You Control Your Own Peace

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.

If you are anxious you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

~ Lao Tsu I just heard someone mention this quote the other day. There definitely is some truth to that statement. However, upon reflection I feel like I disagree somewhat. Let's break this down into sections. "If you are depressed, you are living in the past." Well, that all depends. What precisely in the past are you focusing on and why? What is your motivation for focusing on the past? If you are thinking about regrets, missed opportunities, failures, things that you have lost, people that you have lost, or not being able to do things today that you could yesterday then yes, I would agree with that statement. However, there is another side to this. You can CHOOSE to look at the past a different way. You can remember good times that you have had with people or things that you no longer have. You can remember goals that you set, and have accomplished. You can remember personal triumphs or even public ones. You can think about how far you have come in your life in various endeavors. Most of all, you can be GRATEFUL for all of those things. There is nothing "depressing" about any of that. In fact, it can be energizing for the present. If things aren't exactly hitting on all cylinders at the moment, you can reflect on a time when they were and have proof that it can happen again.

"If you are anxious you are living in the future." Again, it all depends on what you are focusing on, why you are focusing on that particular thing, and what you hope to accomplish doing so. If you are focusing on the uncertainty of ANY situation whether it be financial issues, personal relationships, your health, world events, your job or career, your family, your friends, anything in general that is BEYOND your control then yes, I would agree with that statement. However, if you can understand that you cannot control what you cannot control, that goes a long way to diffusing anxiety. You can only control what YOU can control. You aren't meant to control anything else but that. Anger, fear, jealously, and other negative emotions are born out of your perception of the LOSS of control, and that is like rocket fuel for anxiety. The less you feel like you are in control, the more potent and dangerous anxiety gets. It's similar to what happened to Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars saga. The whole reason why Darth Vader exists, is because Anakin Skywalker let his anxiety of losing control of the situations around him deteriorate into madness. As Yoda said... "Fear is a path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." This is true for MANY people these days, tragically. Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all warned Anakin of this, but he didn't listen and we saw what happened. Instead of focusing on the things we can't control, freedom comes when we focus on the things that we CAN control and let He who has ALL control take care of the things we can't. This is the benefit of having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When you know who you are and WHOSE you are, it makes things very simple. You may not know what your future holds, but you know Who holds your future. You don't have to worry about ANYTHING quite frankly. Not that worrying would accomplish anything anyway. It never does. It is empowering to take action in your life. The journey often reaps it's own rewards. Putting everything in God's hands that seems to big for you to handle is one of the most liberating things that you can do. It feels like a million tons are lifted off of your chest and it frees your ambition to do whatever it is you want to do, because you know that no matter what happens, you are gonna be alright. You feel like there isn't anything thing that you can't do (Phillippians 4:13,) and thus that makes you excited for the future! "If you are at peace you are living in the present.” This part I 100% agree with. When you are focused on what you are doing, you are indeed at peace. Whatever is that you love to do, or do well, or what you feel you were called to do, there is no greater peace when you are doing that. Or, when you CHOOSE to live in the moment and maximize any and every opportunity that presents itself. Never taking anything for granted. Enjoying each situation to it's fullest.

There is so much beauty and wonder in this world. In nature alone there is enough for personal discovery and fulfillment. Just going outside, breathing fresh air, and being around nature. Looking at the designs of plants, flowers, animals, terrain, etc. Listening to the sounds of nature. All the different types of bird calls in whatever region you live in. Looking at the beautiful patterns and design on birds. This is just one example of HUNDREDS of things that anyone can do everyday to bring them peace. We all have things that we do that is our "happy place." Something that we love to do that is just for us. Something that puts a smile so deep and so hard on your face that it has to be surgically removed. It is SOOOO okay to do that, and most assuredly, necessary. Choosing to have peace in the present, allows you to be grateful for the blessings of the past, and frees you to be hopeful for the future!

Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: What is Nintendo cooking here?

