Design. Charity. Life.

Do you have control over your life right now, and where it’s headed? For most, other people and institutions have a huge control over where you go, what you can buy, where you live and sadly, what you spend your time doing.

In the summer, I read Chris Guillebeau’s 2007 book, The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World. It focuses on setting your own rules, living the life you want, and – an important to me personally – changing the world. Not only is it focused on “World Domination” but also on making the world a better place at the same time.

The book is based on the author’s online manifesto – which brought me back to Think Tank 1 at OCAD University when a personal manifesto was part of the course. The author’s manifesto that inspired the book was called “A Brief Guide to World Domination”. It is a very honest book that challenges the way you think and how you live your life, so I do not think it would be for everybody.

As a summary of the book and its purpose, I selected this quote:

“You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to. You can do good things for yourself and make the world a better place at the same time.”

Essentially the book aims to show you how to do that.

As a graduating university student, I am very drawn towards how this book defies common assumptions about life and work, while also providing tools to begin living differently. As recommended online, the book is ideal for people asking, “There must be more to life than this,” which I feel can include students and people who have been stuck in an unexciting career for years.

Exploring creative ways to be self-employed is key – helping me to convince others that the route I would like to take is a feasible one potentially full of great success. Goal-setting and “sufficiency” are still major aspects the author addresses, but also the key component I admire is remembering to embrace life as a “constant adventure”.

An aspect I found valuable is that it the book is all based on personal experience and real examples of the author’s life – making all of the advice significantly more valuable and encouraging to follow.

I aspire to adopt and practice the art of non-conformity, and regardless of if you have chosen your ‘career path’ or not, would really suggest you read this book.

You’re going to fail at having a good career, Larry Smith says passionately. Why? Because there are now only either great jobs or high-stress, blood-sucking, soul-destroying jobs – no “good” ones.

If you want a great career, you have to peruse your passion and dreams. Yet, so many people decide not to do this, despite countless desires to do so.

This talk, both funny and blunt from TEDxUW, Larry Smith “pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions”.

One of many parts that stuck out was Smith sharing that, “When I was 5, I was a genius, but my professors have beaten that idea out of my head long since”. Although the audience laughs, I think it’s horrible how so many kids ideas and passions are shut down by parents, society and stereotypes they’re conformed to. These are missed opportunities.

Want to get a job and work hard? Society and your employer will let you work hard – but will that make you happy? Smith says the evidence is against it.

Even most people that find their passion fail because they continue to create new excuses on why not to peruse it. I don’t plan on being one of these people – I plan to continue per suing my passions and not locking myself into a job or situation that’s repetitive and doesn’t allow for continued growth and creativity.

It’s not just about pursuing your interests – it’s pursuing your passion. Passion is the key. Passion is the thing that helps you “create the highest expression of your talent”.

Don’t be afraid to try, don’t be afraid to fail.

Watch Larry Smith’s “Why you will fail to have a great career” from TEDxUW

After buying The Book of (Holiday) Awesome by Neil Pasricha, I skimmed through the pages of awesome holiday things during Christmas Eve. Realizing how many of the awesome things were familiar, I decided to record which ones were happening right before my eyes on December 24.

As the book description says, there’s nothing like holidays. Pasricha is here to remind us that “not only are the holidays great but there’s actually even more to celebrate than we realize”. He’s definitely right. The small things that happen every year at Christmas time – some of them hilarious, some of them annoying – may go unnoticed but are what actually make-up the holiday experience itself.

Here are the ones I took photos of, including their corresponding page in the book. (Note: None of these are staged, they were all photographed as they happened).

For more on the Book of Awesome series and blog, click here.

PRESTO Card & GO Transit Student Process

Recently, GO Transit has started accepting the PRESTO Card pre-paid payment system on their busses, in addition to trains. The TTC also accepts the card at several stations and I would highly recommend it if you do not need or have a Monthly Pass for these transit systems.

Although the process to acquire one as a student is inefficient (which it was for me), it is a great convenience not having to constantly be searching for change for the TTC and handing out $10 bills boarding GO Transit paying Adult Fare.

If you are considering this yourself, here is the process I have experienced so far over the last few days, with a few more days to go.

Completed:

1. Bought a 10 Ride Pass (because they needed a number from it) at the non-student price
2. Bought PRESTO Card for $6
3. GO Ticket Agent put value of 10 Ride Pass onto my PRESTO Card
4. Used PRESTO Card on TTC (great only costs $2.50) and GO Bus (paid non-student price though)
5. Went to OCAD University Office of the Registrar, picked up GO Transit Student Form
6. Brought Student Form to GO Transit table at Union Station, got a GO Student Card made
7. Go online to register my PRESTO Card
   Remaining Steps to Complete:
8. Wait 24-48 hours, as instructed; continue to pay non-student prices
9. Bring PRESTO Card to Union Station, have them set it to charge only the student fare
10. Use PRESTO Card on GO Transit and TTC where accepted, paying the student price and nothing extra
11. Go to GO Transit and/or PRESTO Customer Service to ask them to refund the cost of the PRESTO Card and difference of the 10 Ride Pass they sold me (student price vs. full price).

Yes, that’s a total of over 10 steps. I know everything will turn out well.

Sometimes, I guess that things that are deigned to make your life easier, make it harder first.

Now that we’re moving more and more to digital, we’re taking more and more photos. With 500 or 1000 photos on a 2-week trip, instead of 4-5 “rolls” of film, it’s reasonable to wonder if these photos are less significant for the most part.

But there will always be those key moments, of key places, that really have meaning. Some old family photos represent much more than what you can see inside – including years and years of memories.

What about re-creating old photos? Or going back to the site that a very old photo was taken at? A blog called DearPhotograph.com presents a window to the past by posting user-submitted photos of someone holding an original photo in front of the live scene today. Some of them are entertaining, most allow you to take a look back in time and just ponder, others are emotional (based on their captions, such as someone missing a loved-one that once stood in that place, for example).

A news article said that the photos “drag you across time and into the present, an unexpectedly fascinating way to sense time and space and the human connections that give them meaning.”

Here are a few selections from DearPhotograph.com, with their captions below:

"Grandpa loved the outdoors. But he loved us more." – Pam Dusbabek

"There’s no place like home." – Elizabeth

"They built this house with their bare hands." – Malwa

"40 years later, I still love to play in the leaves." – BT