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S1 E96 — Old Rabbits Die Hard

Just like breakthrough ideas that come to you in the shower (take more showers Paradoxy-Morons say) the monotonous hard work of prepping for sod allows your mind to wonder to where it needs to go.

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

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “This is the ideal day to strategize how you’re going to turn all that you’ve learned into a viable plan.” Scorpio

Evidence

So, at the end of this week, I’ve been “preparing soil” to lay new sod where the blazing hot sun and an infestation of rabbits destroyed our lawn while we holidayed in Norway. 

Happy Birthday Sis!!  Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 96 in Season 1 of my 1-Year Natural Experiment on October 4th in the fall of 2019.

But I managed to squeeze in more research notes from Fantasyland in between shovels full of dirt management.

Points that struck me enough to remember:

Thomas Jefferson when you do your own thing it’s ok, “Unless It Picks My Pocket or Breaks My Leg”, but you can always find new evidence to support your beliefs. And, History does not repeat, but it rhymes.

Then you have the three way breakdown of Squishies, Cynics, and Believers — each among the gatekeepers in academia and media and government and politics is charged with determining what’s factually true and what’s iffy and false.

When I was a millennial and prepared for my first career in psychology — the ‘60s and ‘70s— Woodstock, Hippies, New Age at Big Sur’s Esalen, Thomas Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift, Carlos Castenada and Charles Tart.

And, finally “…shared the fantastic retro vision of a nation covered by brand-new old-timey homesteads and ranches and small towns, and themselves as pioneers redux.” Frank Lloyd Wright and dream of suburbia. Plus “a real estate developer (and eccentric utopian) named Abbot Kinney built an amusement park around an artificial lagoon, with canals and gondoliers, calling it Venice of America.”

Just like breakthrough ideas come to you in the shower (take more showers Paradox-Morons say) the monotonous hard work of prepping for sod allows your mind to wonder to where it needs to go. (Shovel more dirt Zahn’s Holiday Tau should say).

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “This is the ideal day to strategize how you’re going to turn all that you’ve learned into a viable plan.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

I guess as long as I’m shoveling dirt and not shit — bullshit, that is — CC&W’s Holiday Tau complements Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and my Holiday Tau.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “You don’t need everyone to agree with you to get a successful result.  Focus on serving the people who agree and then move on to those who might be easily tipped your way.” Leo

I’m not buying McQueen’s Holiday Tau.  I’m not even going to steal it.  It just doesn’t fit.

“2”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “The wise move doesn’t always bring more money to hand immediately, but it will today.” Aries

Huh?  Maybe shoveling dirt made me too tired to suss this one out.

“2”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “If you’re not looking forward to anything, then put something on the books.  You’ll live a little happier each day leading up to it.” Taurus

Smith’s Holiday Tau rings true for me.  What’s that, that my dear old mother would say, “We shall see, dear.”

“3”  Steve Smith, 30: “You genuinely want what’s best for the others, and they will feel this in your attitude.  Your intention will move you toward the best actions.” Gemini

Great, now you tell me.  I’m past a point of no return and I’ve already gotten my hands dirty.

“2”  Steve Howey, 42: “Be careful not to mistake being busy for importance.  Being overly busy can be a distraction from problems, too.” Cancer

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E95 — No Back to Work Days or Hump Days Allowed

So when I say,  “Day 95 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment” for instance, I’m repeating my original design for consistency and repeatability purposes.

Today, then is really the 95th day of Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which excludes Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Make sense?

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Why settle for merely being different when you have the chance to do something that’s much better than what others are doing?” Leo

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

Evidence

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 95 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 3rd day of October in the fall of 2019.

What the heck?  Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and I haven’t received a Holiday Tau since way back in S1 E86 — Day 86 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment.  

That seems like a long, long time when it comes to the dolling out of TauBits of Wisdom, but it brings up another issue to make this work.  It has more to do about this natural experiment unfolding over the course of a year.  

You may recall I didn’t intend it would be everyday for 365 days, right?  

Since, originally the Leo da V inspired idea hatched by mistake while I read the Comics section in print edition of the Los Angeles Times.  

We, being Emma the Baroness and I, are such cheapskates that we subscribe for the extended weekend — on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  

Here’s the problem for which I’ll have to account. 

Missing extended weekend days during our Norwegian vacation messed the the count up.  You’ll just have to take the Head Researcher Investigator’s word for it because it is so complicated that he had to recalculate two or three more times than he wanted to.

So, when I’m complaining that waiting for over a month (10/3/19 minus 8/31/19) isn’t exactly as it sounds.

