In today's world, distractions are everywhere. Screens are always on, we're always on the move, and our attention is constantly pulled in every direction. With everything going on, it's important for us to be able to communicate effectively. Doing so can make or break us when it comes to our careers, our marriages, our friendships and our families. It is this skill that allows us to break through the noise and get our message across. But, the crucial part of effective communication is not actually speaking, even if it means speaking well. The key is listening.
When one thinks about the concept of listening, it seems like a simple one. Of course I listen, you might say, I listening to people all the time. But are you honestly listening? Here's a quick check for you. If the majority of your listening includes looking at a screen, or thinking of what you'll say or do next, you're not actually listening. And the truth is, most of the time, others can tell. Although you may not be speaking, you're sending a clear message: you don't want to hear what's being shared. For the person talking to you, it's distracting to try and overcome this and it may turn them off from talking to you entirely. It may take effort to put the phone down and turn off the TV, but it makes all the difference.
The good news is, as with any other skill, good listening can be learned and applied. To do this, we need to start with understanding what's causing our communication issues with others, in both directions. Often we can fail to listen because of our impatience and our desire to get the next word in or to jump to a conclusion. This has become more prevalent with the speed of our world today, along with us having much need to wait for anything. We may be listening to what someone is saying and assume we know what they're going to say. Or, we may hear what's said and turn it around so that the focus shifts to us rather than the other person. True listening means focusing solely on what the other person is saying. It’s about understanding, not rebuttal or input. It's crucial to avoid taking control of a conversation and telling someone what to do or labeling them with a quick fix remedy. Once we recognize the flaws we have in how we listen to others and respond, we can work towards improvement.
There are of course verbal aspects to listening as well, beyond receiving the words that someone else is saying to you. The purpose of verbal communication on the listener's end is to show through your words that you've understood what's been said. This involves identifying the feeling and thought content of what's being shared and reflecting that back to the speaker. It's through this that we show that we're engaged in actively listening and that we care. This kind of listening opens the other person up to sharing more and allows the communication to flow naturally. If our verbal responses only include the occasional 'mmhmm' and asking the speaker to repeat themselves, we'll soon find that the other person doesn't have much more to say.
Listening is key in all aspects of our lives. It is through listening that we learn from others, we understand those beyond our self, and we change our world for the better. Many conflicts can be avoided, and better results created, through the act of effective listening. With the holidays fast approaching and interactions coming with family and friends from all walks of life, we'd be better off if we listened before speaking. It takes effort to do this in our daily lives. But, it's through this effort that we can show a genuine interest in others by actively listening to what they have to say. We may discover something new, feel more satisfied, and have a better life because of it.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Building a Brand
Apple, McDonalds, Amazon, Pepsi, Ikea, Adidas. What do all these and many more like them have in common? They're globally recognized brands.
What is a brand? Is it a logo, a product, a name, or maybe even a message?
A brand is a story. Humanity loves stories. They're our most powerful way of sharing our imagination with others. Try giving someone a series of facts and figures and see what they remember without cramming the material. But, you tell someone a powerful story, and see what they remember then. You can change their attitude, their focus, even their purpose for doing whatever it is they're doing.
People connect with brands because of the story behind them; the one the brand itself is telling and the one individuals attach to the brand. Companies live and die by their brand. A company can have the best product, one that solves all kinds of problems, or the best service, one that people are seeking desperately. But, if the company has a bad reputation, or lacks effort made towards it's brand, then no one truly connects with it. Whatever is being sold seems more like those facts and figures instead of a story. The same thing applies to people. You can be incredibly intelligent or have great ideas that could make a real difference. But if no one knows your brand, then you'll be hard pressed in getting someone to notice you.
There are certain elements of creation that go into having a successful brand. At the core, you have to know why you're building the brand, as this will guide everything else. Apple is a great example of a brand that had a leader who was fiercely dedicated to the why, which has been to create products that people don't realize they want yet while making things simpler at the same time. Why do we swipe across our screens instead of tapping it with a stylus or clicking on a physical keyboard? Because the weight of the Apple brand made it so.
Another element is a part of that story that I talked about at the beginning. A brand needs to know who it's telling the story to, which relates to that aspect of getting people to notice you. But, it's important not to try and be all things to all people, or your message can become lost. A brand story has to be relatable and interesting to your target market. This is called a brand image. Again with Apple, their brand story aims at a higher end audience. McDonalds is more aimed at those looking for quick, cheap eats. Adidas tells it's story to those who see the pros playing their respective sports and want to emulate them. Sometimes a brand can try to change it's image, but this often faces resistance. A recent example of this is JC Penney, which attempted to change to an every day low pricing model, away from the big weekend discount sales that their shoppers came to expect. This failed, the CEO with that idea is no longer with the company, and they have gone back to their regular door-buster deals style. This was because, as hard as they tried to tell their customers that they were changing their style, they continued to get questions about when their next big sale would be. Trying to make a radical change like this often just leaves your audience lost, confused, and no longer interested in what you're selling. But, you probably already know this concept of an image that many brands are going for. That's because they've done well in this area and you didn't even know it.
If you think that branding only apply to companies, you're ignoring a large part of our daily lives. Similar to companies, we have our own personal brand, whether we create it with intentional design or not. Your brand is your reputation; it's how others see you and how they guide their interactions with you. Despite me hearing recently that personal branding is such a 'millennial thing', it's not a new concept. Your actions and your interactions with others tell your story, but this more often than not takes Our personal brands largely guide our lives. They can determine who we interact with, where we're able to go, and what it is we're able to accomplish in our lifetime.
So, what is the key to building a lasting brand? Trust. If no one believes your story or if they don't want to hear it for whatever reason, then your brand is worthless. Despite all of our modern conveniences, where we can customize our preferences and quickly move from one thing to the next, gaining trust still forces us to yield and demands the time required. You can try to fast-track the process or say a lot of good things to build your perceived image up, but a weak trust foundation will crumble at the first sign of hardship. Trust that is solid and built to last requires cultivation and the flexibility to grow. Once it has grown, if you do anything to break that trust, it takes much longer to re-build that trust, if you can at all. When you think of Chipotle these days, whats one of the first things that comes to mind? E. Coli perhaps? It's been over a year since the initial outbreak and yet when a well-known restaurant has a health crisis, the trust may never fully come back.
The act of branding may seem like something for a marketing department to do or something that a politician running for office does, but the reality is that we all do it every day, both through our work and in our personal lives. We don't often think of it in this manner, which is good because we would probably drive ourselves mad trying to plan our every action and interaction. But, it never hurts to take a step back and consider your own brand that you're portraying to others. While you're at it, consider the brands of the companies that you spend your money with. Do their brands match the values and messages that you wish to see flourish? If not, have you considered changing your spending habits? Your investments?
