Month: December 2021

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S1 E120 — Metamorphosis, Exhilaration and a Life of Crime

Returning to a life crime, I’m forced to steal from others. I do feel liberated and if I wasn’t near exhaustion I’m sure I’d also feel exhilarated.  I just hope breaking out of the next box doesn’t torture me as much as it did in my “website box.”

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “You’ve broken out of the box only to discover you’re in a bigger box.  Even so, liberation is one of the most exhilarating feelings, and it’s something to celebrate and savor for as long as it lasts.” Aquarius

Day Fourteen of Scorpio Time

Hi and welcome to Sunday’s Episode 120 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 17th day of November in the fall of 2019

Evidence

I really didn’t want to spend four more hours this Sunday afternoon tweaking my websites.  With my personality, once I’ve kicked in my obsessive side, it’s really hard to stop when I’m so close to finishing.  

This whole past week, while I struggled with WordPress’ TwentySeventeen Theme, I met my goal of dedicating 50% of my time “working on the business.”  

By 5 pm I finished the parallax functionality of the each of the 6 websites — 

I’ll still need to tune each, but they’re working marvelously.

With Scorpio Time winding down I so hoped for more boffo Holiday Tau, not so much for me, but for Zahn, Winkler and Emma the Baroness.  

But alas… 

“3”  Steve Zahn, 51: “Other people can’t help but project onto you the person they most want and need you to be.  This is why knowing oneself always requires some amount of solitude.” Scorpio

It’s not my birthday (that was two and half weeks ago), but this looks promising and is still technically in Scorpio Time  — let’s check back in 2020!

Today’s Holiday Birthday: 

“The turn of the year features some electrifying chemistry.  Being around certain people inspires you to let down your guard, alter your perspective and change your rules.  In 2020, your work becomes what you want it to be.  You’ll perpetuate different sorts of generosity as both the recipient and the benefactor.”

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Returning to a life crime, I’m forced to steal from others. How perceptive you are, Mr. Nash.  I do feel liberated and if I wasn’t near exhaustion I’m sure I’d also feel exhilarated.  I just hope breaking out of the next box doesn’t torture me as much as it did in my “website box.”

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “You’ve broken out of the box only to discover you’re in a bigger box.  Even so, liberation is one of the most exhilarating feelings, and it’s something to celebrate and savor for as long as it lasts.” Aquarius

So turning to another former NBA player and championship coach is there anything I learned so far from box breaking that I should apply going forward?

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “To finish a project, you will need designated time and a conducive environment that allows for undivided focus.” Libra

So McQueen’s Holiday Tau doesn’t sound healthy, wealthy nor wise.  It sounds more like constipation which I’m not eager to curate.  What should I do? Find another passion project that naturally ignites my creativity?

“4”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Your talent is like a fire.  If you hide your light too long, it will be like a flame under a candle snuffer:  Suffocated and extinguished until you reignite.”  Aries

So, do WW&C mean I shouldn’t pay attention to McQueen’s Holiday Tau? He’s long since been dead, so that doesn’t compute.  I’ll need to ponder this one searching for relevancy.

“2”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “People who tell you which experiences you should have may be steering you toward an agenda that benefits them.”  Taurus

Listen, I’m not rating Smith’s so high for today, but for what I felt and sensed and was awe struck during the moment I gazed upon Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel when Emma the Baroness visited the Vatican nearly a year ago. 

“5”  Steve Smith, 30: “There are plenty of sacred things that got that way by being so imbued with reverence that everyone around was able to feel the blessed energy of them.” Gemini

I wish — now obviously Michelangelo was the sculptor and we felt privileged walking past the display of his progress chiseling chunks away from blocks of stone on our way down the hall ending with the statue of his David in Florence, Italy.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “You’re like a sculptor who sees a useful or beautiful shape inside a hunk of stone.”  Leo

Outside consultants briefed us earlier in my career as we internal consultants pitched in to transform a stodgy old-school corporation into a near state of the art engineering and construction company.  Being from USC, the university with so many legacy executives, the consultants made our uphill struggle less strenuous when they described how like a metamorphosis and organizational transformation unfolds the same way.  What you considered key success factors in the previous stage of development work against you in the next one on the other side — as Aoki’s message simply states.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Your thought processes will be different when you get on the other side of this problem.  Keep that in mind while making decisions that will affect future you.” Sagittarius

Right on the money.  This is a lesson I learned the hard way as I bounced from one job to the next until it dawned on me that if you know what your talent profile is, you can choose the culture (at least your work friends and colleagues) that brings out the best in you.  And, for that matter which brings out the worst in you. Wait, on second thought Harvey’s Holiday Tau may literally be about literally choosing a community based on your own preferences and beliefs.

