Author: Nick Kempinski

via http://pownce.com/ariel/

Thanks to http://blog.topherchris.com/

Growing up, my dad tried to explain to me E = mc^2. He did a horrible job, and came up with an odd explanation, but at the time, seemed to appease my curiosity, and I moved on.

But his explanation was this:

The energy (e) you need to influence an object is equal to how heavy you are (mass or m) times two times the amount you can eat (consumption = c).

Throw all this light speed stuff, relativity, conservation of energy hocus pocus out the door. Einstein be damned. I think my dad might just have something here.

Where Am I Going With This?

The past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling all toasted. I’ve been frazzled, and absent minded. I’ve even been sleeping in. Simply Put I’ve been drained.

Why? Well at first I thought I was coming down with a flu. But no sniffles, no unexpected coughs, nothing. Then I realized maybe, it’s because I’ve been using all my energy. I’ve been running at school non stop for 12-14 hour days. Not just learning, but also running evolution1709.com.

In all of this I haven’t been refilling the batteries. I haven’t been getting any energy back. The output of energy is not the same as input.

Back to my Dad’s E = mc^2

E = Energy
Think of this as any kind of energy. The energy simply to wake up in the morning. The juice it takes to get a report done, or assignment.

m = Mass
This is a perceived Mass. How heavy does it weight. In terms of paperwork, it could actually be how heavy the paperwork (if so, I’m very sorry. That must be a bitch in the suitcase). It could just be one paper like a marriage certificate, or lease which will change your life forever, which is just a heavy on your mind, some might consider more heavy.

c = Consumption
You can think of it plainly as food, but I like to think about it as things I need. Things like creative consumption, and intellectual consumption, emotions consumption…

Input of any kind, really. And, the kind of input that makes you full – satisfying like a turkey dinner.

The nifty thing is, when you get these kinds of consumption, a little goes a long way. You have one small moment of satisfaction and that can last the rest of the week, or even the month.

What’s The Deal with Renaissance Soul?

Really the whole equation here, is a fancy way – and a nice reminder kind of way, that we need to feed ourselves. In every way.

For renaissance, I think this balance is even more crucial. We need to watch it every day. For me I need to make sure this balance is in finer tune. Because when it’s out of whack, everything is out of whack.

I think because of the renaissance juggle.

We juggle several interests at once. And when one arm becomes tired, the balls fall to the floor. Next thing you know, instead of only doing a couple of our interests, we become so exhausted, we don’t do any.

And that just creates a bigger downward spiral.

In The End

I’m going to try and remember E = mc^2 everyday ( Hell, easy to remember was one of Einstein’s goals, I think he did just fine).

How do you balance?

So sad 🙁

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Over the past few weeks, LateralAction.com has been releasing teaser flash video’s of Lou, Jack and Marla. Well now we have text.

I’m interested to see where the blog goes, but so far, it looks very promising for any renaissance soul.

Co-founder Mark McGuinness, also of wishfulthinking.co.uk, takes a hard stance on the necessity for creatives and conceptual thinkers.

creativity isn’t a nice-to-have or a fun-to-do, it’s a matter of economic survival. Complex, challenging creative work is (so far) difficult to automate or outsource cheaply overseas. Creativity is what transforms utilitarian products into distinctive artifacts that are a pleasure to look at and a joy to use. It’s what makes people queue for days to get their hands on an iPhone, ignoring the clever friend who tells them they can get a “technically superior” alternative for half the price.

I’ve been feeling that with me learning to be more diverse in the way I look at things, and think about things. And the more I let myself out of the box, the more I have moments that I have so many things racing, that I just stop everything. So, over the past week I’ve been devouring “Getting Things Done”.

It’s been on my list for several years, and it’s only been recently that it’s raised in priority to the top.

I joke with friends that it’s a catch-22. You put “Getting Things Done” on the list of book to read, but becuase you haven’t read it, how can you get it done?

They sometimes chuckle, and sometimes don’t. It’s a tough crowed.

I was surprise with the tone of the book, and the awareness of creative styles, and creative inputs. No where does David Allen say it “has” to be this way. It’s the philosophy that he’s trying to impart; the “what’s the next action?” philosophy.

It’s going to take some time to get the action down to the specific next action, as I like to generally stay in the upper ionosphere of thought. No more generic tasks like “Figure out my process”, now it’s more directed, like “Read Getting Things Done” or “Do Exercise 1 on ‘Is Your Genius At Work’” Figuring out my process is the project, and the ultimate goal, but these would be my next “physical actions” to figuring it out.

There are loads if “thinking” tasks, and “brainstorming” tasks. A few “look on the web for” tasks. And from what I’ve read, that’s o.k.

Ultimately, it’s not about the structure, but the next task in to get there.

I’ll check back in a month and let you know how it’s going.

Here is a debate to consider. You have several different skills, all of which you are passionate about. You don’t want to focus on just one – hence a Renaissance Soul.

View A – If you look hard enough, you can find an underlying calling, a genius that surrounds all of these things.

View B – They are distinct and separate. Don’t bother putting a pretty bow on them, you aren’t going to find one.

The jury is still out for me, but I’m using Is Your Genius at Work by Dick Richards, to help me find out for sure.

I doubt, by any means that Merlin Mann would label himself. But if you want to see a Renaissance Soul in action:

• 43 Folders
• You Look Nice Today
• Kung Fu Grippe
• 5ives
• 30 Second with Phone Guy
• The Merlin Show

And these are just what he’s got online. Imagine what he’s doing offline?