Branding has always fascinated me because it shows the power and influence that any one person can have over so many aspects of our lives, and it's a large part of why I studied marketing as one of my undergrad majors. It's definitely a softer science, so to speak, but it has a very real impact on each of us, whether we accept it or not. Just remember though that no matter how big and powerful any brand may seem, they all started with just a thought.
What is a brand? Is it a logo, a product, a name, or maybe even a message?
A brand is a story. Humanity loves stories. They're our most powerful way of sharing our imagination with others. Try giving someone a series of facts and figures and see what they remember without cramming the material. But, you tell someone a powerful story, and see what they remember then. You can change their attitude, their focus, even their purpose for doing whatever it is they're doing.
People connect with brands because of the story behind them; the one the brand itself is telling and the one individuals attach to the brand. Companies live and die by their brand. A company can have the best product, one that solves all kinds of problems, or the best service, one that people are seeking desperately. But, if the company has a bad reputation, or lacks effort made towards it's brand, then no one truly connects with it. Whatever is being sold seems more like those facts and figures instead of a story. The same thing applies to people. You can be incredibly intelligent or have great ideas that could make a real difference. But if no one knows your brand, then you'll be hard pressed in getting someone to notice you.
There are certain elements of creation that go into having a successful brand. At the core, you have to know why you're building the brand, as this will guide everything else. Apple is a great example of a brand that had a leader who was fiercely dedicated to the why, which has been to create products that people don't realize they want yet while making things simpler at the same time. Why do we swipe across our screens instead of tapping it with a stylus or clicking on a physical keyboard? Because the weight of the Apple brand made it so.
Another element is a part of that story that I talked about at the beginning. A brand needs to know who it's telling the story to, which relates to that aspect of getting people to notice you. But, it's important not to try and be all things to all people, or your message can become lost. A brand story has to be relatable and interesting to your target market. This is called a brand image. Again with Apple, their brand story aims at a higher end audience. McDonalds is more aimed at those looking for quick, cheap eats. Adidas tells it's story to those who see the pros playing their respective sports and want to emulate them. Sometimes a brand can try to change it's image, but this often faces resistance. A recent example of this is JC Penney, which attempted to change to an every day low pricing model, away from the big weekend discount sales that their shoppers came to expect. This failed, the CEO with that idea is no longer with the company, and they have gone back to their regular door-buster deals style. This was because, as hard as they tried to tell their customers that they were changing their style, they continued to get questions about when their next big sale would be. Trying to make a radical change like this often just leaves your audience lost, confused, and no longer interested in what you're selling. But, you probably already know this concept of an image that many brands are going for. That's because they've done well in this area and you didn't even know it.
If you think that branding only apply to companies, you're ignoring a large part of our daily lives. Similar to companies, we have our own personal brand, whether we create it with intentional design or not. Your brand is your reputation; it's how others see you and how they guide their interactions with you. Despite me hearing recently that personal branding is such a 'millennial thing', it's not a new concept. Your actions and your interactions with others tell your story, but this more often than not takes Our personal brands largely guide our lives. They can determine who we interact with, where we're able to go, and what it is we're able to accomplish in our lifetime.
So, what is the key to building a lasting brand? Trust. If no one believes your story or if they don't want to hear it for whatever reason, then your brand is worthless. Despite all of our modern conveniences, where we can customize our preferences and quickly move from one thing to the next, gaining trust still forces us to yield and demands the time required. You can try to fast-track the process or say a lot of good things to build your perceived image up, but a weak trust foundation will crumble at the first sign of hardship. Trust that is solid and built to last requires cultivation and the flexibility to grow. Once it has grown, if you do anything to break that trust, it takes much longer to re-build that trust, if you can at all. When you think of Chipotle these days, whats one of the first things that comes to mind? E. Coli perhaps? It's been over a year since the initial outbreak and yet when a well-known restaurant has a health crisis, the trust may never fully come back.
The act of branding may seem like something for a marketing department to do or something that a politician running for office does, but the reality is that we all do it every day, both through our work and in our personal lives. We don't often think of it in this manner, which is good because we would probably drive ourselves mad trying to plan our every action and interaction. But, it never hurts to take a step back and consider your own brand that you're portraying to others. While you're at it, consider the brands of the companies that you spend your money with. Do their brands match the values and messages that you wish to see flourish? If not, have you considered changing your spending habits? Your investments?
Branding has always fascinated me because it shows the power and influence that any one person can have over so many aspects of our lives, and it's a large part of why I studied marketing as one of my undergrad majors. It's definitely a softer science, so to speak, but it has a very real impact on each of us, whether we accept it or not. Just remember though that no matter how big and powerful any brand may seem, they all started with just a thought.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Optimist's Dilemma
Optimist: [op-tuh-mist] n: an optimistic person
Optimistic: [op-tuh-mis-tik] adj: disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome
When you graduate from college and start out on your own, maturity starts to come at a much greater pace. You learn that it's on you to get up, do the things you need or want to, and to reflect on the day to determine if you're satisfied with yourself. Through doing this you learn more about not only what you're good at or the things you like, but more of who you are and who you're going to be in life. The process is intriguing, yet frustrating at times. It can be slow and hard to be sure if what you're learning is real or just noise brought on by the outside world. While the process is never complete, it's important to recognize when you've learned a key trait about yourself. For me recently, I've discovered that at my core, I am an optimist.
Ok, great, so I'm an optimist. So what? What does that mean? What does that look like? How did I discover this? Why does anyone care? Well, for me it means many things, all leading to my self-discovery of this trait. First, it's an attitude and a way of life. It impacts how I interact with the world and with others. It's also what drives my unending desire to work towards what I believe to be right. Whatever is happening, my mind always works its way back towards the expectation of positive outcome.
Second, it means that while I have this trait, I've learned that this is not true for everyone. This leads to the eventual downside of being optimistic which is burnout and disillusionment. This means that although the optimism may still exist, there's no energy or will power left to act on it. This creates a tension as you fight against yourself. A challenge of optimism is that you look to others to help in your cause or to work as a team towards the favorable outcome. Without cooperation from others, if they're more neutral or lean towards a pessimistic outlook, it can feel like you're on a treadmill. While you're looking forward and running towards that optimistic goal, you're not actually getting anywhere.
This type of challenge often leads to one of two outcomes: collapse and the end of the road or refinement and doubling down. Being an optimist, you can guess which outcome I tend to lean towards. Challenges build determination, and this determined and experienced optimism comes back stronger and better prepared to face the world. You learn pitfalls to avoid, opposition to push back against, and gain a more clear focus of your goals. It can take going further back and dragging others along with the strength of your optimism to show them the way and get them on board. The key is being able to bounce back, knowing that while optimism may point you towards the favorable outcome, reaching the goal may take longer than planned.
