Dreams Start With Patience #31

Reading time: 5 minutes

Why are people in California Horrible Drivers?

Last Saturday - I flew to San Francisco, California to visit my best friend.

My stomach is spinning with excitement.

I’m overheated from the weather transition - “Why did I wear this big coat on the plane?”

When I left Salt Lake City it was 24°F (-4.44°C)

Now, in San Francisco it is 75°F (23.9°C)

I’m incredibly sweaty, dehydrated, and exhausted.

A deadly combination - fortunately my best friend is only 25 minutes away.

He picks me up, in authentic Californian fashion.

Two words: Road-Rage

“Big city driving is just full of idiots”, he says to me multiple times throughout this trip.

As I’m sleep deprived from the night before - I am placing my life in his hands.

I step into his Toyota RAV4

Immediately he hands me a tall cup of coffee.

This.

I don’t know how many of you have ever received a great cup of coffee when you’re sleep deprived but it certainly is a warm welcome gesture when least expected.

Instantly I knew - I'm in good hands.

Over the course of the weekend we drove to:

• Monterey, CA

• Yosemite National Park, CA

• Through a ton of farmland in California.

With 10 miles walked in two days and over 16 hours of traveling (by air & by car)

I am physically exhausted.

I hate traffic in big cities.

People are inconsiderate assholes.

At this point I know I’m ready to go home to my glorious small town.

The best part about this trip isn’t the pretty views.

The best damn part is the fact my best friend and I are able to have long conversations on a mini-road trip.

Laughter, memes, and sharing new experiences.

All while documenting the beauty around us.

You see, you receive a ton of clarity and insight from people who know you best.

Especially when they are true friends - who care about your well-being and are willing to call you out on your bullshit.

My problem with California is the people.

They are just anti-social and lack empathy.

To me these are traits of NPC’s

Even in a big city full of terrible and rude idiots - you can still find wonderful individuals.

I hate people, but I love individuals = my perspective on city life.

Now onto some writing advice.

Quick, actionable, and simple.

Writing well is not about fancy words.

Writing well is about consistency with your ability to convey ideas.

Amazing writing is much more than just ideas.

Ideas without context = boring writing.

The fascination with writing comes from one skill.

Storytelling.

Throughout human history - we transmit ideas across time through words with context.

This is what a story is.

To be a writer:

Consider improvement in the art of storytelling.

A foundational place to start is the book Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks.

Tips from the How I Write Podcast with Morgan Housel:

1. Great writing is the ability to tell a story.

2. Great writing is variation in sentences.

3. Great writing means get to the point.

4. Great writing looks like a lot of different methods - they all work but you have to be exceptional at said method.

5. Great writing - short, medium, and long sentences create music.

6. Write a sentence at a time.

7. Write what you want to read.

8. Great writing is doing things that aren’t writing.

9. The reader doesn’t care about how long you spend on it.

10. Break up your sentences - make it less daunting.

11. First and last sentences are most important.

12. If you end you writing with - “in summary:” you’re a robot not a writer.

13. Writing is: Tell a story - emotionally move reader - teach them a lesson.

14. Write selfishly - write about things you don’t fully understand yet.

15. Write about things and ideas people already discuss
(p.s. there are no topics/ideas that haven’t been written about)

16. Don’t shoot yourself before you even get started.
Writing is not about what you say.
It’s about how you say it.

“What’s your point? Tell me your point. Move on, so I can get on with my day.”
-Morgan Housel (Psychology of Money Author)

“You never know what sentence took the author an hour
and what paragraph just fell out of their head.”
-David Perell

Brevity and storytelling are the principles for rock solid writing online.

If you want to improve your writing skills:

Go listen to David Perell’s podcast - How I Write

5 More Bonus Tips:

• Remove two words - “very” and “really”.

• Write to your shadow (past self)

• Create an enemy - attack and defend your ideas.

• Write everyday.

• Solomon Journal (open a dialogue up between you and your 85 year old self)

3 Ideas I Learned This Week

• Finitude as a concept for gratitude and happiness.
  

• The #1 skill for entrepreneurial growth:
  Persuasive Communication
  

• You don’t have ADHD, you may have VAST, or Variable Attention Stimulus Trait

Thanks for reading!
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Your creative & philosophical friend
-Zachariah “Cold Brew” Rock