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “Owing to your versatile, tolerant and socially adventurous style, you don’t always agree with or have much in common with your friends. Seek out a community that resonates with your beliefs.” Capricorn

And, basically it was in these organization types and at the Mature growth stage that I finally found my blind spots. But, maybe more importantly Jobs’ Holiday Tau informs our current president’s penchant for demanding loyalty at all costs as surfaced in the House’s impeachment inquiry under way.

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “Your blind spots are as dangerous as any totalitarian-type control that asks you to see things only one way.  Better the question you can’t answer than the answer you can’t question.” Pisces

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

 

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S1 E119 — What Happens When You Hold an Idea?

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Can I be over with this project, please!? My six websites feel about 85% complete from a functionality standard.  This passion project turned out to be not only complicated but challenging, yet surprisingly creative.

Day Thirteen of Scorpio Time

Hi and welcome to Saturdays Episode 119 in the first season of “My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 16th day of November in the fall of 2019

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “You’ve a single focus.  When you hold that idea, everything else fades into the background.  This is what it means to be driven.”  Capricorn

Evidence

I’m revisiting my bio, sales letter sketches that balance each site’s uniqueness, but share a brand. This passion project turned out to be not only complicated but challenging, yet surprisingly creative.  

I wish I could draw upon Zahn’s Holiday Tau, but I’m in this by myself.

“2”  Steve Zahn, 51: “Figure out who is predisposed to do what you have in mind, and then rally those people to get it done.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Since I struck out with my legitimate TauBit, let’s swipe someone’s who probably won’t miss it.  Today’s Holiday Birthday: 

You’re so close to a goal you can almost touch the prize.  Make a new aim beyond it.  You’ll claim your win and have more to look forward to.  Your capabilities will expand along with your capacity to receive the best life has to offer.  Young people will thrive under your tutelage.

You know, I’m glad when I began this natural experiment that I anticipated my sign wouldn’t deliver all day, every day so I included seven more Steves.

I hope the meaning behind Kerr’s Holiday Tau is positive, instead of kicking into a cycle of one step forward and two steps backwards — which has been routine for me this week.

“4”  Steve Kerr, 54:  “Just when you think a situation has run its course, a new cycle will kick in.” Libra

I want to believe in the Holiday Tau for these two comedians and company founder.  Iterate. Iterate. And, iterate some more.

“4”   Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “You adjust like a champ.  You’ll continue to change your offering to fit the situation at hand.” Leo

Here’s my driving motivation.  If I didn’t already believe this I wouldn’t have continued this far.

“5”  Steve Smith, 30: “You’ll live it, and then you’ll tell the story that spreads.  It will feel wonderful to be a part of something that benefits so many.” Gemini

A single focus can’t be bad, unless it turns into a weakness and you should be noticing there’s not market for your offering.

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “You’ve a single focus.  When you hold that idea, everything else fades into the background.  This is what it means to be driven.”  Capricorn

Yes, thanks Steve.  I spent every day this week forcing myself to keep going.  I want off the train.

“4”  Steve Nash, 45: “How many difficult things should you require of yourself in a day?  One to five works for most days.  But today, the answer is none.” Aquarius

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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S1 E118 — Swiping Your Birthday Is What I Do, So Sue Me

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

This birthday was almost three weeks late for me, but only a week late for Emma the Baroness, so I give her permission to make it her own, since it suits her so well.

Day Twelve of Scorpio Time

Hi and welcome to Friday’s Episode 118 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 15th day of November in the fall of 2019

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “The one thing you choose to work on will bring you luck and success in other areas as well.” Sagittarius

Evidence

Without getting too deeply in the weeds I finally locked down the functionality, the look and the feel of what I wanted in “Know Laboratories: Thriving in an Age of Accelerating Uncertainty”.  I used it as a standard to compare line-by-line settings for each of the remaining five.

If I’d known what I was doing back in March of 2017 when I began rolling out my blogs, I wouldn’t made as many mistakes and forgotten hard won technical insights.  Oh well.

This birthday was almost three weeks late for me, but only a week late for Emma the Baroness, so I give her permission to make it her own, since it suits her so well.

Today’s Holiday Birthday: 

“Though you can be proud of your foundational habits and values, you can be even more proud of the fact that you are willing to keep questioning, checking and building them to suit who you are becoming.  This is the work that brings you love, passion, meaning, more and honor this year.”

We’re still in the suite spot of our Holiday Tau, but I’m afraid I’ve got little use for this TauBit today.