Speaking of timing, optimistic people tend to be habitually late. For anything and everything. Is it to send a purposeful message that our time is more important? Or is it because our memory is so bad that we don't remember when we're supposed to be somewhere or doing something? The majority of the time the answer is no, and while a push in the right direction can be helpful, optimists know we're late. Trust me. The internal battle that's waged when it happens goes far beyond anything that can be said about it. So then, does this mean that we can show up whenever? Also no. But being punctual is a relative concept and isn't the same for all mankind. And, there's a term for a character trait such as this, and that is tidsoptimist. What this means is that my optimism even affects my perception of time and how much of it I believe that I have on a constant basis. Despite the numerous reminders and self-inflicted tricks, there are going to be times that I flat out miss the mark in regards to being on time. I share this not to lay out as a continuous excuse, but more as an explanation that, as with most mental battles, there's more going on than you might think.
In saying that I'm an optimist and that it's a part of who I am, there's an important point being made. That is, optimism is not going to make itself apparently known every day, especially to those on the outside. But, you know it's there, even for the optimist who is unable to summon that part of themselves. There are times it takes support to keep optimism alive and a kick to get it going. For me, this is most often accomplished through music. One of the things I'm obsessed with in my life is trance music, specifically uplifting trance music. Can you see why? Go back and re-read the last part of that trance sentence. It's right in the name! The uplifting nature of the music is a lifeblood that keeps me going. I even host my own monthly podcast, DJing that style of music, so that I can interact with it beyond just passively listening. Support can also come from a friend, especially one that isn't bound by the hardships of human life. Until recently, whenever I needed an optimism boost back home, all I had to do was look to my forever happy puppy-dog Sandi and she'd get me back on track with one floppy-tongued 'hello'. Although she's gone now, the memories of the decade we spent together can still get me back on track. Being a trait, optimism is always there, even though it sometimes becomes hidden and needs to be brought back into the light.
Optimism is an incredible driving force that can get you through the day, week, month, year, and even a lifetime. Optimism is a catalyst that leads to change in our world, knowing that we can do more, we can make things better, and it's us to lead who can lead the charge. Optimism allows you to bounce back, even after you're denied and rejected by others time and time again.. Optimism can be contagious, as others see the hope that's created and are drawn towards it. For me, optimism is the guiding light that dares me to make a difference. It pushes me to pursue my dreams to create large-scale change on an individual level, even when I don't yet know the path. If you're not a natural optimist yourself, I hope that you have friends that are. As with all things, optimism needs balance. I've discovered this key part of myself by facing countless challenges head on and observing what my leading attitude was. Knowing this, I look to lead with optimism in my daily life, facing the dilemma of pushing on when there are headwinds or falling back and allowing less favorable expectations to take hold. But, when my optimism is paired with my tenacity, my untiring energy, and my hatred of losing, I know what my outcome expectation will be.
When you graduate from college and start out on your own, maturity starts to come at a much greater pace. You learn that it's on you to get up, do the things you need or want to, and to reflect on the day to determine if you're satisfied with yourself. Through doing this you learn more about not only what you're good at or the things you like, but more of who you are and who you're going to be in life. The process is intriguing, yet frustrating at times. It can be slow and hard to be sure if what you're learning is real or just noise brought on by the outside world. While the process is never complete, it's important to recognize when you've learned a key trait about yourself. For me recently, I've discovered that at my core, I am an optimist.
Ok, great, so I'm an optimist. So what? What does that mean? What does that look like? How did I discover this? Why does anyone care? Well, for me it means many things, all leading to my self-discovery of this trait. First, it's an attitude and a way of life. It impacts how I interact with the world and with others. It's also what drives my unending desire to work towards what I believe to be right. Whatever is happening, my mind always works its way back towards the expectation of positive outcome.
Second, it means that while I have this trait, I've learned that this is not true for everyone. This leads to the eventual downside of being optimistic which is burnout and disillusionment. This means that although the optimism may still exist, there's no energy or will power left to act on it. This creates a tension as you fight against yourself. A challenge of optimism is that you look to others to help in your cause or to work as a team towards the favorable outcome. Without cooperation from others, if they're more neutral or lean towards a pessimistic outlook, it can feel like you're on a treadmill. While you're looking forward and running towards that optimistic goal, you're not actually getting anywhere.
This type of challenge often leads to one of two outcomes: collapse and the end of the road or refinement and doubling down. Being an optimist, you can guess which outcome I tend to lean towards. Challenges build determination, and this determined and experienced optimism comes back stronger and better prepared to face the world. You learn pitfalls to avoid, opposition to push back against, and gain a more clear focus of your goals. It can take going further back and dragging others along with the strength of your optimism to show them the way and get them on board. The key is being able to bounce back, knowing that while optimism may point you towards the favorable outcome, reaching the goal may take longer than planned.
Speaking of timing, optimistic people tend to be habitually late. For anything and everything. Is it to send a purposeful message that our time is more important? Or is it because our memory is so bad that we don't remember when we're supposed to be somewhere or doing something? The majority of the time the answer is no, and while a push in the right direction can be helpful, optimists know we're late. Trust me. The internal battle that's waged when it happens goes far beyond anything that can be said about it. So then, does this mean that we can show up whenever? Also no. But being punctual is a relative concept and isn't the same for all mankind. And, there's a term for a character trait such as this, and that is tidsoptimist. What this means is that my optimism even affects my perception of time and how much of it I believe that I have on a constant basis. Despite the numerous reminders and self-inflicted tricks, there are going to be times that I flat out miss the mark in regards to being on time. I share this not to lay out as a continuous excuse, but more as an explanation that, as with most mental battles, there's more going on than you might think.
Optimism is an incredible driving force that can get you through the day, week, month, year, and even a lifetime. Optimism is a catalyst that leads to change in our world, knowing that we can do more, we can make things better, and it's us to lead who can lead the charge. Optimism allows you to bounce back, even after you're denied and rejected by others time and time again.. Optimism can be contagious, as others see the hope that's created and are drawn towards it. For me, optimism is the guiding light that dares me to make a difference. It pushes me to pursue my dreams to create large-scale change on an individual level, even when I don't yet know the path. If you're not a natural optimist yourself, I hope that you have friends that are. As with all things, optimism needs balance. I've discovered this key part of myself by facing countless challenges head on and observing what my leading attitude was. Knowing this, I look to lead with optimism in my daily life, facing the dilemma of pushing on when there are headwinds or falling back and allowing less favorable expectations to take hold. But, when my optimism is paired with my tenacity, my untiring energy, and my hatred of losing, I know what my outcome expectation will be.
Monday, January 9, 2017
2016: The Year of Challenge
Kicking things off with my newly crowned #1 track of 2016, this is Reckless, the Standerwick remix, from Gareth Emery:
Here we are, launching into the new year after the wild ride that was 2016. A lot can be said about what happened nationally within this past year, but most of it you're probably tired of hearing about. For me, this year included some changes that I had been working towards, some I wasn't expecting, and some that never seemed to come together through faults of my own as well as those of others. I love to start off these annual posts by looking back at the previous year, seeing what challenges I said I had faced the year before and checking to see what I accomplished out of the things I had hoped to do. With these things in mind, I look ahead towards the year to come while aiming to keep a good perspective on the year I'm leaving behind.
