Hey friend!
Coming to you live from Austin, Texas.
Here’s your weekly dose of Arman’s Antics — five things I’ve been pondering or exploring that will send you into the weekend with a think, chuckle, weep (or a nasty combination of the three).
Let’s give a warm welcome to the 11 new subscribers receiving this for the first time (459 total) — I don’t take your attention lightly.
Hopefully nobody actually reads this, but if you do, please keep it to yourself.
Essay I wrote last year that I still think about
Getting fired is an indisputably negative experience like getting kicked in the stomach, right?
That’s how I expected to feel exactly one year ago when my VP of Sales informed me that my talents were no longer needed.
After a bit of (warranted) sulking, I plopped on the couch and wondered if I could reframe what had just happened?
I finally landed on this — I had not been fired. No, I had been gifted with a:
Timeless book I’m rereading
The Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant.
I’ve been on a Durant reading spree this year and decided to crack open this gem again.
It’s like a distilled version of their 11 volume series — The Story of Civilization compressed down to 102 pages. Here’s the description:
“With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress, the Durants take us on a journey through history, exploring the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time. Juxtaposing the great lives, ideas, and accomplishments with cycles of war and conquest, the Durants reveal the towering themes of history and give meaning to our own.”
Side note — why isn’t every book 100 pages long? Short, sweet, to the point writing is considerate to the reader.
The power of thought
Look up from your screen for a moment and notice all the stuff around you. You probably see a TV, chair, pen, desk, or millions of other potential items.
It’s easy to dismiss these inanimate objects. It feels like they’ve always existed. No big deal. But that’s obviously not true.
So where did they come from? A seedling of a thought.
Every man/woman-made object came into existence thanks to creative thinking. Wild, right?
So you’re on the writing fence?
Everyone has something they need to say.
It can be a story you need to tell, an idea you need to share, or a message you want to spread. It’s the ultimate expression of your deepest calling and strongest insight — the combination of what you’ve done, what you know, and what you stand for. Sharing this with the world could unlock unexpected opportunities.
Write of Passage are hosting a free workshop which might just convince you (like it did for me) why its your duty to write and share your ideas with the world, and show you how it can be done.
In the session you’ll learn:
• Why one great piece of writing can change your life
• The secret ingredient to successful online writing
• The four simple steps to take an idea and share it with the world
Signing up for Write of Passage back in October 2022 was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The difference in my ability to think clearer and express myself more effectively is shocking.
If you’re on the writing fence, check it out here.
Random thought
The moment you think, “Am I crazy or is everyone else?”, you’re about to become a lunatic or a mystic. Often hard to tell the difference.
That’s it for the 72nd edition of Arman’s Antics.
I hope you didn’t make it this far, but if you did, please don’t forward this to your best friend.
Now back to your regularly scheduled nonstop scrolling.
Try to be a little more curious than you normally are.
Cheers,
Arman