Don’t worry, I know it seems like an unnecessary complication, but as the Head Research Investigator, I’ll make a note for later decision.

That monologue is a long way of saying, except for musing about a fictitious interview with Marc Maron’s WTF and noting more highlights from Fantasyland, I walked around our local lake for about 3 miles while listening and noting songs — titles and lyrics — which could work into this “The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book” experiment. 

But, I mostly did some hard labor replacing our scorched grass with new sod.

“3”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You have nothing to be afraid of.  So take a risk.  Even if you lose, you’ll win.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Well, let’s hope so.  I’ll enjoy stealing the Holiday Tau for Carell, Martin and the Woz.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Why settle for merely being different when you have the chance to do something that’s much better than what others are doing?” Leo

Yeah, I do have to say I turned laying sod into a major project that had to meet my landscaping standards.

“4”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “When you measure your work against a standard that means something to you, what matters is that you meet your standard.” Aries

I’m always dealing with the Holiday Tau meant for Smith.  Sometimes asking “What would Leo da V do?” puts me in my creative temptations path — procrastination.  More often than not I hope it mirrors what I know about da Vinci’s genius revealed in his note book sketches.

“3”  Steve Smith, 30: “Here comes a parade of short-term temptations you’re expected to forgo in favor of long-term goals.  Get out of temptation’s way.” Gemini

Kinda get and kinda not.

“2”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61: “Take the win for today.  Who said it had to make sense? Accept the bounty.” Libra

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E94 — Wasn’t There a Movie about the Tau of Steve?

Would having to own up to your wife, the gorgeous Emma the Baroness, and shell out thousands of dollars for a new garage door installation count?

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

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Priorities have a way of shuffling to accommodate some kind of secret order that you yourself may not even be aware of until the results come in.” Leo

Evidence

Welcome to  Sunday’s Episode 94 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 29th day of September in the fall of 2019.

What’s going on?  Both Emma the Baroness and I have returned to our normal waking and sleeping routines in Southern California — which is fall, but feels and awful much like summer.

Sunday starts a new week for me.  This is put up or shut up week.  Take care of chores around the house left undone since we returned from our vacation.

And, more than anything Sunday is the kind of day when I start out by  asking “What would Leo da V do?” And, then this just dropped out.

Marc: Wasn’t there a movie about the Tao of Steve?  

Steve: Yes, but if you read closely you’ll notice the title of the book is “The Tau of Steves.”

Marc: To avoid any copyright or legal issues?

Steve: No, originally it was a typo.  I misspelled “Tao” and didn’t catch it for a long time. But, the movie’s plot centered on romancing women by the main character, Dex I believe.  He wasn’t a Steve.

Marc:  He based his philosophy for picking up women on two fictional “Steve” TV characters and a Hollywood actor, right?

Steve:  Yes, Steve Austin (not Stone Cold Steve Austin), but the Million Dollar Man and Steve McGarrett the original Hawaii Five O cop.  And Steve McQueen (no not that one), the one who starred in “Bullet” and the original “Thomas Crown Affair” with Faye Dunaway.  

Marc:  So you wrote this book about “Steves” with a typo in the title.  Why?  Why is it important?

Steve:  Yes, at first and it’s not important.

Marc: But it is to you, so why write it?

Steve: I couldn’t sleep and there was a Norwegian in my bed.

Again, don’t wake Emma the Baroness.  She’ll be disappointed that we missed out on the Holiday Tau delivery.  But, no matter.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Are you suggesting that the Holiday Tau that Emma the Baroness and I didn’t receive, but so deserve went to two comedians and a company founder instead?  We’ll take it. I’m leaving it up to Leo.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Priorities have a way of shuffling to accommodate some kind of secret order that you yourself may not even be aware of until the results come in.” Leo

Would having to own up to your wife, the gorgeous Emma the Baroness, and shell out thousands of dollars for a new garage door installation count?

“4”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “Because you are willing and able to deal with the negative experiences in your life, you are able to handle and let go of adversity.” Virgo

I’ll take that as a compliment, given Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and I are way overdue for our Holiday Tau.

“4”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You’re so used to dealing with your own world that you don’t see what you do daily as anything particularly remarkable, but it is.” Sagittarius

Are you sure?  I’d love to, but duty calls today.

“3”  Steve Harvey, 62: “Agreeing to an adventure is the right thing to do, especially if you’re not sure what else to do.” Capricorn

Maybe, like Brian Eno said once, Nash’s Holiday Tau points in the same direction.  Keep trying different approaches and keep creating different passion projects.  If one comes to a brick wall at the end of a blind ally, jump to the next project on the other side.

“5”  Steve Nash, 45: “You try something that doesn’t work, and then you try something else.  Keep trying until something clicks.  This is the way of progress.” Aquarius

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S2 E2 — New Season Preview: Rippling Effects, Implications and Consequences We Didn’t See Coming

You’re supposed to buy on the story — how promising a stock looks into the future at today’s price.  And, sell on the news — the best may be over for the next quarter so you take money off the table and squirrel away your profits

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “The correct next move might be no move at all. To stand there until the world shifts is a real test of patience that will pay off.”  Capricorn

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

Evidence

Hi and welcome to Friday’s Episode 2 in Season 2 of the Pandemic extension of my Natural Experiment on February 28th in the last day of winter of 2020.

This being a closing day for the stock market week leads to guessing over the weekend where the market will open, it’s not quite surprising that investors would be spooked.  

Which is why “What If That, Then This” logic should include second and third order implications.  

    • Like what is emerging just below the surface that might negatively impact the coronavirus virus efforts and stock market correction and recession fears. 
    • How can you account for the surprising ripple effects cascading in different directions like dominoes tipped over?

How seriously should we take falling dominoes?

Turning to our Holiday Tau — for Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and me — what’s the meaning of these ripple effects? 

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “Your pie wins the contest, and your special sauce garners worldwide intrigue. This is the stuff of fantasies and diary entries, so be sure to put the day’s events and potential events into both.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Is there a sense of panic I can buy into?  Haha, just kidding.  I’ve learned my lesson as a rookie 401K and IRA investor.  I never experienced a time when I lost so much money — well actually the value of shares in a mutual fund not the actual money unless you sell the shares — for such a long time in the last Great Recession.  This time around we learned our lesson, Emma the Baroness and me.  

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “The correct next move might be no move at all. To stand there until the world shifts is a real test of patience that will pay off.”  Capricorn

So, coach Kerr again you’ve laid my soul open.  An SPIP, like me feels too constrained operating in a talent culture that won’t encourage independent idea packaging even if the organization is packed with systematic professionals.  It’s why I build the whole Executive MBA Career Curriculum from scratch and chafed at the pressure to conform over the last two years. 

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “You’re an original.  Saying the lines others have said gets old fast.  It’s invigorating to express your uniqueness.” Libra

I have Emma the Baroness, the love of my life, to remind me of this when I get too busy with my manuscripts and Patreon platform machinations, oh and your Holiday Tau, Steve.

“4”  Steve Aoki, 41: “The sparkling parts of life are the in-between moments when you have nothing to gain or lose.  What’s valuable is unquantifiable.” Sagittarius

As I type this I’ve wrapped my left knee in an ice pack having returned from walking three miles around our lake.  This TauBit you’re sharing, Steve, feels painful and counter intuitive physically. 

“4”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “Though it sounds counterintuitive, moving the parts that don’t want to move will keep you pain-free.  Use this as a metaphor for another part of your life.” Pisces

What’s Going On …

Shifting Opportunities

Smart Moves

Long-Form

    • “Is ‘The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For,’ with its scenes of youthful triumph and predictions of a savvier political class, too optimistic? I’d say not, because the coming tribe really does bring hope of breaking the gerontocracy — time is on their side, of course. Is it a book only for young people, as opposed to “oldsters” (to quote Alter)? I would say the book needed to be written by someone her age, but it holds lessons for everyone. Along with the compelling personal narratives, there is historical context and acknowledgment — much of it from the subjects themselves — that every innovator stands on the shoulders of those who came before. The report includes 
    • Began reading and taking notes on “The Introvert Advantage: How Quiet People Can Thrive in an Extrovert World” by Marti Olsen Laney — 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 — derived primarily from our neurochemistry,  a private reserve of about 150 different brain chemicals and recipes to formulate our neurotransmitters — guide messages from cell to cell, directing all brain functions.
    • A SURVEY OF 222 LEADING SCIENTISTS FROM 52 COUNTRIES who identified five global risks: failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation; extreme weather events; major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; food crises and water crises

Progress and Procrastination

    • Procrastination — Lost a full day replacing my 2000 Toyota 4-Runner with a leased Honda CR-V 
    • Progress —Early feedback from Finnmark:  Interesting concept. I think your opening salvos should be free so people can get a sense of what their Patreon membership will provide. Also, blogs are not going to reach a young audience if that’s what you want. Youtube is far more effective for that age group. 
    • Progress — My Response: Wow, I’m impressed.  Thanks for taking the time to give me great feedback.  Yes you’re probably right.  Nobody reads anymore, so we’re an endangered species.  You’ve given some ideas, I should reach younger people.  I saw videos of your grand niece on the gondola, but I wonder how to reach her.  Oh, wait.  I know. I’m following her on her twitter feed.