The year started out first off by living in a new place. I had to head out of Matt and Alyssa's with them having another kid arriving soon, so I found myself a room down the road in a house near the Greenbelt metro. The location was good because it still gave me quick access to the highway for my current work commute, while also being forward looking as I aimed at my next work destination. The other good part of this came a couple weeks after I left, when my new nephew Parran entered the world. Parran seems to always be smiling and just happy to be around people, as long as someone is looking at him. Seriously, check this kid out:
The final months of 2016 didn't have too much in the way of anything notable for me, others than riding on the same roller coaster ride that everyone seemed to be on as election day came and went. My thoughts in that regard are twofold. One is that despite the results, I'm looking further ahead and seeing where my generation (including myself) is going to lead us, and that future looks bright. Second is that my thought, that my generation is going to differ from our parents generation by creating positive change despite the government rather than through it, seems to be becoming more of a reality all the time. I guess we'll have to see how it all plays out in 2017, while remembering that our society wasn't built for us to be passive observers but one where we the people got involved and made ourselves known. My role as someone looking to lead and to bring people together by bridging the gaps and aiming towards the future seemed to guide my actions right up through year's end.
As the first half of the year rolled along, things were mostly the same until April came around. Shortly after my 25th birthday at the end of March, I made my way through three rounds of interviews and earned my way into a new position in the non-profit sector with an organization named US SIF. The role itself is still entry level, but the organization's mission is one that I'm really on board with, having the understanding that I do of the financial sector and the real large-scale impact it can have on creating positive change (check out of our mission here). So, two years to the day after I started working for Coastal, I announced that I was leaving, and I placed my last orders and headed out two weeks later. Now, instead of racing up and down I-95 daily to order a whole lot of produce, I walk over and hop on the Metro to do my part in making a positive impact for my generation and those to come. If you'd like to know more about how you too can put your money where your mouth is, so to speak, assuming you'd like do your part in creating meaningful change, let me know and I'll be happy to chat with you about it. Really, it mostly involves something you're already probably doing but may not realize how you can do it to help others. The shift has been substantial and I'm excited to see where it leads me in 2017.
As many of you, my readers, know, I was a part of the 5th generation of my family to have grown up on our special piece of land in St. Mary's County. One of the major goals that has been in the works for quite some time has been the transition of the land I grew up on from my father's ownership to me. After having to clear several hurdles along the way, the transfer was finally completed around the mid part of this past year and I am now a home/land owner. My father has spent the past couple of years living next door in what was his parents house, where he grew up, so I'm renting out what is now my house in order to keep itself going. The idea there is that I may be back there someday, but for now things are staying in stasis mode.
My faith continued to remain strong throughout this past year, as I joined in with weekly studies through Nav20s and my church, and I spent a lot of time with my fellow church-goers as my main community. I made strides towards following Christ through many different aspects of my life, and I continue to learn more about how to proceed correctly all the time. The same question I had last year, wondering why we're still here, still remains on my mind, but I live knowing I may not get a real solid answer on this side of eternity. My faith played a role, as I believe it should, in trying to sort through the madness that was this past election cycle, and now I'll have to remain focused on it as we as a nation try to move forward and heal our divides. I do hope to work towards continuing my faith-related 'what and why' mission that has been dormant for a while, but that's going to take some dedication from me as well as the involvement of others.
My love for trance music grew even stronger this past year (if that's possible), as I went to several concerts, continued along with my monthly show, and started listening to so many professional DJ podcasts that I have a hard time keeping up with them all. In regards to my own show, I celebrated the 30th episode a few months back and just released the episode that I love putting together the most, the top tracks of the year show. As you can hopefully tell from the song I have posted at the top of this post, 2016 was an incredible year for trance, but I encourage you to take a listen to my top-12 countdown and hear it for yourself. I didn't gain as much ground as I had hoped to this past year in terms of working on doing live DJing, but I'm going to continue to work towards it in 2017. I did have the incredible experience of having one of my favorite artist duos somehow spot me in the crowd at one of their shows and wave at me while shouting out my name. I stuck around after the show to chat with them about all things trance and grab a picture with them, as shown below. Overall, trance music has grown even more into the lifeblood that keeps me going and the fuel that gives me my un-ending energy.
It seems that it has become a new tradition for Tyler and I to take an annual adventure together somewhere, and this year we headed north for my first trip out of the US. We headed up to Toronto for the first half of the week, celebrating Tyler's b-day at the science center, standing way above the ground at the incredible CN tower, exploring the halls of Casa Loma, and seeing various other places in the downtown area. The second half of the week was my favorite part of the trip, as we ventured to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and got to stand in sheer awe of the 700,000 gallons of water/second that is constantly being dumped over the falls. We saw them from above, below, and along side, as we took part in almost every tourist attraction that we could. The downtown area in Niagara was a lot of fun as well, as we got to ride a giant Ferris wheel, play some dino mini golf, and have a blast figuring out how to actually win the arcade. We made our way back after a week of fun, even getting to fly on the same plane together back to Baltimore, and it certainly was an adventure I'll never forget.
The final months of 2016 didn't have too much in the way of anything notable for me, others than riding on the same roller coaster ride that everyone seemed to be on as election day came and went. My thoughts in that regard are twofold. One is that despite the results, I'm looking further ahead and seeing where my generation (including myself) is going to lead us, and that future looks bright. Second is that my thought, that my generation is going to differ from our parents generation by creating positive change despite the government rather than through it, seems to be becoming more of a reality all the time. I guess we'll have to see how it all plays out in 2017, while remembering that our society wasn't built for us to be passive observers but one where we the people got involved and made ourselves known. My role as someone looking to lead and to bring people together by bridging the gaps and aiming towards the future seemed to guide my actions right up through year's end.
I called 2016 the year of challenge because I seemed to face a lot of it, some of it being self-imposed and the rest of it being brought upon me by others. I challenged myself in this past year to be a better listener, to try new things and go to new places, and to try and figure out what I want to do with my life. I faced the challenge of moving to a new place, of leaving one job and starting another, and of taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord. However, just because 2016 and its challenges are over, doesn't mean 2017 won't bring its own fresh set. But, as I've learned even more about myself this past year in regards to how I take on goals and the competitive like nature of facing a challenge, I'll be ready to face them head on by starting with just a thought.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Perseverance
There are times in life when you question why. Times you can see a reality that you can't quite reach, where you keep holding on and giving it your all, even when you don't know what will happen. It's during these times of challenge that we grow, having to overcome our own mental battles with the will to carry on. These instances are nothing new to any of us, and they're something we all experience. But, when they come, it's easy to feel alone, as if you're the only one with a problem. One of the most common, yet one of the most daunting times when this happens is when you're in the midst of a job search. Through all of the applications, phone calls, networking, interviews, and everything else involved, there's one key character quality that can keep you going until you've reached your goal: perseverance.