“2”  Steve Zahn, 51: “If you always did what the group was into, you’d make no impact.  The same would be true if you never did it.  You’ll be on trend today.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

To make Aoki’s Holiday Tau worth swiping for me today is if I twist it slightly to make it my own while applying it to my problem solving approach to compare each site to the one I locked down with the functionality, the look and the feel I wanted as a standard. 

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “The one thing you choose to work on will bring you luck and success in other areas as well.” Sagittarius

You know there’s a lot of truth to McQueen’s Holiday Tau — the part about just wanting all the rest of the 5 websites to mirror Know Laboratories and be finished sometime in my lifetime.

“4”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “You don’t care who gets credit, you just want the thing done.  Because of this approach, you’ll be effective.”  Aries

I’m not so sure I can agree, maybe because I’m in the middle of the conversion and didn’t anticipate it would have taken this long.

“3”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “The same actions will take on different qualities.  Taxing work becomes exciting opportunities.”  Taurus

Steve, your Holiday Tau had me in the opening line.  Is it discipline or an obsession I’m following?  That doesn’t seem to be my struggle today.

“2”  Steve Smith, 30: “When you struggle to maintain the discipline to complete an action, maybe it’s not discipline you really need to look for.  Look for the pleasure instead.”Gemini

Sorry Steve, given your reputation for innovation and dent-the-universe sayings frankly I expected more.

“2”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “What would you plan for the future if you knew you would drive there much improved?  Consistent movement makes progress inevitable.” Pisces

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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S2 E10 — Cats, Ladders and Shaking Salt …

Key into your own life and times as though you were a journalist writing a story about it.  There’s something in “witnessing” your own life from the point of view that will liberate you to make this year an adventure slightly beyond what you were used to.

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “The interesting ideas will come and go, giving little sparks to your day.  It’s the great ideas that will stick around, lighting a fire in you.” Libra

Yup, it’s Friday the 13th.  Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 10 of the Second Season’s  My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment, on March 13th in the spring of 2020 here in California.

Previously in the Second Season

S2 E9 — Blame It On Your D4DR Gene, Not Me!; S2 E8 — How Does the Entangled Fish Hook Theory of Creativity Work?; S2 E7 — Smart Moves and Shifting Opportunities

Related from Season One

S1 E10 — Day 10 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E9 — Day 9 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E8 — Day 8 of My 1-Year Experiment;

Evidence

Figuring out how many BCC emails I could send at any one time turned into a trial and error task stretching out for most of this past week.  

    • In my “Working on the Business” mode 318 outbound emails to proteges I had matched with mentors in the past and another 52 to their mentors escaped my iCloud server’s cutoff.  
    • But, for the last two days I logged in the sent backs for a variety of reasons into my “Friends of Steves” spreadsheet and searched on LinkedIn for the most current I could find.
    • Michelle, one of those first wave of Proteges who graduated in 2019 sought advice about starting up a business. Her request got me thinking about topics  
    • I had already written in book chapters and in one of my blogs that could be an article to offer the public on Patreon. I sent her Preneurs . 
    • What’s the easiest way to offer the “Best of” teaser articles in Patreon from my websites?  
    • Maybe my bonus offering is 60 days of free newsletter for those of us stuck at home.  
    • Or “stuff“ from missing chapters added in Knowledge Banking, but not included in any of the manuscripts.  Or, possibly about change and uncertainty from Know Laboratories.

Michelle’s unexpected reply felt lucky for triggering ideas, but who knows if potential Patreon followers will care?  Is this gold or fool’s gold?

So, Steve your Holiday Tau feels timely.  I’m full of self-doubt.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “There’s a time to doubt yourself and a time to go full-on forward.  Don’t let them overlap.  Once you decide, step with confidence.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Haha.  If you’ve been following along this definitely isn’t my birthday, but I wish it was.  I hope by finishing the “Volume Two — Work” and “Volume Three — Wisdom and Legacy” manuscripts will appeal to both demographics. 

Today’s Holiday Birthday:  

Key into your own life and times as though you were a journalist writing a story about it.  There’s something in “witnessing” your own life from the point of view that will liberate you to make this year an adventure slightly beyond what you were used to.  Young people emulate you, and older people need you.

Oh, oh.  Have I not knocked hard enough today?  Is your Holiday Tau predicting bad things for me?  I knew it.

“4”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Defeat isn’t the end.  It’s a chance to regroup, change the plan, give it another go.” Leo

Thanks, G&G.  If I combine your TauBit of Wisdom with Today’s birthday it adds up to the “Volume Three — Wisdom and Legacy” manuscript! 

“5”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61: “Knowledge is obtained through study.  But the only way to become wise is through experience.” Virgo

Yeah, now we’re glowing.  Thanks Coach Kerr I’m feeling more inspired.

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “The interesting ideas will come and go, giving little sparks to your day.  It’s the great ideas that will stick around, lighting a fire in you.” Libra

But, wait there’s more.  Wow, thanks for being on my Tau Team Steve.  Intelligence, originality and nuance — great qualities to emulate.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Ordinary thinking does not recognize extraordinary qualities.  You have the higher intelligence to appreciate originality and to discern wonderful nuances.” Sagittarius

What’s Going On …

Shifting Opportunities

Smart Moves

Long-Form

    • “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, A 5-Hundred Year History” by Kurt Andersen
    • “The Introvert Advantage: How Quiet People Can Thrive in an Extrovert World” by Marti Olsen Laney

Working on the Business

    • 1,345  Flipboard users follow one or more of my 35 digital magazines.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Previous

S2 E9 — Blame It On Your D4DR Gene, Not Me!; S2 E8 — How Does the Entangled Fish Hook Theory of Creativity Work?; S2 E7 — Smart Moves and Shifting Opportunities; S2 E6 — No We Don’t Share Your Precious Little Frickin’ Data ; S2 E5 — Second Season Sneak Preview: My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment; S2 E4 — Sneak Preview: Day 4 of My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment; S2 E3 — Day 3 of My Pandemic Year Experiment;  S2 E2 — New Season Preview:  Rippling Effects, Implications and Consequences We Didn’t See Coming;  S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?”

Related

S1 E10 — Day 10 of My 1-Year Experiment;  S1 E9 — Day 9 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E8 — Day 8 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E7 — Day 7 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E6 — Day 6 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E5 — Day 5 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E4 — Day 4 of My 1-Year Experiment;  S1 E3 — Day 3 of My 1-Year Experiment;   S1 E2 — Day 2 of My 1-Year Experiment;  S1 E1 – Day One of My 1-Year Experiment

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S1 E117 — Poets and Priests and Testifying Under Oath …

OMG.  Given what’s going on in the House hearings, I’d say both Emma the Baroness and I agree and wonder what happened to American core values and principles?

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “You appreciate being among self-driven people who know what they are doing and can turn in a product, attitude or outcome consistently without being coerced,  bribed, punished or manipulated.” Aries

Day Ten of Scorpio Time

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 117 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 14th day of November in the fall of 2019

Evidence

Up to this point in time I exceeded my goal of spending 50% on time of “Working on the Business” — around 70% of that effort tied to Patreon and Tau of Steve as a source on income. 

    • But, this is also the week when I fell down the rabbit hole reviewing commerce plugins like Woo, and membership plugins like Memberly (owned by Patreon) to seamlessly connect to the network of my six WordPress websites.  
    • Today I spent three hours converting blogs to functioning websites, largely getting stuck with attempts to launch the sexy parallax functions bouncing back and fort between my dashboards and customizing each in site view.
    • Oh, and Emma the Baroness and I recorded and spot checked portions of Congress’s Impeachment hearing of President Trump.

So, considering Zahn’s Holiday Tau for us, I have to laugh, because this definitely feels like a painful belly-flop.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “Today’s dive into the lake of life will not be a graceful swan-style.  Nor will it involve the flailing indecision of a painful belly-flop.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

OMG.  Given what’s going on in the House hearings, I’d say both Emma the Baroness and I agree and wonder what happened to American core values and principles?

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “You appreciate being among self-driven people who know what they are doing and can turn in a product, attitude or outcome consistently without being coerced,  bribed, punished or manipulated.” Aries

Ok, Steve I will, I promise. Hold on. That’s a little too snarky.  I’m upgrading this because it’s those little insights that pop out from my weird impressions and half thoughts and build to a breakthrough in my technical understanding.

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “Try to remember clearly those weird internal thoughts you’re having as you work through the tensions of life.” Pisces

Yo, Howey your Holiday Tau sounds wonderful and just what I need! But, I’m still stuck in the rabbit hole and the rope ladder is still to short to climb my way out.

“3”  Steve Howey, 42: “The hike is worthwhile, no matter how high you climb.  You don’t have to reach the highest peak to get the benefit of perspective.” Cancer

Oh, no I don’t. Not today.

“2” Steve Kerr, 54: “Maybe we are, as the poets and the priests have suggested, but grains of sand.  Still, you’ll feel very much a part of the beautiful shore of humanity today.” Libra

Except if the experienced are testifying under oath!