Working on the Business

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

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Previous: S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?”

Related: S1 E2 — Day 2 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E1 – Day One of My 1-Year Experiment 

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S1 E93 — Why is it easier to Hate than to Love the other Half?

Here’s the problem.  Sleep disturbance. Between digging into our 500-year history detailed in “Fantasyland” in which Kurt Andersen explains why 50% of us hate the other 50%, and then binging on the whistleblowing impeachment inquiry where it all unfolds, I’m dead tired at 4:30 am.

Evidence 

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Note the problem, and then determine if a solution is even possible.  If so, the next step is a brainstorm.  And if not, you don’t have a problem so much as a reality to accept.” Leo

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

Yay! It’s Saturday again and welcome to Episode 93 in the first season of ”My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 28th day of September in the fall of 2019.  

And, of course, returning from a three-week vacation forces time zone reckoning that lingers and lingers.

In the days following  vacation, reestablishing a schedule is always a challenge when you’re exhausted.

So I ignored the challenge and followed my intuition instead.

I surfaced a thread I want to pull on in Kurt Andersen’s work — heroes like Daniel Boone who left Tennessee for Missouri just like my great, great, great grandfather did — and Buffalo Bill Cody who turned a short stint in the Pony Express delivering mail from Independence, Missouri to stops on the way intended for California residents.  

Cody figured out how to mix real — Sitting Bull, with fantasy shows to bridge the coming industrial age. And a little later on that string if you pull hard enough you surface PT Barnum, the Donald Trump of his time.

And, then there’s another thread connecting the KKK, beyond the Confederacy to include Baptists, and so much more.

I feel I’m about ready to circle back and close loose ends across many of my open passion projects.

But, instead I asked myself, “What would Leo da V do?” There’s just no accounting what he’ll whisper at 4:30 am when I could sleep no longer. 

    • Flashes about launching a Patreon campaign with a dream-like Marc Marin-style interview of me as a typical Steve. 
    • The LA Times interviewed Zack Galiflianakis in kinda that way.  I guess I’m after the kinds of humorous questions to ask which would draw in supporters of the whimsy project and prompt them to recommend Steves to be considered for email interviews. 
    • Maybe answering just one question at a time is more inviting than filling out a survey of questions. 
    • Kinda like the when the Writers Cooperative announces a monthly topic for all writers to address. Should that be a MailChimp campaign-like thing?  
    • A new Steve signs in and gets question one to respond too, while others who have been around get their 10th or 11th, depending upon where they are in the time sequence of signing in.  
    • Each week, then they’d get a new question to answer and hopefully look forward to, and want to share, and see in Patreon — behind the wall, of course, unless they’re already a member.

I couldn’t let Leo da V off the hook, or maybe it was the other way round.  In an “If that, then this …” spirit I continued:

    • So I need to write a Maron dream and answer my first of 10 weekly questions as a Steve would. 
    • I have to set up MailChimp or a campaign like that to send out the questions with a deadline (?) for a response, before they can receive their next question.  
    • Maybe, write invitations to women who have Steves in their lives to recommend them as new members.  
    • Play off of what’s in a name? Again, the first-time parents considering names and what they mean.  What they represent, right?  
    • Maybe directed to mothers of Steves soliciting why they named their sons Steve. 

Shh, Emma the Baroness is still sleeping.  So, no need to wake her about our lack of Holiday Tau — again.  How many day in a row has it been? Never mind. 

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Sometimes, turning to Leo da V helps me avoid what needs to be done. Other times it’s my super power. But this Holiday Tau for CC&W reminds me of a workable approach to most things in life, especially when it comes to launching a new venture.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “Note the problem, and then determine if a solution is even possible.  If so, the next step is a brainstorm.  And if not, you don’t have a problem so much as a reality to accept.” Leo

Yeah, I guess so, especially for us introverts in an extrovert world.  But I’m not feeling your Holiday Tau today, specifically after beating the sun up at 4:30 am.

