I have yet to meet a person that prefers to be uncomfortable.
 
According to Merriam Webster comfortable is defined as:
 
·  a :  affording or enjoying contentment and security <a comfortable income>
b :  affording or enjoying physical comfort <a comfortable chair> <was too comfortable to move>
·  2 a :  free from vexation or doubt <comfortable assumptions>
b :  free from stress or tension <a comfortable routine>
 
I’d like to focus on definition 2B, or rather it’s example:
 
A comfortable routine.
 
I haven’t updated my phone’s operating system for the past 2 years.
 
Supposedly, new updates have a habit of slowing down old phones in an effort to get us to buy new ones.
 
And I don’t personally see a need relearn a few things about something that I use just about every day.
 
It’s fine the way it is.
 
I’m comfortable with it.
 
In this particular case, my comfort is to my own potential detriment.
 
I’m “missing out” on some features because I’m content with the phone as it is now.
 
That can translate over to a lot of things.
 
To everyone who stays inside all day they miss out on some of the cool stuff that’s outside.
 
And vise versa.
 
To everybody who doesn’t like talking to people, (you’re completely justified),
 
but, you miss out on the occasional decent human being that happens to be in your vicinity.
 
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable and secure.
 
The problem comes in where we place that baseline for being comfortable.
 
Let me explain.
 
I’m overweight
 
It’s objectively bad for your health to be overweight.
 
And I keep seeing ads and movements saying "be comfortable with who you are".
 
I get the spirit of that statement.
 
Don’t hate yourself, you’re different from other people, being different is part of being alive.
 
I agree with that.
 
But.

Being overweight is a problem.
 
It can take years off your life.

But here we are, promoting the idea that it’s ok to be fat.
 
Don, are you fat shaming? I’ll tell twitter if you are.
 
Absolutely not.
 
If you are satisfied with yourself, hold on to that feeling and don’t let it go. You have something that so many people will never get.
 
That being said, too many of us are boxing ourselves in for our comfort.
 
Now I know what you’re thinking.
 
Don, why on earth should I change?
 
You need to answer that question for yourself.
 
I’m trying to lose weight because there’s a history of diabetes and heart attacks in my family.
 
I try to listen to opinions that aren’t my own to see where other people are coming from.
 
I solicit feedback on the stuff I write because I want to get better at writing.
 
Now reader, I’d like to call you to action.
 
Look at yourself.
 
Think about who you are.
 
Think about the person you want to be.
 
Think about what kind of changes you’d need to make to become that person.
 
If you find it to be a good investment of your time then go for it.
 
If not then live.
 
Comfortably.

I have friends.

Surprising I know.

Of these friends a few want to be writers.

They'll tell me about some new idea they have. But I'll say the same thing

​"Just do it, I'd read that".

Then nothing.

It used to break my heart.

I don't care anymore.

Pursue your dreams or don't.

Go after your goals or don't.

Pick one and stick with it.

But Don there's nuance and texture to every situation otherwise stopping people from pursuing these goals.

Yeah you're right.

But you can't start without starting.

So if you want to do it. Start.

Or don't. 

​That's all there is to it.

I’m not a fan of the third wave of Feminism.

Or rather some choice individuals within it. 

Feminism is like the Christian church.

With sects and sub-sects, with different interpretations of their respective ideologies. 

But enough about Westboro.

While at my local library I was browsing through the graphic novel section and Strong Female Protagonist caught my eye. I recalled seeing a video the creator was in talking about kickstarter rewards.(Said Kickstarter would be entirely backed)

Failing to recollect the details of said creators, I checked the back of the book for insight. 

It turned out the Author was a Feminist

I wondered to myself weather or not it would be a giant false narrative reinforcing mess.

If it was, I’d have another individual to write off. If not then I’d be treated to a lovely story with an irksome title. Or some middling third option.

I checked it out and wouldn’t you know it, it happened to be an amazing story with an irksome title. 

I say that to say this:

The story was awesome.

And I almost missed out on it because of who wrote it.

Extrapolate what you will from that.

Also go read it.

It's really good.

(Link Here)
Strong Female Protagonist 

.
I like to make multiplayer maps in my spare time. But the more I work the less I feel like I'm getting anywhere with it. I have the structures but nobody to test them.

Point is I've been looking at the things I do. hobbies and such, and just wondering how much time I could save by just cutting them out.

If I sold my 360 and games I'd walk away with an easy 100 dollars. but ...I wouldn't have an xbox...

I'd lose a bit of me by cutting these things out of my life.

Are those parts of me worth keeping?

I don't know yet

Truth is nothing to be scared of.

​Lay something you love on a table and ask yourself.

Is this worth it?

I'll be doing a bit more of that from now on.

​
I'm a writer.

The term "fledgling" or "wannabe" would have preceded writer as close as a few days ago. Let the distinction be made today.

I've been watching the storytelling landscape, part for inspiration and part for admiration. And something that's come up recently is equal representation in the media.
 
Now do I think its important?
 
Well…
 
As somebody who likes to tell stories it would be wrong of me to omit key players in it.
 
If I go to China, Chinese people will be there.
 
If I go to Africa I’m going to find me some brothers.
 
And since all humans live life, there are few problems that, at their core, can’t be experienced by everyone at some point.
 
Life is too big a play to not offer all a role.
 
In fact life is more like those mandatory plays that your school makes you perform in.

Kids cry, Other kids run off stage, It’s awful.
 
As a storyteller I’ve noticed more and more characters from different walks of life wander into my stories.
 
And I can’t help but wonder what the story landscape itself would look like if left to its own devices.
 
But diversity is cool. Its hip. Its in.
 
Replacing a straight white character with a gay black one probably won’t destroy a series.
 
But at the same time if someone is scared a story won't be accepted because of a lack of people groups, to the point where they don’t show anyone, we all lose.
 
Telltale’s The Walking Dead blew me away. Not because a black guy was its main character, but because it was a good game!
 
Good stories don’t need White, Black, Gay, Straight, Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian. Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist people.
 
All a good story needs is people.
 
People brave enough to put pen to paper, or hand to keyboard.
 
And to everyone complaining about a lack of diversity in a story, or a story being bad, if you have a cell phone and the time to complain. You could be writing your own.
 
Get on it.
 
Eat your fruits and vegetables. 

Crazy notion,

Allow me to explain. 

Ideas in and of themselves are worth zero dollars and zero cents.

You the thinker are already in the hole because you lost time coming up with this idea.

This is just me but logically I would expect people who spend time thinking about things to expect a return on their time and thought investment, don’t you?

But that's just it, for some people the bliss of "what if” is return enough.

For others however the bliss of “what if “ isn’t enough but they are either psychologically or physically under equipped to execute on their idea.

I was invited to work on a movie with a friend once upon a time. We had production meetings, script readings, the whole movie making shebang, but we ran in to trouble as soon as we got into props.
​
The boss had this vision that I personally thought was unrealistic, but I wanted to help him as much as I could, and all things considered, I could have done better. I ended up leaving the project prematurely because in my mind it wasn’t going anywhere. My friend had vision but he wasn’t able to execute it.

The difference between him and so many other people, Is that he tried.

It's okay if you fall on your face, but you cant make the jump if you don’t try.

That doesn't mean go jump over a lava pit without lava pit jumping experience, start with a kiddie pool or if you’re especially courageous a puddle. If you have a dream, an idea, a story, research what it would take to bring it to life.

Ideas in and of themselves are worthless.

Give them worth by making them reality.

As long as you aren’t killing anybody. If that's part of your dream outside of fiction you have a problem.

Go do some pushups.