Never Stop Moving!

Dear friend,

A mini epiphany I had: anything that encourages you to MOVE and be active is a good thing.

This is my rationale:

Movement is good both for our physical and mental health. Many physiological and mental diseases occur from lack of movement. Thus, anything that allows us to walk more and move more is good. Thus street photography is good, because it encourages us to walk (a lot), which will improve our physical and mental well-being.

Ultralight Lifestyle

Also, when it comes to life equipment, we should always optimize stuff that decreases friction in our lives, and we should subtract anything which weighs us down (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). For example, to move more as an urban person, carry the lightest backpack, with the lightest camera. To be a happier person, subtract negative people whom weigh you down in life.

You must aim to become ultralightweight. You need to have light and nimble feet, to run, dance, and move!


Practical suggestions

Here are some practical ways I’ve incorporated this into my life:

  1. Don’t choose the “best” equipment, choose the lightest, smallest, and most compact thing possible! Buy the lightest shoes, lightest jackets, lightest cameras, lightest backpacks, and lightest phones and laptops. This will allow you to move more, to shoot more, walk further distances, and visit more coffee shops!
  2. Have a bias toward movement: When in doubt, walk or take the stairs. The enemy is standing still. Just keep moving, or like Publius Syrus taught us, “The rolling stone gathers no moss.”
  3. Keep making: Activity is being active; creating and making stuff. Keep making new photos, videos, articles, writing words, poems, books, and ideas! Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for 80% “good enough” and hit publish. As Voltaire said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” When in doubt, aim for quantity over quality.

Never stop soaring!

For an ultralight camera, buy RICOH GR II. Avoid buying an iPhone plus (buy the smaller one). Don’t get a heavy MacBook Pro laptop, opt for the MacBook Air or the lightweight MacBook.

And above all, don’t let anything or anybody limit your upward flight! You’re shooting for Mars; you cannot have any excess weight or baggage holding you down.

Never stop soaring!
ERIC