“3”  Steve Howey, 42: “If you find that you’re not the master of the way you think, feel and behave, it means you’ve given your power away and need to get it back.” Cancer

Well, I’ve filled my days with stuff I love to do, but at what cost?  I’ve got other passion projects at various stages of completion and they aren’t on my list of things to accomplish yet,

“3”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “You manage your emotions well now, partly because you’ve made it a priority to fill your days with the things that make you feel good.” Virgo

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E92 — Shh … Secrets Husbands Try to Keep to Ourselves

Bam!! We rushed around in panic.  The deadline crashed into us before we were ready.  If we didn’t leave now we’d risk everything …

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

“5”  Steve Howey, 42: “You’re feeling pulled in different directions at once internally, and this makes it more challenging to decide how to spend your hours.” Cancer

Evidence 

Yea! It’s Friday again and welcome to Episode 92 in the first season of ”My 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 27th day of September in the fall of 2019.  

We were down to minutes left before we had to hit the 405 and catch our flight to Norway, factoring in what could go wrong according to Murphy’s law.

There’s TSA security and traffic and customs delays, if any, at LAX international terminal.

I backed my 4 Runner up close to our garage to load it up.

A little too close.  OK way too close! Major damage close.

I dented at least two of the white horizontal panels.  

It still opened ok, so as any husband would do I kept that information to myself and hoped Emma the Baroness wouldn’t notice since she had at least five or six things on her last minute mind about Norway.

Ah, a wonderful relaxing vacation.  

And then, like any good husband would do when driving back into our driveway I confessed.  So, this was the week when we discovered we had to replace the entire door — after considering AAA’s suggestion to claim it would raise our homeowner’s premium.

Gulp.

I know honey, but wasn’t it a wonderful vacation?  Wouldn’t you’ve worried about the cost, if you knew about it before I left?  I was only thinking about your happiness.

But, enough about me.  How about Donald J. Trump?  

Did it work? 

Can I remind you about 5 months of impeachment inquiry and the Mueller investigation and more recently a whistle blower complaint?  

I’m having a hard time wrapping my vacation re-entry mind around just what the hell is going on.

How can you put it all into perspective?

One article I read, pointed my pitiful brain to the slight-of-hand employed by magicians and how a bigly number of  people are so gullible.  

I didn’t want to be one of them, so I continued with 17 hours  of note-taking on what Kurt Andersen had written in “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History.”

What about any Holiday Tau for Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and me?  Sorry.  Moving on then.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

No way.  WW&C’s Holiday Tau nailed it, right?

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Your possessions take up a lot of your time today because you understand that ownership always comes with the responsibility of maintenance.” Taurus

So, here’s my proposal, I feel synchronicity if I combine the Holiday Tau for Aoki, Howey and McQueen as a strategy package.  Hearing no objections, make it so.

I’m researching Fantasyland to frame my picture of current events.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You can’t control the entire picture of life, but you do get to control how you frame your part of it.” Sagittarius

Ditto.  While I feel the urgent pull of competing passion projects, I really need to crystalize the frame.  So I’m spending a ton of hours on Fantasyland. Can you spell P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N?

“5”  Steve Howey, 42: “You’re feeling pulled in different directions at once internally, and this makes it more challenging to decide how to spend your hours.” Cancer

And, as I’m want to do, I’ll leave my Fantasyland obsession emotionally and physically depleted and step away to meditate to allow my intuition to take over.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “To tune into your intuition, you need your busy mind to hush down to library-level quiet.” Aries

Thanks, but today wasn’t the right time for mischief.  Just saying …

“2”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “You’ve an unrelenting positive attitude, and yet you feel the need to mix in a little mischief just to keep it interesting.” Virgo

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

 

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S1 E91 — If that, then this … ? The daily double?

Like how did Americans over the last 500 years evolve into the Hatfields and McCoys — critical thinking and reason vs. magical thinking and conspiracy theories?

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

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Stress eases when you accept the state of things and work within them instead of wasting energy believing they should be different.” Aries

Evidence

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 91 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Experiment” on this 26th day of September in the fall of 2019.

I’m needing to complete a once over light editing of my Kindle highlights for my research document “Fantasyland Kurt Anderson”.

Why? 

I view it as a backbone of my “Volume Three Manuscript” — filling in what was going on in the decades I cover — together with “Homo Deus” and perhaps “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”. 

The introduction and the last chapters are the ones for summarizing the key points.  

Like how did Americans over the last 500 years evolve into the Hatfields and McCoys — critical thinking and reason vs. magical thinking and conspiracy theories? 