“2”  Steve Aoki, 41: “The opinion of the experienced will be so valuable to those who take the time to listen.” Sagittarius

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E116 — The Jolt of Lightning that Changed Everything

And, of course that was way before when our shoulders lightly touched on the couch in the reception area of Program Five at work — and we both felt a jolt of lightning like nothing either of us had experienced before.

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “Because your smile is so contagious, the quickest way to bring someone up is to expose him or her to that.” Aquarius

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Day Ten of Scorpio Time

Hi and welcome to Saturday’s Episode 115 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 9th day of November in the fall of 2019

Evidence

Happy Birthday, your Baroness!!!  Remember this?

THE DANCE OF THE TWO SCORPIOS

Oh

I can’t tell if the spell is you

or if it is

me.

We had a moment that felt too good.

You were afraid of more

should we take the step

or 

should I write a novel

shouting what it was and

could never have been.

Let’s take a chance

the feeling’s what showed us

beyond our dreams

what Love was

and 

will continue to 

be.

While I can’t actually speak for Zahn and Winkler, I can for Emma the Baroness and me.  We synched up as we always have.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “People can experience similar circumstances very differently.  You’ll live this today.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Actually, Emma the Baroness told me that from a distance what attracted me to her was my smile and my arms.  And, of course that was way before when our shoulders lightly touched on the couch in the reception area of Program Five at work — and we both felt a jolt of lightning like nothing either of us had experienced.

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “Because your smile is so contagious, the quickest way to bring someone up is to expose him or her to that.” Aquarius

Sure, of course.  It’s just I expected more from two “love song” musicians and a comedian.

“2”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Support systems aren’t always people.  They can also be habits you establish to make the right thing also the easiest, most logical and most convenient thing to do.” Taurus

Another way of looking at Smith’s Holiday Tau is that when you overuse your strengths they too become your weakness.

“2”  Steve Smith, 30: “Your strengths will not eradicate your weaknesses, but by leaning into them you can overwhelm the situation so your weaknesses have little chance to show themselves.” Gemini

As long as I don’t over do it!

“3”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61: “You know what you’re good at.  The application itself will grow your gifts.” Virgo

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E115 — Meandering Minds, Falling Branches and Strange Pacing Until …

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Day Ten of Scorpio Time

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “This day will have strange pacing.  It will seem as though nothing happens for long stretches and then everything happens at once.” Sagittarius

Hi and welcome to Friday’s Episode 115 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 8th day of November in the fall of 2019, also known as “Day Ten of Scorpio Time.”

Evidence

In each of my professional roles — advising, counseling, coaching, consulting — my work, or rather the work my clients did was ongoing.  So on the weekends I found myself drawn to projects with a beginning and ending  point.  

This day, being Friday, was no different.  Tree trimming. 

It combined an artistic expression applied to shaping the multi-trunked Carrot Wood tree in our front yard, a physical workout reaching into the branches with the cutting blade at the end of my telescoping red metal pole and pulling on the rope to snip off branches.

And it freed one part of my brain to meander not quite in a dream state, because I still had to pay attention, but definitely not in a logical, problem solving mode.  

As I cut away, that other part of my brain considered —

“My blogs — needing to convert the blogs to websites and ready them for the Tau of Steves. How does each site’s brand support the Tau?  The Knowledge Path might be the easiest — Leave a Legacy. Instead of reinventing, why not revisit my bio and book cover descriptions from the Volume One Series of the first five books for “About” pages?  Consider changing to “no dates” of postings, shifting first to the just picture-click bait headlines-attention grabbing first sentences breaking off with a “…” to introduce the paywall.”

Anyway that’s where my head was, while my hands and body kept me looking up and pulling and ducking out of the way as twigs, branches and limbs fell to earth.

Given all that, what about Zahn’s Holiday Tau for this 9th Day of Scorpio Time? Not as much as I hoped.

“2”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You don’t need to be strategic in your socializing because you’re already attracted to the people who can most help you.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

However comma, as Emma the Baroness says, CM&W’s Holiday Tau exceeds my expectations, right?

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “You’re trying to project the most accurate version of what’s going on inside of you.  Once you express yourself, you’ll find that others feel as you do.” Leo

And, I couldn’t have hoped for the second part describing the day I had — it’s as if I set the challenge up in my subconsciousness, spend the afternoon laboring with my hands and then, pop, a solution appears!

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “This day will have strange pacing.  It will seem as though nothing happens for long stretches and then everything happens at once.” Sagittarius

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S3 E3 — A Pivot, a Miracle or Something Paradoxically Normal?

Desperation sets in.  I need a catch-up miracle or else.   Should I pull the plug on most of this baggage and pivot to something else entirely?

