Programming with Purpose

Posted on January 13, 2021April 27, 2022 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

This is an amazing keynote talk my friend Ish gave in 2019 at Swiftfest Boston. Swiftfest is a conference for iOS developers, but this isn’t a talk about formulas and code. It’s a talk about Life and Goodness. About breaking out of boundaries and fears and taking steps towards following our dreams. It’s about enjoying life’s moments and not taking our loved ones for granted. It’s about the actions we take that can change people’s lives. And it’s about finding our purpose.

I know that in our rush society, people seem to want short snippets of videos and audio while they’re going about their days, so 25 minutes is an investment. But–if I may–you owe it to yourself to watch this. If you notice the tags below, this video covers just about everything. (The original talk isn’t allowed to be posted, so I’m beyond grateful Ish has put this together.)

Ish has a way of speaking and thinking that puts people at ease and helps them tap into their true selves. Even before I became close friends with him, he’d ask me how I was doing in such a sincere way, that I always stopped in my tracks to truly reflect and consider how I was, instead of resorting to the automatic, “Fine. And you?”. He’s the guy people meet for the first time and feel like they’ve known forever. People open up to him with stories and questions and conflicts and joys, because he really listens without judgement or assumption. He helps people through their problems, not by giving advice, but by listening to what they say and holding the space for them to find their own conclusions. I can say with absolute certainty, I would not be where I am today without him.

I realize I’ve digressed a bit, but I wanted to take a moment to share a little bit about Ish, because I am hoping it will inspire you to take a pause and watch this video. A beautiful reminder about what is good in life and how we can help make it even better, just by being ourselves.

Gratitude, Not Guilt

Posted on December 17, 2020October 25, 2021 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

When I write these posts and sometimes talk about the different processes a product must go through to get to us, I’m doing a lot of educated guessing. I actually think it would be awesome to have a show or a book that really took an audience on the actual journey–the entire journey– that a product goes through to get to a consumer. So many mind-numbing shows out there; let’s start creating and demanding ones that add value to our world.

I think something that shows a product’s journey from start to finish (and even its afterlife) would be a priceless addition to a child’s library or a mandatory school program, but also extremely important for the public at large.

Unfortunately, I often carry a feeling of guilt when I think of all a product has gone through. I think of the travel pollution and the natural resources used and the factory pollution into our air or waterways. I cringe when I see boxes piled on doorsteps or walk into a big box store, as I think of the negative impact all these products have had on our environment. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I do seriously carry a load of guilt whenever I buy or receive something.

BUT, I think a far better approach, really, for whatever side a person is on—feeling this tremendous guilt or not thinking about it at all–is for us to look at all of what products go through to get to us and use that as a way of gaining a greater appreciation for them. When we can really value all that something went through to be made and assembled and transported, then we can feel a connectedness and a gratitude we might not otherwise know. And only then, will we really be aware of its value.

Instead of saying things like, “Well, it didn’t cost much, so it doesn’t matter if it breaks.” or “I couldn’t find the one I had, so I bought another one.” or “A newer model came out, so this one isn’t good anymore.” Hopefully, we can instead know the true cost and true value of each product. We will appreciate what we have. Buy higher quality items from companies with fair and good manufacturing practices–Demand that, in fact. Mend and fix broken items, instead of throwing them out. Share with our friends and neighbors, so we’re not each buying our own high-ticket items that sit unused for most of the year. Gaining appreciation for our food and products is one of the keys to making a big difference in helping our world.

By simply becoming more aware of our products’ journeys, we will start building this appreciation and changing our habits. Your actions can and will make a difference!

Thank You, Thanksgiving

Posted on September 12, 2019September 14, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Thank You, Thanksgiving (2003) by David Milgrim

This is a very simple picture book that tells the story of a young girl running an errand for her family on Thanksgiving. It is told through a series of gratitudes, “Thank you, warm boots. Thank you, hill.” It’s a sweet, easy read with fun pictures that might help remind us we can be grateful for so many things in our everyday lives.

You might also like:
An Awesome Book of Thanks

Thanksgiving Books

Posted on September 6, 2019November 26, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I have very mixed feelings about celebrating Thanksgiving, but we’ll save that for another post. What I do love is a day to focus on being grateful. Here are some Thanksgiving picture books:

An Awesome Book of Thanks
Over the River and Through the Wood: A Holiday Adventure
Thank You, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving at Our House

Happy Thoughts

Posted on May 16, 2019April 28, 2022 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

In 1990, there was a book published called, 14,000 Things to Be Happy About. I don’t remember exactly when my family purchased it, but I remember LOVING this book. We had the daily calendar too. I remember delighting in filling blank journals with my own lists of happy things:
–rainy, Sunday mornings
–my stuffed animal, Bunny
–freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
…things like that.

What I’ve come to realize about myself is that if I start worrying or thinking negatively, my mind can take off in that direction at an alarming speed. Scary fast. BUT, the good news is that my mind can just as easily and quickly take off in the opposite direction of happy thoughts, if I just give it the tiniest bit of guidance. When I was a young teen, and even a young adult, I was pretty good at finding that space to encourage myself to look for the good and reframe things. But, in these sleep-deprived, muddled days, I’m struggling with that quite a bit.

It wasn’t recently when reading this lovely post on my friend’s Patreon page that I even remembered my “happy” journals. She created a “jar of joy” full of beautiful, decorated strips of paper that shared her “moments of goodness.” I really love this idea. It seems like a fun, simple way to remember some of the things in life that bring joy. It got me thinking of different ways to create a collection of happy thoughts:

–happiness or gratitude journals
–a weekly chalkboard space for the family to jot down happy thoughts (Snap a pic at the end of the week, if you’d like.)
–a joy jar for yourself or for friends to contribute to, as well
–maybe a gift of a joy jar to a gift recipient (So, maybe have each guest at a party or reception write down a happy thought or memory associated with the guest(s) of honor.)
–a nightly dinner ritual to say something we’re happy about or grateful for in that moment

Anyway, I think the more we can appreciate about this wonderful Life, the more we will treat ourselves, others, and our world with kindness and respect. And, in that way, this small act of finding things to be happy about can start changing the world for the better.

(When I looked up the book, 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, I came across this awesome website! It’s colorful and fun, and when you click each section, including the calendar at the top, you’ll be able to view a list of happy thoughts for that topic. You can also use the refresh button to the right of the list to get more happy ideas. It looks like the author, Barbara Ann Kipfer, has many books of collections to help you find the good in your days!)

You might also like:
Sunlight List