Speaking of magical thinking …

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

While there was no Holiday Tau worthy enough for Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness or me, look at what I just noticed:

Today’s Holiday Birthday:  “Lao Tzu said, ‘Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.’  Apply this Zen saying and the clarity it brings will allow you to make the contribution that only you can, and to attract with great specificity what you most need to feel vitally alive. Relationships sparkle with purpose, affection and fun”

If today was my birthday, which it’s not, I’d feel I hit the daily double with McQueen’s Holiday Tau pulling TauBits of Wisdom from Lao Tzu.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Stress eases when you accept the state of things and work within them instead of wasting energy believing they should be different.” Aries

So, Mr. Aoki I really need to swipe your Holiday Tau for its wisdom and insight into the stages of life and the key to keeping a love affair kindled and rekindled like mine with Emma the Baroness!

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Part of loving a person is tracking changes and adjusting as you try to find new points of intersection and overlap.” Sagittarius

I’m twisting this to mean, continue with the Yin and Yang — my Fantasyland quest for understanding, but without giving up on Lau Tzu. And, maybe this is at the heart of the “why” of this 1-year experiment.

“5” Steve Harvey, 62: “What you are looking for will be found within.  You need the flashlight of objectivity to light the way.” Capricorn

I’m guessing WW&C’s Holiday Tau aligns more with my external research and understanding than my Zen health.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Never give up until you have completed the full process of what you needed to learn.  But if you’re not on the optimal path, it’s OK to change routines.” Taurus

OMG, Nash really? What’s going on?  Is this my profound day’s worth of Holiday Tau? When I’m writing I’m in the flow of creativity.

“5” Steve Nash, 45: “The biggest challenge is to do what you’re doing.  Stay in the moment; that’s where life is.” Aquarius

At this moment in time, I wish I had written “Fantasyland” so I’d love to meet Kurt Andersen I suppose.  

“4”  Steve Smith, 30: “When you think about who you’d like to know and what you’d like to spend time doing, it doesn’t always match up logically to your current options.  Lean in the direction of your wishes anyway.” Gemini

This vacation reentry transition filled with picking up the details and rekindling momentum requires discipline.  So, let’s hope Howey’s Holiday Tau in tandem with McQueen’s and today’s birthday kicks in today.

“5”  Steve Howey, 42: “There will be a chance to stand back, clear your mind, shift your priorities and aim your energy at a different focal point.” Cancer

Isn’t this the sign of concentration and self-knowledge, at least for introverts like me?

“4”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “If you can’t be with someone without feeling enmeshed in that person’s world and drama, then give only a limited amount of your time.” Leo

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?”

Why am I happiest working for companies in major decline? When employees are jettisoned. What’s like to be introverted?

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

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “What you call things will be really important, as will be the words you choose in general.  Overall, it will be your aim to tone down the drama.” Scorpio

Evidence 

Yea! It’s Thursday again and welcome to the first Episode in the Second Season of ” My Next 1-Year Natural Experiment” on this 27th day of February in the winter of 2020.  

All you need to know today is which are employers are best fit and worst fit options for you to consider in your career trajectory. 

After all why search and search to receive an offer you negotiate and find out working in a toxic environment is the worst decision of your life?

I spent most of my time continuing with what it’s like to be introverted (8 of 16 MBTI Temperaments) , but in the beginning of my Volume Two manuscript I had to convert Inspiration graphic files into four pdfs or else lose access to them when I update this MacBook Air’s operating system. 

I declined.

Here’s a taste:   113 SPIP:  What do you need to know to understand my Talent Profile?  

The 113 refers to one 16 Talent Profiles numbered 101 to 116.  The SP of SPIP refers to Systematic-Professionals (a type of employer) and IP means Idea Packager.  Within a Systematic-Professional organization you’d find three other talent profiles rounding it out. 

In my original research you would realize you too were an SPIP if you were drawn to positions which required a high degree of improvement efforts and medium degrees of mastery and embedded knowledge. 

Without getting more bogged down into the weeds, the best organization type for someone like me is “Systematic-Professional” and believe it or not, the best stage of growth is “Decline” which is a sad state of affairs brought about by an over extension of a prevailing business model or outdated systems.  

It would take a lot more time to explain why “Decline” wouldn’t be the worst growth stage for me, as you might expect.  

Any effort to head off  a “Decline”and choose a “Reinvention” path is met with the highest degree of resistance to change and ends in a “Red Tape Crisis”.  

But, we Idea Packagers shine because the Red Tape Crisis requires an injection of outside-the-system perspective.