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Hi and welcome to Sunday’s Episode 3 in Season 3 of “My Paradoxically Normal Year” on this 28th day of February in the winter of 2021 — which is a three-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic year and then in the pandemic year, and now months after.

Previously in Season Three

S3 E2 — Preview of the New Post Pandemic Season; S3 E1 — Preview Day One in Season Three of the New Abnormality 

Related from Season Two

S2 E3 — Day 3 of My Pandemic Year Experiment; S2 E2 — New Season Preview: Rippling Effects, Implications and Consequences We Didn’t See Coming; S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?” 

Related from Season One

S1 E3 — Day 3 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E2 — Day 2 of My 1-Year Experiment ; S1 E1 – Day One of My 1-Year Experiment 

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “When rejection is a possibility, most people are risk-averse to a degree. But since you’ve had such a variety of results from putting yourself on the line, you’ve become socially adventurous. That pays off today.” Pisces

Evidence

When you start planning your strategy for launching a website you can either give up a destination in your own brand hosted by the company you choose or you brand your own and pay for hosting service separately.  

After comparison shopping I chose SiteGround.  I’m telling you this, because they auto-renewed me for another year at $320 which covers their Site Scanner for all six of my websites.  

And, as a logical extension for covering my basic expenses I shopped around all of the crowdfunding options to choose Patreon.  

I’m wondering out loud if this is what is meant about the “new normal” shaping up this weekend. 

And if $320 is the high cost of not changing?

I can tell you I’d fallen so far behind that I had to inventory everything just to consider how to efficiently pull a catch-up miracle or to pull the plug on most of the baggage and pivot to something else entirely.  

Stuff I have to work out:

      1. 12  Spotlights in the can — which will require updating headlines
      2. 205 compositions at various stages in the pipeline
      3. 97 Volume Two and Three drafts
      4. 24 “Where” and “What’s Next” plus Book 2-step chapter / blog / Patreon in Public or Tier display
      5. A draft of Day One of My 1-Year Experiment (which needs help) and then 114 days drafted waiting right behind it.
      6. 52 post 1-year “TauBits for the Taking”
      7. 78 Volume Three journal to text copies
      8. 19 Volume Two drafts

Now throw in my major resistance to: 

      1. Publishing the 5-book series in Apple Books and 
      2. Scheduling a email – MailChimp newsletter 
      3. Launching Friends of Steves group on Facebook and switch focus from horoscopes to wisdom extracted, to any Steves.

I’ve got to figure out an efficient way to identify what’s next to post a draft to Patreon or one of my websites.  And, then get good at remembering all the stuff that is quirky about each site. And, after that routinely pump them out.

So, what about it? 

Can I find any TauBits of Wisdom from today’s Steves? Funny how endless possibilities each with their own attached anxieties stop you before the act.  

And then once you act and begin iterating, those anxieties disappear into energy-bursts of creativity for building something new.  All any of us can do I guess is to pick one thing, finish it and move on.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You are adapting to the current circumstances and making the next logical move. Perhaps it seems obvious to you, but those observing find you wondrously original.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Anything swipe-able from these three Steves?  Nash’s fits what I needed to hear today.  I over question and the open gate floods with too much to process.  So, thanks Steve.

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “There’s a time to ask why? A time to ask why not? And a time not to ask anything at all. Questions are openings. When there’s an abundance, close the gate and sort what you’ve already got.”  Aquarius

OMG.  Did you read the last three items on my list.  You nailed it.  Resistance, fear of rejection, risk-aversiveness.  So you’re saying if I become socially adventurous it pays off today?  Can’t wait, let’s see.

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “When rejection is a possibility, most people are risk-averse to a degree. But since you’ve had such a variety of results from putting yourself on the line, you’ve become socially adventurous. That pays off today.” Pisces

I won’t lie to you.  I get Aoki’s set-up for a nonchalant guy like me, but I like the punch line — seeing stuff in a new light, but I’m so far behind that I’m too busy sorting through what I’ve got. 

“4”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Comedians are often funny because their jokes make us aware of what would normally be automatic, nonchalant action. You’ll be a bit of a comedian today, observing the ordinary in a new light.” Sagittarius

The Holiday Forecast for the Week Ahead:

“Screenwriters call it the ‘inciting incident.’ This week …the message, … has to do with social change or, more to the point, the high cost of not changing. As far as this week’s plot goes, the ‘new normal’ starts to shape up over the weekend when we figure out what our personal plan is going to be to process events and assimilate new knowledge into our worlds. While it may be satisfying to have everything wrap up with a tidy bow, the best filmmakers are sure to leave some questions answered. Otherwise, who’s going to come see the sequel?”

