Marcus Lopes's Blog, page 18

Change is Hard

At the beginning of October, I received an e-mail with the subject line: “Your Last 3 Months of 2022.” The e-mail was from Jeff Fajans, a creative performance consultant with whom I had worked in the past. I did not open it — not until yesterday — because the subject line alone sent me into a tailspin. Three months left in 2022? WTF? For the previous nine months, I had been chastising myself for not doing more, for ‘wasting’ time, for being unfocused. I knew I had to change, but sometimes chang...

An Uneasy Alliance

This is a continuation of Pinned Down.

Michael’s grip tightened on his weapon as a cascade of gunfire rang out in the distance.

“Alpha, this is Command,” Captain Orson said into his radio. “Do you have eyes on the target? Over.”

Michael and Orson exchanged concerned looks as the silence stretched for about fifteen seconds.

“Command, this is Alpha-One,” a calm, yet authoritative voice carried back over the line. “Target is down and area is secure. Repeat. Target is down and area is secure. Over....

Time for a Reset

It was bound to happen. And it did. In a spectacular fashion. But if I am being honest, I think I knew it would. Despite the rules. Despite telling myself I was committed. And despite knowing how it could potentially change my life if I just stuck to the plan. So, on my journey to become a digital minimalist, it is [begrudgingly] time for a reset.

Bending Reality

The height of the pandemic — when we were at home and locked down — was a period I look back on with nostalgia. Why? Because it was a...

For the Sake of the Art Itself

Question: When was the last time you let yourself create something just for the sake of the art itself? Not with, necessarily, a view to making it available for public consumption (although that may happen), but to give yourself more free reign over what you are creating?

Over the past few weeks, I have struggled to complete the final read-through of my manuscript (almost done). With too much ‘chaos’ happening in certain areas of my life, staying focused has been difficult. And outside of my bl...

Be Intentional

The last week has been hard. Learning that I had tested positive for COVID-19 knocked the wind out of me. Not having the energy to do much of anything gave me lots of time to think or, perhaps, brood. What am I doing? Am I still on the right path? Is this where I am supposed to be? Still, I do not have an answer to any of those questions. And, in a way I had not expected, I ended up lost. When I started feeling better, it felt like I was spinning wildly. No longer acting with intention, I did n...

The COVID Paradox Redux

I honestly thought that it would not happen to me. Until it did. Yesterday (Wednesday) morning. When I tested positive for COVID-19.

For some [definitely erroneous] reason, I wanted to believe that I was immune because had I not done everything right to escape it? When the Ontario government lifted the mask mandate last March, I kept mine on because I work in a public-facing customer service position. In fact, I wear two masks and gloves. In the grocery store, on public transit, at the pharmacy...

Pinned Down

This is a continuation of ‘Persuasion‘

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Daniels said as she navigated the empty streets, “but you seem young to be leading this kind of operation.”

“Maybe I am,” Michael acknowledged. “I was there when it started and know the players. Brian and I have both been targeted. On one level, it’s personal.” He glanced at Daniels. “But on the other level, and more importantly, my loyalty was never for sale. My duty, first and foremost, is to my country. I will serve her ...

The Creative ‘Balancing’ Act

We live in crazy times. Not necessarily crazy, but so much different from when I was a child. Technology has changed how we live and work. Politics are more divisive, and uglier, than I can remember. It is a me-first world, and trying to keep up can leave you exhausted. And through it all, we are trying to follow our own path, do what we love — be a beacon of hope in a world seemingly turning in on itself. To do that, I used to think that it was important to bring balance to our daily lives.

I ...

Crash and Burn

In my recent four-part blog series, “On Becoming a Digital Minimalist,” I wrote about how I was changing my relationship with technology and how I use it. The ultimate goal — and a constant work-in-progress — is to live an intentional, purpose-driven life where I focus on what is most important to me. It means cutting out the noise and chatter to work in a distraction-free state.

But it cannot be all work and no play. This lesson was — again — brought home to me when, this past weekend, I was s...

On Becoming a Digital Minimalist

Part IV: Going All-In

Over the past few weeks, I have written about my intention to become a digital minimalist. As noted in previous posts, it is about embracing the concept of digital minimalism. At this time, it is perhaps helpful to revisit that definition as outlined in Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport:

A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly ...