Ignore Hollywood and Social Media

The more I meditate on the current state of culture, the more I recognize the insane stranglehold Hollywood and social media have on the general population. They create a lifestyle where people share their lives in the most curated, aesthetic way possible on platforms like Instagram. The sad truth? These platforms offer nothing of value except temporary fame in exchange for your attention.

People become hamsters on a wheel, forever chasing after a sliver of cheese—a dopamine hit. Meanwhile, you could be in the gym, taking a cold shower, or challenging yourself with physical activities to receive a far more rewarding sensation.

“Dear God, I wonder, can you save me?”
“Illuminati want my mind, soul, and my body.” — Jay-Z

Modern Notions of Success Are a Scam

We let Hollywood and the media dictate what success should look like. Fancy clothes, flashy cars, and celebrity homes—these are not true indicators of success. Once you remove the value of these external, material things, you tap back into your physiology and the natural order of what it means to be human.

I believe most people are way too comfortable with the state of their existence. They go to work, come home, watch TV, go to sleep, repeat. We chase money, sacrificing our physical and mental health in the process.

Create Your Own Media Empire. Ignore the Rest.

True success doesn’t come from media’s shallow ideals. Build your own world, create your own media empire, and focus on what truly matters. Ignore the rest.

The sun is important when it comes to setting your day up for success.

When I wake up, I like to get under the sun as soon as possible and allow the rays to enter my soul through my eyes. This ultimately fuels me with positive energy and sets my circadian rhythm cycle for good sleep each night.

Circadian

From the Latin circā (“about”) and diēs (“a day”)

of, relating to, or showing rhythmic behaviour with a period of 24 hours; especially of a biological process

If you let the sunlight enter your eyes both first thing and the morning and last thing before sleep, you become more in tune with your physiology and the connection between your physical body and nature.

Sleeping without the cell phone nearby the bed and in complete darkness is critical. I believe we overlook the importance of sleep. Start paying attention to the small details and set your circadian rhythm each day.

Just say what you think.

The reason I love the “Boneless” as a skateboard trick is that it is insanely easy and accessible for beginners. Once you learn how to boneless, the world of skateboarding opens up to endless possibilities. It’s a simple trick that promotes infinite creative potential without even having to learn anything advanced.

Perhaps this is a good metaphor to tie into photography. The simpler and easier you make things for yourself, the more creative you become.

Creativity leads to freedom of expression.

As early as possible. I’d say getting into bed by 9pm is a good idea.

Become excited for life.

Crawl into bed after a big feast and dream away. Maybe a cold shower or hot bath before sleep? Pick your poison.

There’s no need to stay awake watching meaningless videos, podcasts, etc. Just put the phone down and embrace your mini death!