When Nintendo announced during it's Switch 2 reveal trailer that it would be conducting a Nintendo Switch 2 Experience later on in the month of April, it didn't really register to me. It seemed like par for the course. Of course they would want to show off their new hardware. However, the more I think about it, the more it feels puzzling to me. The first thing that is puzzling to me is the scale of this event. This Nintendo Switch 2 Experience will take place in several cities in different countries all over the world. That is a LOT of money to invest in a hands-on experience. Nintendo certainly has the money mind you, I'm just saying that this is no small undertaking. The next thing that is puzzling to me is why is there a need for this in the first place? If the Nintendo Switch 2 is just what we saw in the teaser-trailer and nothing more, why would this be necessary? It's a larger, and more powerful Switch. Nothing really new here. Now, we could examine a few things that were heavily implied but not confirmed by Nintendo in that teaser-trailer. It has been suggested in patent-filings that Nintendo may be moving to Hall effect thumb sticks for the Switch 2 which uses magnets and electricity to greatly improve functionality and minimize stick-drift which was and still is an issue with the Nintendo Switch. It has also been confirmed at this point that the Joy-Cons will now have optical mouse functionality. It has also been confirmed that the reasoning for the extra USB-C port on the "top" of the unit is there so that the orientation can be spun 180° clockwise or counterclockwise and retain aesthetic functionality. These are all very interesting additions and will prove to be very useful, but I ask the question. Does Nintendo really need to do such a large-scale event just to allow a select few people to get a hands-on experience to these things? I remember attending the Wii U Experience way back in 2012. That made sense to me, because the Wii U GamePad was a major change in gameplay from just the motion-control for the Wii. Following all the unnecessary confusion of the reveal of the Wii U, Nintendo had to explain why the Wii U was different than the Wii, and why consumers should want to invest in it. Nintendo had a similar event in 2017 for the Switch. The reason is self-explanatory. I don't know if what we have seen and what has been confirmed to be part of the device really is worth all this bru-ha-ha. It seems like Nintendo has more to show us. A LOT more. In an recent interview, Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa was asked on his impressions of the reactions by fans and media of the Switch 2 regarding the teaser-trailer and he basically said that we are NOT going to respond to the reaction of the device until the FULL reveal has taken place on April 2nd, 2025. That is very interesting. What I take from that is there is something about this device that we have not seen yet that is out of the ordinary that may cause a stir. There are lots of things that can be. It could be the DLSS functionality. That in and off itself I don't feel needs a huge event to show off. The benefits from that can be easily shown in the 4-2-25 Nintendo Direct. HOWEVER... It has been suggested that there will be some type of real-time control over DLSS in handheld-mode to where the end-user can choose between performance versus battery life (it could be what that mysterious extra button is for.) That DOES make sense for a hands-on event. It could be that there may be dual-screen functionality of some kind. If you already have a Switch, perhaps there will be a way to use that as a second-screen. This goes along with several patents that have been filed by Nintendo showcasing such functionality. This also makes sense to show off at a hands-on event.

There also is a possibility that the Switch 2 will have some type of VR functionality. There numerous patents Nintendo has filed that refer to something called the "Virtual Camera." Many of these patents are for the VR functionality itself, while other patents for non-related subjects talk about the Virtual Camera in the background as a matter-of-fact thing the same way it would for CPU, RAM, thumb stick, accelerometer, etc. This most definitely would need a hands-on event. I guess we won't have long to wait to find out.

Working for others is not for me

This weekend I was feeling really down because my job is just not the place for me. I'm thankful and grateful to have one, but I cannot ignore the damage and toll it is taking on me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

One thing I have learned about myself in these past two years is that I can't continue to work for others anymore. Every fiber of my very being is screaming that it is WRONG. The only time that I feel like a human being, or feel like this is what I was created to do and I feel at perfect peace is when I am creating. However, like I said, this weekend just dealing with SPECTACULAR BS on my job (I mean, you wouldn't believe me if I told you half of what goes on there,) just left me feeling angry, sad, alone, and hopeless. Just seeing the rapid degradation of the human condition and being trapped in an environment that is literally cultivating it is hard for me to handle.

So, this morning I prayed to God for Him to help me. Just a simple, straightforward prayer. After that, I went to Reddit. Sometimes I go to Reddit posts to see if others share similar sentiments. I was looking for posts where people are talking about how they can't work for others anymore. Basically feeling "trapped" in regular employment. Not that there is anything wrong with regular employment because it is certainly necessary. It's just that some of us were not built for that, and were designed to do more. MUCH more.

Many people in the thread talked about how entrepreneurship has increased the quality of their lives. However, one person talked about how entrepreneurship is also a "trap" because of the fear of failure. This was my response to that person......

~ Fear of "failure" and fear of "termination" are interchangeable. If I CHOOSE to be afraid at all, I'd rather "fail" on my own with my head held high knowing I gave it my all than to lose my job after giving it my all due to someone else's "failure" in leadership.

However, as I said, fear is a CHOICE. Nothing in this life worth while is without risk. Business, careers, relationships, even amusement and fun. The larger risks you take, the larger rewards. Focus on what can go RIGHT instead of focusing on what can go WRONG. Do the best that you can in whatever your calling is, and trust God to handle the rest. You'll be alright. ~

I didn't even think about what I was going to say. I just started typing and that came out. I think that was God's way to answering my prayer. While I was leaving a comment to be helpful to others, God spoke to ME through that comment. It was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. I felt better IMMEDIATELY after I typed that response to that person in the Reddit thread. That's how God works. He wasn't kidding when He said "I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you." He doesn't, and He won't.

Entrepreneurship IS hard. VERY hard. However, so is working a 9-5 job that is run like a 3-ring circus complete with clowns AND animals. The only difference is, one you pay to see and it is entertaining. The other pays you money, but it is NOT entertaining and it robs you of your energy and your spirit.

I choose NOT to be afraid of failure. The road to success is not a straight line. Success is not even a static definition. Success means different things to different people. I choose to focus on the positives and what I can do to improve my situation. I choose to be non-linear, and to be unconventional. That has ALWAYS worked for me in my life. I choose to.......