Category: Personal Reflections

Lessons learned about life; pearls of wisdom I’ve gleaned through pain, failure and honest reflection

Wednesday Night, July 29

Carl Setzer4 Comments

​night descends
streetlights flicker awake
stars above the trees

Another summer night in Seattle. The end of a productive day. I’m happy with things. Glad it’s cooler than earlier this week. 90F is not agreeable with me any more. Not sure it was with the beach boy from the Philippines I was all those years ago. 

My focus right now: Visual Basic programming. It’s been years, and I’m enjoying the reboot. I’m also studying command line interaction with Windows, and second quarter graphic design. 

Graphic design has been a challenge this summer. Compressed timelines often bring lower quality work. This does help with the perfectionism. I hate having to submit “good enough”. Yet it’s good. Positive comments from my instructor and fellow students reinforce that. 

How’s your summer going?

Om Malik: How Do We Look At The Present?

Carl Setzer

I always appreciate the wit and wisdom of Om Malik. Today he tweeted this, which gives me great pause:

2020, a year of havoc and confusion, of transition and destruction, forcing to face our histories against our deepest resistance. Such a dramatic and violent reaction? Will we survive?

Half done or half over? Perhaps a question of optimism: half-full vs half-empty? In this time of pandemic, optimism seems myopic. But, I believe the opposite. Humanity holds what it needs to overcome our destructive tendencies. So I hold on to hope.

Quote of the Day: Stan Lee

Carl Setzer

I struggle with putting too much stock in the opinions of others. I guess it’s natural to want friends, etc, to support and validate your thoughts. 

However, if you are seeking to do something new and innovative, you will come up against natural human resistance to change. No matter how good an idea, some well-meaning people will challenge it. 

Take their critique, analyze it, then make your own decision. You have to live YOUR life. Ensure that you won’t face regret. 

On the other side of this coin: I seek to ensure I’m not “some idiot”. I don’t want to reflexively crap on the ideas of others. What do I know, anyway? I’ve made many wrong predictions in my life. I’m not clairvoyant!

When I’m asked my opinion on such things, I try to focus on details and on what challenges I perceive. I seek to help clarify and refine a vision, not damage or destroy them. 

I want to help people achieve their goals and dreams, not damage them. “Leave people better than you find them”. 

Life Change Update: July 17, 2020

Carl Setzer

I’m well into the second quarter of my education to become a web application developer. Last quarter I took the first of two graphic design classes, along with a Management class (introduction to Human Resources) and the 100 level Computer Information Systems class. The HR and CIS classes were fine. I learned a lot, and they helped bring me back to speed (it’s been decades since I’ve been a full-time student). However, it was the design class that pushed me hardest. It’s been ages since I studied design. And I value it, so I really want to do good work.

I’ve posted many things I did on my portfolio page. Below are a few I feel the most proud of.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

Reading Recommendations for May 25, 2020

Carl Setzer

I spent my Memorial Day morning catching up on email and reading. The scope of “keeping up” overwhelms me at times. The only solution I found to not letting this stress me? Accepting the lack of a solution, and that I must choose my focus. So, most of the stuff that comes into my inbox gets deleted.

Here are a few things that caught my eye today:

That’s where I find myself this morning. How about you? Anything inspiring and insightful come into view for you?

Some image art I whipped up

Carl Setzer

Last night I was experimenting with Canva (full disclosure: referral link) and whipped up the image below (shared on my Instagram page). I’ve heard this line a bunch over the past “little bit” (in other words, I have no idea exactly how long I’ve been hearing people say this), and really love the line. Not the most elegant design, but I found it fun. There’s a lot I like about Canva, but I’m not getting rid of Adobe anytime soon. 

Poem In My Pocket Haiku Challenge

Carl Setzer

Posted this poem on Instagram earlier today. I love responding to challenges.

Come and follow me there, too!

Covid 19: Comic’s Power To Communicate

Carl Setzer

I love this comic showing the battle between Covid 19 and the medical community.

 

 

Wisdom Learned: A Senryu 

Carl Setzer

Early in the morning remembering the actions I regret. Unwilling to learn from my elders caused so much heartache. Eventually I learned this bit of wisdom: 

  • a wise person learns from their mistakes
  • a wiser person means from the mistakes of others
  • the wisest person learns from the successes of others

Also I figured out that I learn more by listening than talking. 

So, I’m getting there. The journey is ongoing.