The first step in persevering towards anything is having a goal worth persevering for. Of course, perseverance applies to many different situations, not just the job search that I mentioned above. Coming up with a worthwhile goal in itself is not a simple task and it seems these kinds of goals often arise unexpectedly. Something goes wrong or something is not the way you want it to be and you realize that it's going to take great effort to create the change you seek. But, these kinds of scenarios can also be exciting because they give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and to give your best effort, even when the gratification is not the instantaneous kind that we frequently demand nowadays. It's important to remember that the goal you have may not always be a popular one or even one that anyone else thinks you can achieve. What matters is that you believe in it and that you are willing to do the hard work required to get it done.
One of the elements of persevering towards any goal is learning how to deal with the inevitable setbacks. There will always be factors beyond your control and things you would have done differently if you had known at the time. The good thing about setbacks is that they often humble you and make you re-evaluate where you're at. This reflection can allow you to refine your efforts, discover something new about where you're going, and strengthen your resolve. Setbacks also often force you to rely on others for support and remind you that while your goal may be your own, we need others in order to succeed in this world. It's not just people we look to though, as it seems the times we are quickest to run to God is when something goes wrong and we don't think anyone else can help us. Ultimately, without setbacks, perseverance wouldn't exist.
Focusing more on that whole God thing, before this latest job search, there had been one main life event life that I often referenced as the cornerstone upon which my faith was solidified. Well, after this experience I seem to have another. You can call it whatever you like regarding why things happened the way they did, but this is what I'm going with. I had the feeling of that I should head towards the non-profit sector for quite a while. However, when I was just about to start an Americorps program with a non-profit last fall, the organization I was matched with backed out, leaving me no option to be a part of the program. That set off a long job search process, which first involved me figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. Through various interviews, reviewing the results from the career counseling I took during my undergrad, talks with friends and mentors, and some prayer, I realized what my next step was. I tried various different methods but I finally landed on an opportunity through an online job board that I was truly excited about. This was just the beginning though, as the interview process wasn't easy.
First, I had to persevere in following up on the opportunity. If you ever get advice about following up on applications you submit to make sure you've reached the actual hiring manager, take that advice. That's what sparked the first actual phone conversation with my now manager. I went through three rounds over the course of a month and a half, where I answered a variety of questions from several different people. I had to patiently wait each time, never knowing when or if I was going to hear back. During all of this, my prayers grew stronger, as did my passion for the opportunity and my feeling that this was finally the one. I continued to say that no matter what happened, I was giving the end result to God because I knew I had given it my all. As I've discovered through other life events, God has a sense of humor. I kept hearing from others that I needed to give it 2 full years in my then current job before making the decision to move on. Well, I was given the new job offer and announced I was leaving on the day of my 2 year anniversary. The looks from my co-workers quickly changed from anniversary celebration to shock. But for me, all I could do was laugh. I knew that God had a purpose for things turning out the way they did, as He always does. He was testing my faith, as He said would happen in 1 Peter 1:7 where it states "7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
After all that, I ended up in a much better position than what I would have been in with the Americorps program. The mission I'm a part of now is a solid one that I feel truly connected to.To share what I'm now a part of, my new employer is US SIF and our mission is to "Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts." I'm using my business background, my own investing interests, and my desire to create long term positive change through my work to make a real measurable impact on our society and the world. And God knew it would happen all along.
Overall, I believe that perserverance is one of the most important character traits we can have. It is through perseverance that we accomplish our goals, realize our dreams, and change the world. I've recently been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I've seen how strongly he persevered in everything he did, despite having one person after another tell him that he was wrong or that something couldn't be done. It's his perseverance in doing what needed to be done and having that vision for the way things could be that impacts our lives every time we pick up our smartphones, sit at our computers, or enjoy the unending blockbusters that come from Pixar. In this world, nothing that's truly worth having or doing comes easily and it's up to each individual to determine how far they are willing to go. But as I have learned, yet again, it's only after you've chopped down the metaphorical tree that you can enjoy the fire and feel fully satisfied, knowing that none of it would have been possible had you not persevered.
The first step in persevering towards anything is having a goal worth persevering for. Of course, perseverance applies to many different situations, not just the job search that I mentioned above. Coming up with a worthwhile goal in itself is not a simple task and it seems these kinds of goals often arise unexpectedly. Something goes wrong or something is not the way you want it to be and you realize that it's going to take great effort to create the change you seek. But, these kinds of scenarios can also be exciting because they give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and to give your best effort, even when the gratification is not the instantaneous kind that we frequently demand nowadays. It's important to remember that the goal you have may not always be a popular one or even one that anyone else thinks you can achieve. What matters is that you believe in it and that you are willing to do the hard work required to get it done.
One of the elements of persevering towards any goal is learning how to deal with the inevitable setbacks. There will always be factors beyond your control and things you would have done differently if you had known at the time. The good thing about setbacks is that they often humble you and make you re-evaluate where you're at. This reflection can allow you to refine your efforts, discover something new about where you're going, and strengthen your resolve. Setbacks also often force you to rely on others for support and remind you that while your goal may be your own, we need others in order to succeed in this world. It's not just people we look to though, as it seems the times we are quickest to run to God is when something goes wrong and we don't think anyone else can help us. Ultimately, without setbacks, perseverance wouldn't exist.
Focusing more on that whole God thing, before this latest job search, there had been one main life event life that I often referenced as the cornerstone upon which my faith was solidified. Well, after this experience I seem to have another. You can call it whatever you like regarding why things happened the way they did, but this is what I'm going with. I had the feeling of that I should head towards the non-profit sector for quite a while. However, when I was just about to start an Americorps program with a non-profit last fall, the organization I was matched with backed out, leaving me no option to be a part of the program. That set off a long job search process, which first involved me figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. Through various interviews, reviewing the results from the career counseling I took during my undergrad, talks with friends and mentors, and some prayer, I realized what my next step was. I tried various different methods but I finally landed on an opportunity through an online job board that I was truly excited about. This was just the beginning though, as the interview process wasn't easy.
First, I had to persevere in following up on the opportunity. If you ever get advice about following up on applications you submit to make sure you've reached the actual hiring manager, take that advice. That's what sparked the first actual phone conversation with my now manager. I went through three rounds over the course of a month and a half, where I answered a variety of questions from several different people. I had to patiently wait each time, never knowing when or if I was going to hear back. During all of this, my prayers grew stronger, as did my passion for the opportunity and my feeling that this was finally the one. I continued to say that no matter what happened, I was giving the end result to God because I knew I had given it my all. As I've discovered through other life events, God has a sense of humor. I kept hearing from others that I needed to give it 2 full years in my then current job before making the decision to move on. Well, I was given the new job offer and announced I was leaving on the day of my 2 year anniversary. The looks from my co-workers quickly changed from anniversary celebration to shock. But for me, all I could do was laugh. I knew that God had a purpose for things turning out the way they did, as He always does. He was testing my faith, as He said would happen in 1 Peter 1:7 where it states "7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
After all that, I ended up in a much better position than what I would have been in with the Americorps program. The mission I'm a part of now is a solid one that I feel truly connected to.To share what I'm now a part of, my new employer is US SIF and our mission is to "Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts." I'm using my business background, my own investing interests, and my desire to create long term positive change through my work to make a real measurable impact on our society and the world. And God knew it would happen all along.
Overall, I believe that perserverance is one of the most important character traits we can have. It is through perseverance that we accomplish our goals, realize our dreams, and change the world. I've recently been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I've seen how strongly he persevered in everything he did, despite having one person after another tell him that he was wrong or that something couldn't be done. It's his perseverance in doing what needed to be done and having that vision for the way things could be that impacts our lives every time we pick up our smartphones, sit at our computers, or enjoy the unending blockbusters that come from Pixar. In this world, nothing that's truly worth having or doing comes easily and it's up to each individual to determine how far they are willing to go. But as I have learned, yet again, it's only after you've chopped down the metaphorical tree that you can enjoy the fire and feel fully satisfied, knowing that none of it would have been possible had you not persevered.
Monday, January 25, 2016
2015: The Year of Reflection
As always, I'll start by sharing my #1 tune of the past year. This one was a big hit before it was remixed, but then it was taken to incredible new heights. With every possible element of a proper trance song that you could ask for including a perfect blend of melody, soothing vocals, a massive breakdown and buildup, and a constant driving beat, this is the Adam Ellis remix of Origami from Dimension. Have a listen and be amazed:
The start of another year. This period of January is always somewhat strange. You feel as though you just finished something by reaching the end of another year, only to find yourself having to start all over again with a simple rollover of the calendar. Getting to this point naturally lends itself to a bit of reflection, where you look back on the year gone by and try to make sense of what went right and what got lost in the chaos of life. As for myself, it seemed as though my period of reflection lasted throughout the entirety of 2015. From beginning to end, I spent the year trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, who I want to spend my time with, what I value, and what I want to do with my life. This led to me trying new things, going new places, meeting new people, and spending a lot of time in reflection. In this, my annual year in review blog post, I will share a glimpse into what I have learned.
The year started out calm, with another lovely winter. As I've shared before on this blog, winter is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons. It was my time spent indoors hiding out from the cold that started my reflection. I realized that I was only getting further away from college, further away from my old life, and further along in realizing that I need to do what I feel is best for my life since I'm the one living it. The start of 2015 also marked one year of living with Matthew, Alyssa, and the lil' squeaker Helen. We learned a lot from each other and about each other in the first year, but I knew there were many more great times ahead. One of the most fascinating parts of the first year with them was watching Helen grow incredibly rapidly. There were days where she would wake up doing something new that she hadn't been able to do the day before. Watching a baby grow is quite the experience, especially if you're just the uncle who gets to have all of the fun without the responsibility.
As far as work goes, I worked my way past the one year mark at Coastal Sunbelt in April. Things got wilder as the year went along and I fully learned that every day is different in the produce business and that if something can go wrong, it probably will. The scale of the whole produce industry never ceases to amaze me though, as I can pick up the phone on any given day and ask for thousands of pounds of top quality produce to be at my door that night. In February and then again in May I learned first hand how crazy things get in the food service get on major holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. The working life of a 9-5 kind of job can slip by you quickly though as if you don't stop to think about whether you're doing what you want to be doing, then months fly by before you know it.
As for my faith, it continued to grow as I became more involved with my church and wrapped up one study group and joined another with some of my fellow Nav 20s members. The main thing I wrestled with all year and continue to today is asking why we're still here on Earth. Now, I believe that God has a master plan and that we won't know when Jesus is returning, but I can't figure out what he's waiting for. While this is a deeper topic that could be the subject of my next posting, that has been a part of my thought process and my actions this past year.
Those who know me well know that I have an insatiable love for trance music. This passion continued to grow in 2015 and I finally put into words, via another blog post, just how incredible trance music is and what it means to me. If you haven't read it yet, I invite you to take a few minutes and check it out (http://asickle.blogspot.com/2015/08/trance.html). I also focused on doing new things with my radio show, For the Soul, as I had a classics only show to celebrate the landmark episode 20 a few months ago. Overall, the craft of putting the shows together has become more refined as I've realized what does and doesn't work in terms of transitioning from one song to the next. In 2016, I hope to work more on being able to do live DJing, either through working on my own or with the help of a mentor. Really though, I love that I've been able to keep my show going for a solid 2 years now. If you haven't listened to any of the episodes yet, I invite you to at least try one, starting with my top tracks of 2015 episode that I just released at the end of the year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5AT1VI52U).
Another area of reflection in my life was with my friendships. Some of them grew stronger, such as the friendships I have with my fellow church members as MCF. Through being essentially a co-leader of ultimate frisbee with them, along with becoming more involved in the church through volunteer work, I have built a core group of friends who I can rely on being able to spend my whole Sunday with. Challenges came with older friendships, as it seems my thinking that true friendships can endure whatever comes along is not shared by all. One of my main friendships, the one I have with former roomie Tyler, continued right along despite the long distance between us now. In 2015, he and I finally did what we had said we should do by establishing a weekly online game night, where we update each other on ours lives and battle back and forth for dominance in a variety of games. One of my main events of the year was getting to travel with him down to Orlando for my first trip to Disney World. The whole experience was incredible, as Disney is a master of providing anything and everything you could need without having to leave their bubble. The weather was perfect, the crowds were light, and we did everything we had planned to do and more. We've already started planning our next adventure for 2016, and this time we're thinking of taking things abroad.
As the final months of 2015 came, the need for reflection grew as the need for change became more apparent. With Matthew and Alyssa having announced earlier in the year that kid #2 was on the way, it was time for me to look for a new place to live. As is usual for me, I pushed things right to the end, as I moved right at the deadline of year's end. The place I'm in now is temporary until hopefully another opportunity arises. The other changes I'm working on don't seem to have as firm of a deadline, other than what I've self-imposed. It's taking longer than expected for some, but I know that I need to face the challenges head on if I want to take my life in the direction I currently believe I want it to go. Reflection is a big part of all of this though, as I always seem to be second guessing myself and re-considering what direction that is.
That just about does it for 2015, a year without anything too major happening as it steadily rolled along. A main internal battle for me throughout the year came from me riding the line between wanting to help while working with others and my disdain for others fueling my desire to see this broken world end. I've was told a few different times throughout the year that I'm different from most people that others seem to interact with. I've stood out so much in the office that I acquired the nick-name of 'Amish Adam', due to my lack of stories about times I've gotten drunk, being unwilling to swear, and my recoiled reactions when other describe their broken families and relationships that are going against the original design. I know that this struggle will continue into 2016, but the unknown is how it will shape me, my actions, and my interactions with others.
As we look ahead into the new year, the paths we will all individually take have not yet been laid out. Although the calendar may have started anew, the process of reflection and self-discovery has not been completed for me. There are certain things I want to accomplish and areas where I know that change will come, one way or another. Looking back on my post from this time last year when I wrapped up 2014, I see that I mentioned then something that's still true today. That is, that planning can be a challenge. But, it's something that more times than not leads to us getting to where we want to be and without it, who knows where we may end up. The good news for me is that I have further learned in this past year that planning is something I enjoy, whether it be for a vacation or perhaps as an occupation that will lead to my career path. All I need is the right motivation, the opportunity to see all of the pieces in play, and the understanding of what I'm aiming for. Remember though, that while the end result often gets the glory and attention, it all has to start somewhere, which is usually with Just a Thought.
The start of another year. This period of January is always somewhat strange. You feel as though you just finished something by reaching the end of another year, only to find yourself having to start all over again with a simple rollover of the calendar. Getting to this point naturally lends itself to a bit of reflection, where you look back on the year gone by and try to make sense of what went right and what got lost in the chaos of life. As for myself, it seemed as though my period of reflection lasted throughout the entirety of 2015. From beginning to end, I spent the year trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, who I want to spend my time with, what I value, and what I want to do with my life. This led to me trying new things, going new places, meeting new people, and spending a lot of time in reflection. In this, my annual year in review blog post, I will share a glimpse into what I have learned.
The year started out calm, with another lovely winter. As I've shared before on this blog, winter is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons. It was my time spent indoors hiding out from the cold that started my reflection. I realized that I was only getting further away from college, further away from my old life, and further along in realizing that I need to do what I feel is best for my life since I'm the one living it. The start of 2015 also marked one year of living with Matthew, Alyssa, and the lil' squeaker Helen. We learned a lot from each other and about each other in the first year, but I knew there were many more great times ahead. One of the most fascinating parts of the first year with them was watching Helen grow incredibly rapidly. There were days where she would wake up doing something new that she hadn't been able to do the day before. Watching a baby grow is quite the experience, especially if you're just the uncle who gets to have all of the fun without the responsibility.
As far as work goes, I worked my way past the one year mark at Coastal Sunbelt in April. Things got wilder as the year went along and I fully learned that every day is different in the produce business and that if something can go wrong, it probably will. The scale of the whole produce industry never ceases to amaze me though, as I can pick up the phone on any given day and ask for thousands of pounds of top quality produce to be at my door that night. In February and then again in May I learned first hand how crazy things get in the food service get on major holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. The working life of a 9-5 kind of job can slip by you quickly though as if you don't stop to think about whether you're doing what you want to be doing, then months fly by before you know it.
As for my faith, it continued to grow as I became more involved with my church and wrapped up one study group and joined another with some of my fellow Nav 20s members. The main thing I wrestled with all year and continue to today is asking why we're still here on Earth. Now, I believe that God has a master plan and that we won't know when Jesus is returning, but I can't figure out what he's waiting for. While this is a deeper topic that could be the subject of my next posting, that has been a part of my thought process and my actions this past year.
Those who know me well know that I have an insatiable love for trance music. This passion continued to grow in 2015 and I finally put into words, via another blog post, just how incredible trance music is and what it means to me. If you haven't read it yet, I invite you to take a few minutes and check it out (http://asickle.blogspot.com/2015/08/trance.html). I also focused on doing new things with my radio show, For the Soul, as I had a classics only show to celebrate the landmark episode 20 a few months ago. Overall, the craft of putting the shows together has become more refined as I've realized what does and doesn't work in terms of transitioning from one song to the next. In 2016, I hope to work more on being able to do live DJing, either through working on my own or with the help of a mentor. Really though, I love that I've been able to keep my show going for a solid 2 years now. If you haven't listened to any of the episodes yet, I invite you to at least try one, starting with my top tracks of 2015 episode that I just released at the end of the year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5AT1VI52U).
Another area of reflection in my life was with my friendships. Some of them grew stronger, such as the friendships I have with my fellow church members as MCF. Through being essentially a co-leader of ultimate frisbee with them, along with becoming more involved in the church through volunteer work, I have built a core group of friends who I can rely on being able to spend my whole Sunday with. Challenges came with older friendships, as it seems my thinking that true friendships can endure whatever comes along is not shared by all. One of my main friendships, the one I have with former roomie Tyler, continued right along despite the long distance between us now. In 2015, he and I finally did what we had said we should do by establishing a weekly online game night, where we update each other on ours lives and battle back and forth for dominance in a variety of games. One of my main events of the year was getting to travel with him down to Orlando for my first trip to Disney World. The whole experience was incredible, as Disney is a master of providing anything and everything you could need without having to leave their bubble. The weather was perfect, the crowds were light, and we did everything we had planned to do and more. We've already started planning our next adventure for 2016, and this time we're thinking of taking things abroad.
As the final months of 2015 came, the need for reflection grew as the need for change became more apparent. With Matthew and Alyssa having announced earlier in the year that kid #2 was on the way, it was time for me to look for a new place to live. As is usual for me, I pushed things right to the end, as I moved right at the deadline of year's end. The place I'm in now is temporary until hopefully another opportunity arises. The other changes I'm working on don't seem to have as firm of a deadline, other than what I've self-imposed. It's taking longer than expected for some, but I know that I need to face the challenges head on if I want to take my life in the direction I currently believe I want it to go. Reflection is a big part of all of this though, as I always seem to be second guessing myself and re-considering what direction that is.
That just about does it for 2015, a year without anything too major happening as it steadily rolled along. A main internal battle for me throughout the year came from me riding the line between wanting to help while working with others and my disdain for others fueling my desire to see this broken world end. I've was told a few different times throughout the year that I'm different from most people that others seem to interact with. I've stood out so much in the office that I acquired the nick-name of 'Amish Adam', due to my lack of stories about times I've gotten drunk, being unwilling to swear, and my recoiled reactions when other describe their broken families and relationships that are going against the original design. I know that this struggle will continue into 2016, but the unknown is how it will shape me, my actions, and my interactions with others.
As we look ahead into the new year, the paths we will all individually take have not yet been laid out. Although the calendar may have started anew, the process of reflection and self-discovery has not been completed for me. There are certain things I want to accomplish and areas where I know that change will come, one way or another. Looking back on my post from this time last year when I wrapped up 2014, I see that I mentioned then something that's still true today. That is, that planning can be a challenge. But, it's something that more times than not leads to us getting to where we want to be and without it, who knows where we may end up. The good news for me is that I have further learned in this past year that planning is something I enjoy, whether it be for a vacation or perhaps as an occupation that will lead to my career path. All I need is the right motivation, the opportunity to see all of the pieces in play, and the understanding of what I'm aiming for. Remember though, that while the end result often gets the glory and attention, it all has to start somewhere, which is usually with Just a Thought.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Trance
n.-a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s in Germany. It is characterized by a tempo of between 125 to mid 140 beats per minute (BPM), repeating melodic phrases,and a musical form that distinctly builds up and down throughout a track. A trance refers to a state of hypnotism and heightened consciousness. This is portrayed in trance music by the mixing of layers with distinctly foreshadowed build-up and release. A characteristic of virtually all trance music is a mid-song climax followed by a soft breakdown disposing of beats and percussion entirely, and leaving the melody and/or atmospherics to stand alone for an extended period before gradually building up again.
There have been many times where I've tried to explain to others just exactly what trance music is and why it means so much to me. The soaring melodies, the driving beats, the incredible breakdowns...impossible to put into words. When I've tried to pick a particular song to show what trance is, one after another comes to mind for all sorts of reasons. How can you pick one song to display the music that's created for anything and everything?
Trance is the ultimate form of what music can be. It has the power to fit any and every situation and is perfect for whatever you're doing. It can take you to all new emotional heights and bring you up out of your lows. It is by carefully crafted design and namesake meant to put the listener into a hypnotic trance like state where everything is better because of the music. This kind of music and the feelings associated with it can become addicting, where you simply cannot feed the craving enough and more is always better.
To take this up a notch, one of the sub-genres within trance is called uplifting trance which is on the higher end of the trance BPM range, usually at around 138-142 BPM. When done properly, it takes the listener to a higher state of euphoria, where the intense excitement and happiness can be so strong that you simply don't know what to do with it. Having experienced this countless times myself, I can't tell you enough how amazing of a feeling it is. Being lifted off your feet emotionally because of the music is like a high that you never want to come down from. I've tried to explain it to others before as a sweet drink that you just keep drinking in but never get sick of and never has to run out.
 |
| The king of trance, Armin Van Buuren |
For me, trance is a life force that I rely on to keep me going and keep me positive. Be it at work, in the car, or hanging out with friends, trance is the musical blood that flows through my veins and fills my head from my alarm in the morning to guiding me to sleep at night. The strong impact trance has on me has lead me to needing an outward expression, where I'm not just taking in the music but doing something with it. To that end, I've created my own monthly radio show/podcast called For The Soul, where I mix about an hour's worth of tracks together as a DJ set and publish it under the moniker DJ Adaman (https://www.facebook.com/ForTheSoul.DJAdaman). If you haven't checked it out yet, now is the perfect time to do so as the current episode, number 18, is my finest work yet and is on display at the top of this post.
I'm often asked when I try to describe what trance is, "oh you mean techno?" or "isn't that what a lot of pop artists are doing now, that edm stuff?" In responding to this, I try to clarify the differences. EDM is the over arching genre, the broadest label, similar to calling a song Rock music. While that does categorize it, that's a huge category and isn't very clearly descriptive. With Rock, do you mean it's alternative rock, classic rock, heavy metal, indie rock, punk rock, etc.? All of those are very different genres, but they all fall under the label of rock. Now, looking at EDM, you have techno, house, progressive, dubstep, and others including my main favorite, trance. Within each of those genres, you have sub-genres such as uplifting trance, progressive house, progressive trance, and so on. Imagine it like a tree, where EDM is the trunk and everything branches out from there. There are differences between each, hence their existence, but the lines between each often become blurred.
One of the most fascinating parts of trance music is how it has lead to the creation of "trance families" worldwide. I've seen the music bring people together, with fans flying in from around the globe to attend landmark events hosted by the world's top artists. I've also heard shout outs and voice messages, including my own several times, from listeners around the world on those artists weekly radio shows. It's fascinating to hear the voice of someone from Kenya or South Korea, knowing that you're on opposite sides of the globe but are still listening to the same show. There are communities, such as Trance Family DC, that pop up in response to the music and come together to attend shows, share music, and spread the love of trance. A phrase that's often used to describe this outpouring of community is PLUR which stands for Peace Love Unity Respect. While this phrase has gotten beaten down in recent years as EDM has gone more mainstream, the music still creates a feeling of joy that you want to share with others while allowing them to share it with you. The music is powerful because it brings out the good part of our humanity that we don't often display in our daily lives.
Overall, trance is a key part of my life and I hope it remains that way. As I've described above, it has given me the most incredible emotional rides I've ever experienced and it keeps me going day after day. The concerts I've been to range from the smallest of nightclubs to a sold out Madison Square Garden. I even experienced both of these within a 24 hour period one weekend last year. I wrote this post to finally put into written form what I've tried to say to so many before, similar to how I wrote about my love for winter in a previous post. If you haven't heard trance before, I hope this post inspires you to click play on the video above and check out the other links I often share on Facebook. If you want to know or hear more, please let me know as part of my love for this music comes from getting to watch it grow as I share its incredible power with others. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, listen to the music, look at my pictures, and hopefully understand what I've shared here. Euphoria is a breath taking emotion and it can be achieved any time day or night through the wonder that is trance.
I'm often asked when I try to describe what trance is, "oh you mean techno?" or "isn't that what a lot of pop artists are doing now, that edm stuff?" In responding to this, I try to clarify the differences. EDM is the over arching genre, the broadest label, similar to calling a song Rock music. While that does categorize it, that's a huge category and isn't very clearly descriptive. With Rock, do you mean it's alternative rock, classic rock, heavy metal, indie rock, punk rock, etc.? All of those are very different genres, but they all fall under the label of rock. Now, looking at EDM, you have techno, house, progressive, dubstep, and others including my main favorite, trance. Within each of those genres, you have sub-genres such as uplifting trance, progressive house, progressive trance, and so on. Imagine it like a tree, where EDM is the trunk and everything branches out from there. There are differences between each, hence their existence, but the lines between each often become blurred.
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| The many sub-genres of EDM |
One of the most fascinating parts of trance music is how it has lead to the creation of "trance families" worldwide. I've seen the music bring people together, with fans flying in from around the globe to attend landmark events hosted by the world's top artists. I've also heard shout outs and voice messages, including my own several times, from listeners around the world on those artists weekly radio shows. It's fascinating to hear the voice of someone from Kenya or South Korea, knowing that you're on opposite sides of the globe but are still listening to the same show. There are communities, such as Trance Family DC, that pop up in response to the music and come together to attend shows, share music, and spread the love of trance. A phrase that's often used to describe this outpouring of community is PLUR which stands for Peace Love Unity Respect. While this phrase has gotten beaten down in recent years as EDM has gone more mainstream, the music still creates a feeling of joy that you want to share with others while allowing them to share it with you. The music is powerful because it brings out the good part of our humanity that we don't often display in our daily lives.
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| Above & Beyond at ABGT100 at Madison Square Garden (I'm in the upper left of this picture) |
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