What’s Going On …

Shifting Opportunities

Smart Moves 

Long-Form

    • “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History” by Kurt Andersen Both of us, Emma the Baroness and I, have been processing the acquittal of our ex-President — not really being surprised by the “Big Lie” promoting followers in the Senate, but more disappointed after seeing new video documentation of the insurrection and detailed evidence time lines.  I return to Kurt Andersen’s book “Fantasyland” to help me through the process of filtering the unfolding events.

Progress and Procrastination

    • Procrastination — Lost a full day replacing my 2000 Toyota 4-Runner with a leased Honda CR-V

Working on the Business

    • Today 1,277 Flipboard users follow one or more of my 35 digital magazines.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S2 E9 — Blame It On Your D4DR Gene, Not Me!

Novelty seekers have a long D4DR gene and were less sensitive to the neurotransmitter dopamine. They need to experience life’s thrills and chills in order to produce higher levels of dopamine.

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 9 of the Second Season’s  My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment, on March 12th in the spring of 2020 here in California.

Previously in the Second Season

S2 E8 —How Does the Entangled Fish Hook Theory of Creativity Work?; S2 E7 — Smart Moves and Shifting Opportunities; S2 E6 — No We Don’t Share Your Precious Little Frickin’ Data

Related from Season One

S1 E9 — Day 9 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E8 — Day 8 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E7 — Day 7 of My 1-Year Experiment 

 

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You have ideas but you don’t know how to make them fly now.  Until you see the light, the best move is no move.” Scorpio

Evidence

I’m not too pleased when I discovered files critical to my writing process were missing in my desktop folders.  

Case in point.  

I was dead certain I had read a book about Steve McQueen, the now dead Patron Saint of the Tau of Steves.  

Several attempts later and giving up searches in my photo albums where I took pictures of pages, I decided to save highlights from another book, my Kindle borrowed library book, “Introvert Advantage” and I found McQueen, but only when I went to save the borrowed book.

A whole list of missing books appeared.  

Why? Thank you Steve Jobs and the iCloud team?

Anyway, “Play to Your Strengths” — Inner-Directed Talent Profiles seem to match up well with right-brain and left-brain introverts. 

A deep dive into the Introvert Advantage.

Some quotes: 

We all have a natural temperament climate in which we feel more comfortable, perform our best, and maintain a crucial balance. All human beings have 99.9 percent of the same genetic prescription. Our individual differences come from the 0.1 percent of our genetic material that is just us. 

Temperamental differences appear to be derived primarily from our neurochemistry.” “(O)ne gene, D4DR … influences temperament. No one gene causes a specific temperament. However D4DR, or the ‘novelty-seeking gene,’ has been studied extensively ….

Chromosome 11, named the personality chromosome affects the neurotransmitter dopamine … controls excitement levels and is vital for physical activity and motivation.

The novelty seekers were found to have a long D4DR gene and were less sensitive to the neurotransmitter dopamine.

They need to experience life’s thrills and chills in order to produce higher levels of dopamine.” .

(For) low-novelty seekers’D4DR genes were short and … they are highly sensitive to dopamine….  (I)n quiet activities, reflective individuals … are perfectly content to live at a slower pace.”  Kindle, Location: 851 — 861

I guess the question is, so what? 

Followed by the observation that neither our Patron Saint, Steve McQueen nor Steve Jobs represent today. 

Why?

At least our main guy showed his Holiday Tau and it’s exactly what I’m feeling.  Well done Zahnny.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You have ideas but you don’t know how to make them fly now.  Until you see the light, the best move is no move.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Another birthday heist is called for, though I’m neither proud of it or anywhere near qualified to legitimately claim it.  But, it holds possible answers to grounded ideas mentioned in Zahnny’s Holiday Tau.

Today’s Holiday Birthday:  

This year offers a variety of frameworks for you to operate within.  You’re like an actor who gets to play several roles.  Tight relationships will be the best part and your personal life will play out like a beautiful dance.  There’s an opportunity to mix in a professional area you’ve been intrigued with for years.

So, is this all about my low novelty-seeking D4DR short genes or what?

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69: “Creativity and vitality spring alive as you disconnect from the digital world for a spell and reconnect to your inner world.”  Taurus

Haha.  Is your Holiday Tau a twist on the former CEO of Intel who once claimed that at the pace of technology’s cutting edge being paranoid is a survival, if not thrival skill.  So, maybe a little stimulus to attract my attention shouldn’t be all that bad.  Any idea who’s passing what around?

