Recent Readings 10th of November, 2023 (#2)

In this, my second Recent Readings, post I got a bit overwhelmed with articles as I streamlined how I was taking articles in. This meant, I had to get even more organized and thankfully some of my articles were about learning and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). Long story short, I've now got a backlog of articles on various topic. I'm ready for my brain to overheat from learning so much, rather than just ADHD related causes ;)

Articles

Tech Related

• The clouds can't afford to forget developers - Much of the focus on marketing cloud tech is done toward enterprises and their executives. This is for a good reason, that's where the money and decision makers are. With the rush to incorporate AI, even more so. At the end of the day, it is the developers who have to make all of this work and they will be the ones deciding which platform they use when designing systems.
• Virtual meetings tire people because we're doing them wrong, says new research - Virtual meetings tire people out, this isn't new information. As someone who does virtual meetings everyday because I'm not in the same city as the rest of my team, I know virtual meetings can be just as engaging as in person. Take a look at some actual studies to show when people were more or less engaged and maybe you can improve your time in virtual meetings.
• Where are all the laid-off software developers going? - 2023 has been a tough year for tech when it comes to layoffs. However, this doesn't mean developers have nowhere to go. So, whether you are developer or a non-tech business executive, take a look at the new opportunities that may not have been on your radar.
• Why I think GCP is better than AWS - As a Developer Advocate for Google Cloud and someone who worked (not in cloud) at Amazon for 6 years, I definitely have my own opinions and biases. Those thoughts aside, here is someone who has developed on both platforms and breaks down the pros and cons of each. This reminds of a Macho Man flavored skit I have always wanted to do in a video about different cloud platforms.

Non-Tech Related

• Why Quantity Matters So Much More Than Quality - We live in a world where Failure Is Not An Option but really that type of thinking often keeps us from improving. In truth Failure is the BEST optionif we want to learn and grow. Also something my ADHD brain needs to remember when perfection paralysis rears its ugly head.
• New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria - When it comes to ADHD and its effect on people, RSD seems to be the most universal experience. But what is it and how can we approach it to improve our quality of life.
• How to Live a Happy Life, From a Leading Atheist - When metaphor and parable aren't enough of an explanation, where do you find meaning? More important, where do you find happiness? Well, the human experience allows for great wonder and perhaps there will still be metaphors of your own, just don't get mired in them.
• How to Escape the PKM Trap of Sophisticated Procrastination - This has been my past week. How do I organize all my new articles, quotes and other bits of knowledge and not get bogged down by trying to make it perfectly organized. Well, I can remember the other article, and I can read this as well.
• How to Make Yourself Into a Learning Machine - I've been interested in PKM and how I can use it to help myself learn for a while now. Bullet Journals and Second Brains have helped but I'm still looking for my personal path. One's personal path to anything can come from the experience of others, and this description of Simon Eskildsen's methods along with his story have some great things to try.

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Until next time fellow internet traveler, stay curious.

More Rewatching of the Karate Kid

A little over a month ago I rewatched the Karate Kid in full. It is a great movie that stands the test of time. After watching the movie I posted an article that focused on Mr. Miyagi. In the interim, I've gotten to watch the movie again. This time with commentary. While we can still ask ourselves the question of how to be Mr. Miyagi, it is probably just as beneficial to ask ourselves the question of how to be Daniel Larusso. ...

My original post was based on the fact that many people who watch The Karate Kid say to themselves, "I wish I had a Mr. Miyagi." This time my post is going to focus on that same thought but with the perspective of how to get your own Mr. Miyagi.

To figure out how you to get something you want it can be helpful to find someone who has what you desire and figure out how they got it. The only person who got their very own Mr. Miyagi ( in the first parts anyway ) was Daniel Larusso. In rewatching the movie, with commentary, I saw that he had Mr. Miyagi in his life because of 2 things - he asked for help and he was coachable.

Asking For Help
In the movie, Daniel asks for help from Mr. Miyagi after he finds out that Miyagi knows enough karate to beat up 5 of the Cobrah Kai at once. I once heard someone sum up a book about getting what you want. He said it could have been written in one sentence that read, "Ask for it." Asking for help may not come easy to people with an independent nature but the act itself couldn't be any easier. By simply asking for help, by simply asking for a mentor you make your desires clear to people other than yourself. While you may not always get the results you desire, the benefits are usually positive.

Being Coachable

We make sacred pact. I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions.

It's very simple. If you want a mentor, if you want someone to coach you, you need to let yourself be coached. Normal human behavior has us put up walls when other people tell us to do something a different way. For many things in life this is okay. For some it may even be better. When you want someone to teach you something, it is time to be open and listen. In the karate kid Mr. Miyagi lays the ground rules at the beginning, as quoted above. In the commentary, Ralph Macchio talks about how he would never do all the work Daniel you did. Without doing the work, without taking the coaching he never would have learned wax on/wax off, sand the floor, paint the fence, side-side(paint the house) and those were just the first lessons.

So if you find yourself watching anything with Pat Morita and wishing you had a Mr. Miyagi know that you can have one. You might have to find a mentor first, but once you do just ask. Once you get a mentor it's time to surrender to their teachings - it is time to learn.