OF#31 - Texas power fragility, self-improvement, and literary doodling
Is the snowstorm in Texas and resulting power outage a sing of things to come? What is the essence of self-improvement? And is it wrong to draw pictures in your books?
Hi there, I’m Thomas Najar. Welcome to issue 31 of Open Frame.
It’s a beautiful, glorious weekend here in Austin. It’s warm and sunny with a light breeze—an idyllic spring day in Central Texas. It’s a far cry from the snowstorm we had just a few weeks ago. Perhaps we ought to just forget the whole thing. Or maybe not.
Why the snowstorm in Texas was so devastating
What’s a little ice and snow? What could go wrong? Well, for one, power plants that aren’t winterized for frigid temperatures can go offline. Further, if you’re operating a power grid that can’t draw energy from your neighbors, then you might run out of power and even break the whole thing due to excessive demands.
How could this happen? Were there warnings? Will it happen again? Vox explores.
The essence of self-improvement
Who is TheAnonymousHippo? Nobody knows for sure, but he’s shared a brief summary on the essence of self-improvement. As someone who embraced self-improvement as a personal ethic only a few years ago, he describes having his life transformed by following a few simple precepts.
I used to really struggle. I had self-esteem issues, organizational issues, would procrastinate and fail classes. However in the past few years, I started focusing on improving myself, and since then I've bought a house, significantly advanced my career (receiving top performance ratings and other accolades), and I've been able to pursue hobbies and grow my relationship with my girlfriend of 4 years (hopefully soon-to-be fiance). I think dating her made me realize that I had to straighten some of my own stuff out, and that's probably what initially set me off down this path of personal improvement.
Where to begin? Know your values…
Imagine you die and you're attending your own funeral (either as a guest, a ghost, etc). Imagine various people from your life are speaking at your funeral - this might include your parents, spouse, coworkers, friends, etc... What do you want them to say about you? When I performed this exercise, I realized that I wanted people to remember me as loving and supportive, inspirational, hard-working to provide hope and alleviate suffering both in my local and global community, etc. I wrote these things down, and it eventually evolved into my Personal Mission Statement - a series of bullet points that summarize the values I want to embody in my daily life. I try to read this daily or at least a few times a week. It keeps me centered on what is truly valuable in my life so that I can make an effort to focus on those things rather than getting caught up in the distractions.
From here, he describes practicing self-awareness in order to flexibly manage his state, things like avoiding getting too stressed or upset by misfortune. He also offers a useful classification of tasks to ensure you’re staying productive and focused on the things that matter most.
And he sums it up nicely:
Spend time investing in yourself: grow your knowledge, wealth, and freedom. Spend time working toward goals that bring you joy and align with your values and vision for how you want to live your life.
Literary illustration
Aliz Buzás, in her own words:
I was always attracted by the blank pages before the title of the books, but I thought that it would be kind of a vandalism to draw something there. After all, my initial desire won, and I started to draw small illustrations inside my books. Grab the essence of a book in this form is one of my favourite ways to relax.
The poetic beauty of Kiwanuka
I discovered Michael Kiwanuka last year and have spent the last week listening to his entire catalog. His music is deeply soulful with elements of Sharon Jones, Pink Floyd and Nick Drake. So many amazing songs to choose from, but Light is what hooked me.
Tweet of the week
Ever feel like you’re not measuring up? Chances are you’re accomplishing more than you think.
That’s it for this week folks. Have a great week, stay safe, and remember to be awesome!
Thomas