“4”  Steve Harvey, 62: “Do you get the impression that there is secret information being passed?  The tinge of paranoia is a sign to pay attention.”   Capricorn

What’s Going On …

Shifting Opportunities

Smart Moves

Long-Form

    • “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, A 5-Hundred Year History” by Kurt Andersen
    • “The Introvert Advantage: How Quiet People Can Thrive in an Extrovert World” by Marti Olsen Laney

Working on the Business

    • 1,345  Flipboard users follow one or more of my 35 digital magazines.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Previous

S2 E8 —How Does the Entangled Fish Hook Theory of Creativity Work?;  S2 E7 — Smart Moves and Shifting Opportunities; S2 E6 — No We Don’t Share Your Precious Little Frickin’ Data ; S2 E5 — Second Season Sneak Preview: My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment; S2 E4 — Sneak Preview: Day 4 of My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment; S2 E3 — Day 3 of My Pandemic Year Experiment;  S2 E2 — New Season Preview:  Rippling Effects, Implications and Consequences We Didn’t See Coming;  S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?”

Related

S1 E9 — Day 9 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E8 — Day 8 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E7 — Day 7 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E6 — Day 6 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E5 — Day 5 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E4 — Day 4 of My 1-Year Experiment;  S1 E3 — Day 3 of My 1-Year Experiment;   S1 E2 — Day 2 of My 1-Year Experiment;  S1 E1 – Day One of My 1-Year Experiment

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S1 E114 — Setbacks, Frustration, Epic Fails but How Was Your Day?

Day Eight of our Scorpio Time celebration was an epic fail —no TauBits of Wisdom on Sunday for Zahnny and us worth mentioning.  Not even for the rest of the celebrity Steves to make me want to change my sign or steal their slices of wisdom.

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Day Nine of Scorpio Time

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “With temporary setbacks, it can be frustrating to have a constant awareness that something is off.  Think of the state as a mind-over-matter type of challenge.” Libra

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 114 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 7th day of November in the fall of 2019, also known as Day Nine of Scorpio Time.

Day Eight of our Scorpio Time celebration was an epic fail —no TauBits of Wisdom on Sunday for Zahnny and us worth mentioning.  Not even for the rest of the celebrity Steves to make me want to change my sign or steal their slices of wisdom.

Evidence

Working on the business consumed my week.  

My research sweet spot focused on both platforms — Patreon, the one I anticipated launching on — and WordPress which is where I host my six blogs.  

    • What I wanted was some transition into a membership based business so my blogs and Patreon cross-promoted each other.  
    • But, so far my stand alone blogs had failed to direct traffic from one to another.  And, I had no way of generating income from them.  
    • I had put off converting each blog into a full-featured website because the technical challenges with pages and templates and menus and … everything else required of me froze my brain and fogged my mind.

Today, I realized the “Twenty Seventeen” WordPress Theme I chose for all blogs was set up for an ongoing business.  

Maybe not exactly what I needed.  

Then, of course, I  wasn’t sure what it was that I needed when I bit the bullet and launched them two years ago.

Given all that, how much do I have to read into today’s Holiday Tau for Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and me? 

Hmm.  

Not the best, but as I look over how my 6 blogs have turned out, I can see the TauBit of Wisdom this one.

“4”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You can’t tell which action you’ll be proud of or not proud of until you do the thing and see how it feels.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Yo, Mr. Kerr I’d like to borrow your Holiday Tau if you aren’t using it.  Something is almost always off, wrapped in frustration and head banging.  But, what really attracted me to yours is the “mind over matter” reference back to my mother and, especially my grandmother who took my sister and I to Christian Science Sunday School. 

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “With temporary setbacks, it can be frustrating to have a constant awareness that something is off.  Think of the state as a mind-over-matter type of challenge.” Libra

Haha, McQueen’s Holiday Tau suggests just the opposite of my week’s worth of frustration and technical agony.  But, it’s where I “go” when I ask for guidance from my muse — “What would Leo da V do?”

“3” Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Do things for the pleasure of doing them instead of for the points, money or approval that might come.”  Aries

To be honest guys, your Holiday Tau describes how I feel about my normal days and weeks.  But, not this week, or today.

“3” Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “You’ve been finding ways to work what you’re best at into your daily life.  Now your days reflect you so much better.”  Taurus

Listen G&G, I so much want to follow your Holiday Tau today, but I’m so burned out with my energy depleted that I can’t muster my observant creative self to show his head.

“4”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61: “Wherever you’re at in life today, bring your most observant, creative self to it.” Virgo

Not to be flippant, but I’m just not following your Tau.

“2”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Relationships get broken.  Repairs can happen individually, together or in subsequent relationships with different people.” Sagittarius

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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