Overview of my Volume Two Manuscript: 

    • If you already know your MBTI profile, you can find out what Organizational Type to find and which Stage of Organizational Growth to pursue.  Conversely, which ones to avoid.   If you are miserable now, then you probably work in one of the talent cultures your should have avoided, if only you knew better.
    • If you more readily identify with one of the 101 – 116 profiles based on high to medium degrees of disruptive innovation, independence, speed, new knowledge, affiliation, improvement, mastery you will understand which to pursue and avoid.
    • If you are a leader facing the unique challenge and crisis at a particular stage, you will have a better idea of the talent profiles that you’ll need to have on your team to succeed and which members you should help self-select to the organization type or stage that would be more fulfilling to them, but at another employer.

I’m feeling the Volume Two Manuscript requires some distinctions and definitions, but a lot of war stories I collected over the years I advised C-Suite Executives and Executive MBA Students aspiring to be come top level leaders. 

Will any of the Holiday Tau for today motivate, encourage or inspire me through the writing? 

I don’t think I need to tone down the drama, Zahn as your Holiday Tau suggests. Instead I need to weave in some stories — especially those up against the crises facing employees, managers and leaders at different stages.

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “What you call things will be really important, as will be the words you choose in general.  Overall, it will be your aim to tone down the drama.” Scorpio

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Can we have a sing along to this TauBit of Wisdom?  Here’s the danger for me getting bogged down in the middle.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69: “It’s just good marketing to tell people when the job is starting and when it’s finished.  People get very bored with middle bits.”  Taurus

Hmm.  At first I dismissed your Holiday Tau, but rereading it, it illustrates something to highlight about what it takes to be successful at one stage of growth — say in a start-up — the opposite is required to be successful in the next stage.  If you continue as an organization you decline until what you offer is useless and dumb.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “There are things you shouldn’t and won’t do because, while they might have served a purpose once, they are now useless and dumb.”   Aries

What’s Going On …

Shifting Opportunities

Smart Moves 

Long-Form

    • “Is ‘The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For,’ with its scenes of youthful triumph and predictions of a savvier political class, too optimistic? I’d say not, because the coming tribe really does bring hope of breaking the gerontocracy — time is on their side, of course. Is it a book only for young people, as opposed to “oldsters” (to quote Alter)? I would say the book needed to be written by someone her age, but it holds lessons for everyone. Along with the compelling personal narratives, there is historical context and acknowledgment — much of it from the subjects themselves — that every innovator stands on the shoulders of those who came before.

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.

Inspired by Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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S1 E89 — Because If You Don’t Someone Else Will. It’s Worth It!

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

Seeing none, let’s move on to a life of petty thievery.

“5”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “It may feel like you are working hard for something that is irrelevant to the bottom line of your worth.  Please know that you are loved in a way you don’t have to earn.” Virgo

Evidence 

Sixth on my list of interesting things to do today, on Saturday, before I devote the rest of it to completing chores left undone while we vacationed in Norway, was to Google “Steves” to frame a Patreon campaign description.

Welcome to Episode 89 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Experiment” on this 21st day of September in the fall of 2019.

Discovered a sight that lists of Steves by horoscope! 

I’ve found Steve Howard’s on LinkedIn and Facebook.  I’ll probably want to have them react to the generic contributions from all Steve’s participating in the Patreon-supported Research Study as a “control” group kinda. Also a much broader searches of just “Steve” on Facebook and LinkedIn.

At this stage, I don’t want to interview, take notes, write and then edit contributions.  “For Research Purposes” I will only use submissions to standard questions I provide after they fill in a profile. My form letter should be simple, “Dear Steve.”

So given today was a chores day and a hazy strategy session, what about the Holiday Tau for Zahn, Winkler, Emma the Baroness and me?  Seeing none, let’s move on to a life of petty thievery. 

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

First up, Mr. McQueen.  I’ve always loved your classic movies and black and white television shows.  But, I’m just not feeling you today.  Maybe tomorrow?

“2”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Each has his or her own financial values.  Differences come to the fore, and mutual respect on the matter is necessary to prevent conflict.”Aries

So what’s this?  A reality check from WW&C?  Actually if you don’t mind I’ll swipe your Holiday Tau.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “You’ll realize that some things you spend time doing are well worth it and bring you much happiness, and some are quite the opposite.” Taurus

Wait, how about I swipe the Holiday Tau from this trio as well? We’re talking about this “Tau of Steves” project, right?

“5”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “It may feel like you are working hard for something that is irrelevant to the bottom line of your worth.  Please know that you are loved in a way you don’t have to earn.” Virgo

Let’s add the Holiday Tau for Harvey, and I just might combine all three into a more defined plan of action.

