So I mentioned in my previous post, that with Freedom blocking off internet use at night, I was unable to publish new posts on this blog. Well, I have found a solution to that. Turns out, there is a Website Exceptions list in Freedom. Websites that are on this list, do not get blocked when Freedom is actively blocking the internet. At the moment, I have write.as and read.amazon.com (Kindle Web Reader) on this list. And I mean it's working, as evidenced by this new post that I'm publishing in 3... 2... 1.
I started this blog with the intention of regularly posting at least once a week. Obviously, I haven't been posting for a while now. So what happened?
What happened was I started using Freedom. Around the same time I started this blog, I was already looking for ways to curb my internet addiction. You see, I'm somewhat addicted to the internet. I normally would log on at 10PM, do my blogging, then continue browsing till next thing I know, it's already 1 or 2AM. I wanted to put a stop to that. And that's how I found Freedom.
Freedom is an app that can restrict your browser or app usage on multiple devices. I have it installed on my desktop computer right now. It is set to block all internet use starting at 10PM. And it is so damn effective, that when the clock strikes 10PM, I end up doing something else because I cannot browse the internet. I did not realize it would stop me from blogging on here, but that was an unintentional side effect of trying to curb my internet addiction.
Maybe the reason why we feel like we don't exist when we don't post online, is because people no longer check up on us outside of the internet. We used to get text messages or phone calls from family and friends. Now they all just check our Facebook profile. So, if you don't post, or worse, if you have no Facebook profile, it makes it look like you don't exist. And to an extent, maybe unconsciously, this make us feel like we don't exist.
Put God first. Put God first in everything you do. Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that it's a gift. I've been protected, I've been directed, I've been corrected. I've kept God in my life and it's kept me humble. I didn't always stick with him, but He always stuck with me. So stick with Him, in everything you do. If you think you wanna do, what you've think I've done, then do what I've done and stick with God. — Denzel Washington
~ Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSIWyJvpqbt/?utm_medium=copy_link
It worked for Denzel Washington. It seems to be working for me. Who's to say it's not going to work for you?
Makes sense. And is similar to the idea that, the negative comments and criticism that you get online, is not a reflection of you, but rather, a reflection of the person giving out the criticism.
That said, this also goes the other way. If you are the one always giving out negative comments and always criticizing other people, then what does it say about you?
Deep Work advocates locking things down and going distraction free to focus on your work. While Show Your Work advocates giving out continual updates on your work and making use of social media to do so.
Cal would say that the time spent promoting your work on social media, is time better spent doing work or improving your skills. It’s basically a distraction. And in his book, he quotes some people who actually benefited from avoiding social media and focusing on deep work.
Austin would say, if you want your work to be discovered, then you need to keep sharing updates on it. Usage of social media is one of the best ways to do that. Actually his book gives out great advice on what to post on social media. No, he advises against posting about your life or documenting your life on social media. Rather, he suggests posting about what you're working on. Show your work, not show your life.
I'm a blogger. And like most bloggers, one blog isn't enough. So here's another one for you guys and gals.
Like most bloggers who start up a new blog, I needed an outlet. I needed a place to write about stuff that I've been thinking about. And I needed to share it with others, because I want to know if my thoughts resonate with others or not. So hence, a blog.
Why is it called Phantasms? In all honesty, I was just looking for a catchy word to use as a blog name. I searched for synonyms of the word “thoughts” and this came up as a related word. Then I realized that I oftentimes consider my thoughts as phantasms. If thoughts could be seen roaming around in my brain, then all these random thoughts I would have here and there, they are phantasms in my mind. Also let's be honest here, “Phantasms” sounds better than “My Thoughts”, which is essentially what this blog is about: My thoughts on life and whatever other topic I want to write about.
As for who I am, I decided to be a little vague on that front, but you can find a bit more info on this blog's About page.
I hope you decide to stick around, read through my stuff and converse via email. And then we can see if the phantasms in my mind are the same as yours, or not. Either way is fine with me.
