebags, and dirtbags to just “be themselves” and never apologize for it.

“Yeah, I cut you off in traffic. So what?”
“Yeah, I double parked. Just being myself, man.”
“Yeah, I litter. Big deal.”

Sure, if you’re kind, compassionate, and authentic, if you strive for progress and improvement in your life and your self, if you aim to make a positive difference with what you have to offer, then by all means continue. Even if you occasionally make mistakes, as we all do.

But if you’re someone who goes through life making things more difficult, painful, or inconvenient for others, then perhaps it’s better you don’t just “be yourself”.

Perhaps it’s better if you aim to be the kind of person you and others can actually be proud of rather than just accept who you are with no intention to change.

“Be yourself. Unless you suck.” — Joss Whedon

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Supergood Sunday

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Just imagine if once a year the media, retailers, and the general public devoted as much time, money, energy, and resources to doing something positive & productive as they do hyping and discussing two teams comprised of multi-millionaires trying to get a ball from one side of a field to the other.

A day highlighting the individuals and companies making a positive difference.
A day spotlighting positive role models.
A day giving visibility to good causes.
A day encouraging people to be good to each other and the world at large.
A day educating people on what they can do to enhance their lives and the lives around them in meaningful ways.
A day focusing on friendship-making and tolerance instead of an “us vs. them” mentality or fear mongering.
A day that leaves a long-lasting positive impact.

Supergood Sunday.

Turn positive things into shared experiences

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Heads up, heroes!

Your mission, if you choose to accept it today, is to look for and act upon any opportunities to take something positive and make it bigger and better by turning it into a shared experience.

Look for and draw attention to the positive.

If you’ve ever appreciated being noticed for something you take pride in, take a moment to show that same appreciation to someone else.

Give a sincere compliment to a stranger. Like what they’re wearing? Tell them.

Did someone help you? Say so. Even better, tell their boss.

Did you enjoy an experience at an establishment? Tell someone.

Even better, leave a sincere positive review somewhere, even if that means sending an email or leaving a voicemail at the main office. Mention people by name.

Whatever good you come across today, keep the cycle going and the good energy flowing by sharing it.

Take the time. Be someone’s hero.

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Caring, appreciation, and gratitude

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The primary message you communicate when you act like you don’t care is that you don’t care.

If you care about something, appreciate it, or are grateful for it, be sure your actions consistently communicate these sentiments.

You may think something, but until you convert a thought into an action, it’s just potential energy.

Remember to reinforce your positive thoughts and feelings with your actions and not solely express yourself through words.

Anyone can say anything. You reinforce the truth in your words when your actions are consistently congruent with not only what you say, but how, where, and when you choose to act.

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