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “You’ll probably need an outside eye to tell you when you’ve hit the point of diminishing returns.” Capricorn

So true.  However, I’m not in the market for your Holiday Tau this weekend.

“2”  Steve Howey, 42: “Those who are busy convincing themselves that they are right are wrong.  The gray area demands navigation.” Cancer

I suppose so, but I’m not seeing much more than a vivid inner life here.

“2”  Steve Aoki, 41: “A vivid inner life can cause great emotional charge in any direction, so direct it well.” Sagittarius

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S1 E88 — Who’s Marc Maron and What’s da Vinci got to do with him?

Then for the next hour I recalled a vision — or was it a dream — from the vacation.  All it took was to ask, “What would Leo da V do?”

What about famous Steves?

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Things are going together that mean something to you, though others might not understand.  And anyway, you don’t have to share.” Taurus

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

Welcome to Episode 88 in the first season of ” My 1-Year Experiment” on this 20th day of September in the fall of 2019.

Evidence

Over three nights, whenever I needed to sleep, but couldn’t I’d play around with questions in my near sleep, “Do Steves have anything in common, like a common personality by virtue of their name — and, taking into account how others react to them and how they react to others?” 

Ahh, the second night home and asleep in my own bed. Wait, what’s this? 

On the bed stand next to my beautiful Norwegian, Emma the Baroness, lay a clock with a digital read out that seared my brain — “2:30” (AM) and then “3:30” and then a surrender to awareness.  

Got up at 5:30 am, watched TV images on mute, heard the LA Times splat on our driveway and read it for a half hour.  

Nothing of interest piqued my curiosity. 

Then for the next hour recalled a vision — or was it a dream — from the vacation.  All it took was to ask, “What would Leo da V do?” 

He reminded me that I had laid awake in Oslo, Norway, listening to the rain and heavy breathing next to me, 2 am local time.  

That’s when it came to me.  

“The Book of Steves.” 

A Mark Maron-type of interview played out in my partial sleep night after night after night. And finally, I recalled the whimsy of a Patreon project with behind the wall research and ongoing comments funded by Steves and friends of Steves fed by LinkedIn and Facebook.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Sometimes I feel the need to hold myself back from reading too much into one of Steves Holiday Tau.  Back from a vacation, finding a little fun project might help me shake the low energy sleep deprivation off just enough to proceed, right?

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “Have fun finding your new motivation.  Expose yourself to possibly exciting prospects to see what works.” Capricorn

Maybe.  McQueen’s Holiday Tau could describe how I searched for a “Book of Steves” on Amazon and in Google.  Wow, I’m not seeing it, though.  As always if you can use Steve’s TauBit, feel free to take it.

“3”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “You’ll be answering questions of scale, figuring out what size of life feels comfortable and enlarging it just a bit from there.” Aries

Can you believe the Holiday Tau two musical icons and a comedian share?  Except for you, I haven’t shared this passion project to anyone else.  It fits, and I want it.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Things are going together that mean something to you, though others might not understand.  And anyway, you don’t have to share.” Taurus

Thank you two Gs & a K.  So, you’re saying if I use my time wisely this Saturday, by Tuesday will return?  I’m all in!

“5”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “This is a fine time to start a good habit.  Things you do will have a cumulative effect.  Your energy three days from now will depend a lot on how you conduct yourself today.” Virgo

You know, I couldn’t agree with your Holiday Tau, Steve but I just not in the market for it after my second day of sleep deprivation. Except for the least resistance part.

“2”  Steve Smith, 30: “The struggle is real, but only as real as you want to make it.  Or go with the thing that offers no resistance.  Neither is better, they’re just different journeys and lessons.” Gemini

So, I have to say I misread the Holiday Tau for two comedians and a founder.  I read it as ‘when you find your way’, but it grabbed and held onto my interest just as I was about to down grade its wisdom.

“5”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “What used to be challenging becomes more palatable when you find your ‘why.’” Leo

I’m pretty sure what I need, both rest and inspiration, so I’m leaving your Holiday Tau alone for you to enjoy.

“3”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You’re not sure what you need more — rest or inspiration, food or fasting, attention or the fire that builds from knowing you are on your own.  Life will give you just what you need.” Sagittarius

Give me some sleep, then wake me up on Tuesday and offer your Holiday Tau again.  Thanks, Steve.

“3”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “Don’t underestimate the power of your body to assist you.  Try new health methods and activities.” Pisces

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate