What I Learned in 2021

Be who you want to be

The urge to edit for the sake of fitting in or not ruffling feathers is a false notion, programmed into people by society and the education system. Every human is born a unique happy spirit, but the world continually abuses and contorts it into meeting its shallow, mediocre expectations. Never be afraid to be who you are. People who try to shame or guilt you for this are projecting their own fear of being themselves onto you. The hall monitors in life are perpetually stuck, scared, and on a track to accomplishing nothing but a negative, miserable existence. Be yourself, be happy.

Tears for Fears can still write ridiculously good songs

Great musicians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUp-ujO979U

I am not worthy of the gifts I receive from God nor the unrelenting forgiveness and remediation of my sins

In reading 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, I saw a reflection of myself in the warnings about who and what to avoid. It was immediately humbling in a way that I can’t explain. Understanding, now, that everything in the past was either a gift or a rebuke from God is equally bright and dark. Bright because it stays true to the word of forgiveness and love, but dark because I see the damage of who I was (am still in many respects) on myself and others. Though my instinct is to find an excuse, I’ve now accepted that the only relief will be having to face Jesus Christ and his judgment when I die. I imagine he’ll be tapping his foot and shaking his head shouting "clear my schedule" when I cross the threshold. Here’s hoping I don’t spend eternity on Satan’s casting couch.

Toasted blueberry bagels with strawberry jam

They're not better than sex but in a pinch they're a killer substitute.

How to make a killer egg, sausage, and cheese sandwich

Heat the egg pan on medium, use an egg ring to keep the shape. Heat the sausage pan on medium-high. Only use sausage you can shape yourself (using an egg ring to match the egg shape—removing it once shaped so you can flip it easily). Throw an English muffin in the toaster. Wait until your sausage is done (usually first) and then throw it on the muffin with a piece of Kraft American cheese on top. Yeet the egg on top of that once it's done. Wait 30 seconds for the cheese to melt. McDonald's? Pfft.

Labels are the currency of the intellectually bankrupt

A mind that insists on applying labels to others (e.g., "you're a this" or "you're a that") is one devoid of rational thought. This is the mark of a person that cannot be reasoned with or spoken to in a non-confrontational way. They will go out of their way to mischaracterize you to fit their own perception of you, taking you through a never-ending maze of wordplay and judgment.

Avoid these people like the plague. They're broken in a way that can't be fixed—the best you can do is pray for them.

Preparation over paranoia

Most people who know me know that I love conspiracy theories. Not to the extent that I'll go full Kaczynski (though I am building a house up in the mountains/woods, so...), but enough that when I seriously think "something's up," I'll let others know. While this is fun (and something I still routinely do for entertainment), I realized the line between being paranoid and being prepared. Paranoia insomuch as constantly being worried about what may happen, versus being prepared to contend with whatever might happen and letting what must come to pass. If they finally send the goon squad to get me, I've got magazines hidden throughout the house and plenty of extra ammunition for a good ol' fashion rodeo.

How to build my own JavaScript framework

I've been ranting about this one for years. After growing increasingly frustrated with the rug pulls and unnecessary complexity in the JavaScript world, I decide to take a shot at building my own framework (a toolkit for building an app with JavaScript). After several years of research trying to wrap my head around how best to do it, in May of this year, I dug in. At the end of October, I shipped a beta (goal is to have a 1.0 available by February/March of 2022) of what I hope becomes a staple tool for JS developers around the world.

Need less, not want less

Disconnecting emotionally from what you have while keeping your eyes fixed on what you want is incredibly helpful for accomplishing goals. If you need something (e.g., if I don't have "x" then I won't feel "x" or some person won't validate me), when you don't have it, your emotions can sway you to making poor short-term decisions. You can aim your sights at the "big goal," but being indifferent to whether or not you get it means your focus remains on the task at hand, not the reward.

I've started to become more aware of the darkness in my own heart and the life experiences that have contributed to it

I swear, a lot. As I've delved further into The Bible, I've become more self-aware and self-conscious of the language I use. While my conscious intent isn't evil or negative—it's just how I speak—I've started to think a bit more on the "shadow" C.G. Jung talks about. The need to swear may not be on the surface, but it's there, somewhere.

I've started to use this as a starting point for resolving—or at least, accepting—some of the things I've experienced in life that have given me a cynical, acerbic tongue. If that sounds indeterminate: it is. I expect the full understanding and eventual correction of this behavior to be long-winded.

Bitcoin is the escape hatch from the collapse of the dollar and implementation of CBDCs

The U.S. dollar, despite its prevalence in global economics, is nearly worthless (thanks primarily to its unpinning from the gold standard to become a fiat currency). As politicians across the spectrum continue to rationalize asinine spending and further rack up debt, it's become clear that their inability to understand economics means we're in for some bad times. Of course, a collapse would be too big of a blow to their egos, so there needs to be an alternative. That alternative is Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

These are digital currencies that use the same technology as Bitcoin (a blockchain/ledger) but are wholly controlled by the government and banks. In contrast, Bitcoin is wholly decentralized meaning no one person controls it and everyone who wants to participate in the network can (known as running a node which means you run the Bitcoin software on your computer and download a copy of the blockchain and keep it up to date).

My bet is that as the dollar nears collapse, it will be replaced with CBDCs. That's a problem because it enables absolute financial tyranny—if you don't comply with some edict, the government can take money from you. If they want tax money, they can just take it. Oh hey, that money you were saving? It has an expiration date (to force you to spend it and boost the economy).

The solution: Bitcoin. Invest some time in learning how to not just buy Bitcoin, but also how to take custody (moving it from the exchange you buy it on to a wallet who's private keys you control). The era of "just trusting the bank" with your money is over.

Unless you want to find yourself and your family stuck in a system you're beholden to and can't get out of, please, take the time to learn this. Get a hardware wallet and a faraday sleeve to store it.

As always: email me with questions (me@ryanglover.net), I'm more than happy to help.

Learning to think in data points can turn you into a sharpshooter

Develop an ear for "bits" of information that are seemingly useless at the time but helpful later. For example, a podcast talking about Wyoming not having any gas stations for hundreds of miles and the encouragement to fill up at the state border. Do I have any plans to go to Wyoming? No. But if I ever find myself there—or someone I know is going—that data point is available to say "hey, you should get some gas and bring extra food."

Humility is a pre-requisite for greatness

You don't need to brag. You don't need to talk about it. You just need to do the work. Recognize the fortune of even being able to do what you do and do what you must with grace. Focus on competing with yourself and no one else. Expect nothing but know exactly where you're going.

Cities are insane asylums

I left Chicago for a small town in Tennessee at the end of April. The difference in mental wellness was so staggering I felt like I'd walked through a time portal for the first two weeks. For the first time in nearly eight years, the people around me had a calmness and flow to them that immediately brought peace.

The good news: not only did I escape the city, I found my home. I'm now a land owner and building my own house from scratch by hand.

How to use a chainsaw

Self-explanatory. Zen and the art of chainsaw maintenance. Ensuring that you sharpen your chain teeth. Learning how to control the fall of a tree with your cuts. Knowing when to back off and let gravity take over. Navigating the primal fear of a bar or chain getting stuck under the compression of a breaking tree. Learning how to clear a widowmaker without getting crushed. Knowing when to call it a day when the chainsaw acts up. Ohm.

Monomania

The secret to success is to pick one thing and go all in on that one thing. No if’s ands or buts, just pick the thing you’re best at and pursue it to the nth degree.

One of the best skills to develop is self-criticism

In order to fix what's not right in your life, a great skill to develop is learning to objectively state what you need to improve without allowing that to destroy your self-confidence. For example, if you're overweight, don't rely on cognitive dissonance to make you feel better while you shove cookies in your mouth, but instead, say "okay, I'm not healthy, why not and what can I do about it" and then slowly, put yourself on the path to fixing that thing.

This applies to everything in life and over a long enough time window, can leave you feeling more grounded and in control. In the process, accepting that you don't need to be the best version of someone else; only yourself. Ignore everybody else and focus on what you can do to straighten your path. One small step at a time followed by another will get you there eventually.

A business is nothing more than an anti-time-wasting device

"Business" has been mythologized into some unique, special thing, when in reality any business is just an answer to "how can I save someone time" or "how can I waste less of a person's time?" Elmer's Glue means not having to mix my own adhesive. Amazon means I don't have to go to a bunch of different stores or constantly re-enter my payment information.

Every single "business" is just a wrapped up version of time saved. This is why it's so frustrating when a business fails to deliver: it didn't save you the time it promised and you know you can't get that time back (a haunting but inspiring reality for a business owner).

You have to find an internal wellspring to combat against the inevitable depression of entropy

In one way or another, the world is always falling apart. You can blissfully ignore this for awhile, but if you're not prone to delusion, eventually the truth will rear its ugly head. When it does, it's important to find tools that prevent loss of hope. A way to remind yourself to keep going. Increasingly, that has been a return to Catholicism and—slowly—learning the Bible. Did I mention toasted blueberry bagels with strawberry jam and vigilante fantasies?

Never give up

No matter how hard it gets. No matter who comes or goes. Stay focused on the thing you want, always working toward it, however slowly. Never giving up means never having to “prove” anything—the effort (and hopefully, the result) speaks for itself. Never get upset when someone dismisses you as lesser-than. Instead, focus on being able to relish in the moment when those who doubted you are forced to seek shelter in your shade.

Prayer is one of the most effective ways to get what you want

For the majority of my life, via conditioning in the media and social circles, the concept of "God" or any form of faith was often shamed. People who were faithful and perhaps took a more conservative bent to their lifestyle were looked at as the weirdos. As my faith has grown (see previous years posts), I've started to utilize prayer more. What I've learned is that prayer isn't a vending machine.

Instead, prayer is an opportunity machine. When you pray, you're not saying "give me this thing I want it now," but instead, "help me find the path to this thing." The answer to a prayer, then, is the path. A road that you can take that will get you where you want to go.