{"id":52469,"date":"2017-06-10T01:04:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-10T08:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=52469"},"modified":"2020-07-29T05:07:49","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T12:07:49","slug":"why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/10\/why\/","title":{"rendered":"Why?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/21\/announcing-zen-of-eric-facebook-chat-bot-philosophical-reflection-tool-why-app\/\">Announcing ZEN OF ERIC \/\/ WHY APP?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Try out <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC on Facebook Messenger<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Facebook messenger link<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZenOfEric\/\">Facebook page link<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.messenger.com\/t\/ZenOfEric\">https:\/\/www.messenger.com\/t\/ZenOfEric<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8220;5 why?&#8221; challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2048\" data-attachment-id=\"218584\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/the-zen-of-eric-icon-png\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?fit=2048%2C2048&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,2048\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the zen of ERIC icon png\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?fit=2048%2C2048&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=2048%2C2048&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-218584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=530%2C530&amp;ssl=1 530w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=720%2C720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?resize=180%2C180&amp;ssl=1 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To gain deeper personal truths about <em>why<\/em> you do anything, or <em>why<\/em> you feel a certain way &#8230; the <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric Facebook Chat bot<\/a> isn&#8217;t intelligent. It is not AI. It is rather a sounding board for your own thoughts. It won&#8217;t tell you anything you don&#8217;t already know in your own heart. ZEN OF ERIC (&#8220;Why App&#8221;) is a chance for you to ask yourself the big &#8216;<em>why<\/em>?&#8217; questions in life, to discover a deeper truth for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have Facebook and Facebook Messenger, <a href=\"https:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">send ZEN OF ERIC a message here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How it works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"438\" data-attachment-id=\"218542\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/zen-of-eric-chat-bot-messenger-why-app-demo-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/zen-of-ERIC-chat-bot-messenger-why-app-demo-1.gif?fit=720%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,438\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"zen of ERIC chat bot messenger why app demo 1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/zen-of-ERIC-chat-bot-messenger-why-app-demo-1.gif?fit=720%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/zen-of-ERIC-chat-bot-messenger-why-app-demo-1.gif?resize=720%2C438&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"zen of ERIC chat bot messenger why app demo 1\" class=\"wp-image-218542\"\/><figcaption>Example Interaction with <a href=\"https:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC Facebook Chatbot<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Essentially we programmed it the following way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>You start chatting with it and saying hello, then you can have the chance to introspect and think about certain things in life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you start chatting, the <a href=\"https:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC chatbot<\/a> will keep asking you &#8220;<em>Why?<\/em>&#8221; until you type: &#8220;<strong>stop<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why did we build this on Facebook messenger?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My friend Stoytcho built this on Facebook Messenger for the practical purpose that the Facebook Messenger app is a robust platform for chat bots and chat applications. Also, you can use it on your laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet. You can interact with it wherever, whenever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a &#8216;proper&#8217; way to use <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of ERIC<\/a>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Just play around with it. No need to use it if you don&#8217;t want to. Rather, see ZEN OF ERIC as a personal mirror or sounding board for yourself, if you just want to flesh out your own thoughts, and to type out and explicate your thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to use <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC<\/a> in my everyday life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>When you&#8217;re bored at home, shoot a message to <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC CHAT BOT<\/a> to just say hello, to get your creative juices flowing.<\/li><li>When you&#8217;re stuck on the toilet, instead of checking Facebook\/Instagram\/Twitter\/News\/Snapchat, start an introspection session with <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li><li>If you&#8217;re stuck in line at the grocery store, open up Facebook Messenger and say hello to <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a>.<\/li><li>When you wake up and feel unmotivated, instead of scrolling through email, shoot a message to <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a><\/li><li>When you read the news and you feel really disappointed and afraid, send a message to <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a>.<\/li><li>Use <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a> when you&#8217;re happy, bored, sad, depressed, anxious, or anything else!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Privacy concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Truth be told, we cannot put 100% faith in Facebook, or Facebook Messenger. It is quite unfortunate we had to build it on Facebook Messenger, but there is really no other better alternative (for now). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I (ERIC KIM) and my friend Stoytcho did not build this to extract any of your dirty secrets for ourselves. It is simply a tool I asked Stoytcho to build for me, for my personal reasons. Even I use it for myself and my sister <a href=\"http:\/\/byannettekim.com\">Annette<\/a> used it to discover deeper meaning in her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So my simple suggestion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Don&#8217;t tell ZEN OF ERIC anything hyper-personal. We don&#8217;t really know what Facebook does with all our data.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the conversations are not saved to a database. In other words, we (Eric, Cindy, and Stoytcho) can&#8217;t see what you write. Only you see your conversations with the Zen of Eric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also note:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Zen of ERIC is NOT Eric Kim! It is just a soul-less Facebook messenger chat bot, which is programmed to ruthlessly bombard you with &#8220;why?&#8217;s&#8221; to give you deeper philosophical truths about your own personal life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example ideas with <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You can start off with an example prompt to get your creative juices flowing, or you can say &#8220;no&#8221; and simply ask it any question on your mind.<\/li><li>Some example questions include:<ol><li>Why do I feel so down?<\/li><li>What is the purpose of my life?<\/li><li>What should I do today?<\/li><li>Why do I care about x, y, z?<\/li><\/ol><\/li><li>Keep asking it questions until you get bored, then type &#8220;<strong>stop<\/strong>&#8220;. Just use it enough for your own personal benefit.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So let us say you used <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">ZEN OF ERIC<\/a>, and you discovered some very interesting truth about your life. Now what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My suggestion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Write a blog post about your introspection, and share it with your friends and family!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other ideas on how to make your introspections &#8220;actionable&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After your introspection session with <a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Zen of Eric<\/a>, here are some things you can do and actually ACT upon your newfound insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Write yourself an email (send it to yourself) with your introspection.<\/li><li>Write your introspection (just for yourself) on a piece of paper, or in your personal journal\/diary.<\/li><li>Talk with your friend\/family member over dinner about your philosophical inquiry, and also ask them lots of &#8220;WHY?&#8221; questions as well. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/m.me\/ZenOfEric\">Try ZEN OF ERIC FACEBOOK CHAT BOT NOW &gt;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">URL: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messenger.com\/t\/ZenOfEric\">https:\/\/www.messenger.com\/t\/ZenOfEric<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n<p>Dear friend,<\/p>\n<p>The most powerful 3-letter word is &#8220;Why?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Why is why important?<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36887\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36887\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36887\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-curiosity-gap-in-your-photos\/pick-20161224-e0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1325\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1482608568&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim street photography hanoi\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-36887\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5-2000x1325.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"Hanoi, 2016 eric kim street photography hanoi\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/pick-20161224-E0002301eric-kim-street-photography-ricohgrii-hanoi-cindy-project-5.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36887\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hanoi, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is one of the first words we learn as a kid, yet is beaten out of us when we are young.<\/p>\n<p>To be honest, when a kid always asks you, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it can get a bit annoying.<\/p>\n<p>But that is where all of our creative energy, insight, and curiosity comes from.<\/p>\n<p>To never be satisfied with answers, and to always keep asking:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>How vs Why<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36913\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36913\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36913\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/photography-entrepreneurship-101\/luis-donoso-e-roc-8\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Luis-Donoso-E-roc.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"Luis Donoso E-roc\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Luis Donoso&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Luis-Donoso-E-roc.jpg?ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-36913\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Luis-Donoso-E-roc.jpg?resize=800%2C532\" alt=\"Photo by Luis Donoso\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36913\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Luis Donoso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I am a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d person. I want practical skills, on <em>how<\/em> to do more stuff, to be more productive, <em>how<\/em> to be more rich, etc.<\/p>\n<p>But more robust is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d question.<\/p>\n<p>For example, don&#8217;t ask yourself <em>how<\/em> to make more money, but <em>why<\/em> make more money.<\/p>\n<p>For me, I ask myself that all the time.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Why do you want to make more money, Eric?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because I think if I have more money, I can help more people. I can help support my sister, my mom, myself, Cindy, and eventually have enough money to help my friends and local community in need.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Why<\/em> do you want to help your family, friends, and others?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because I believe they have so much untapped creative potential, yet their wages and dependence on money is holding them back.<\/p>\n<p>Lesson: I want to empower everyone. To do the best creative work possible. To ultimately, empower all of humanity.<\/p>\n<h2>Blessings on blessings on blessings.<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36809\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36809\" style=\"width: 1545px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36809\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/22\/in-praise-of-deleting-your-photographs\/eric-kim-photography-cindy-project-berkeleyxlarge-1476245681\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1545,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeley,xlarge.1476245681\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Layered photograph of Cindy getting ready, before going out. Berkeley, 2015&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-36809\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?resize=1545%2C1024\" alt=\"eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeley,xlarge.1476245681\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?w=1545&amp;ssl=1 1545w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-berkeleyxlarge.1476245681.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36809\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I&#8217;m lucky enough that I have enough. Enough&#8211; I have the one all black outfit I wear everyday that I am satisfied with, that I think makes me look cool.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t currently write on a laptop; all is done on an iPad on IA WRITER&#8211; it helps my carpal tunnel in my right thumb, from typing too much. I also prefer the 1 pound weight, even compared to the lightest laptops. I returned my 12-inch MacBook laptop recently, because I thought it was a waste of money for $1800. If I need to process photos or use Lightroom, I just borrow Cindy&#8217;s laptop. Or I might try to figure out how to use Lightroom on the iPad.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36932\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/photography-new-year-resolutions\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1325\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1479210886&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.1&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tokyo eric kim street photography-0000789\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-36932\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789-2000x1325.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"tokyo eric kim street photography-0000789\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tokyo-eric-kim-street-photography-0000789.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t have a car, nor do I want a car. I don&#8217;t want to do stupid DMV payments, pay for insurance, fix and maintain the car, change the tires, change the oil, or have it take space. I prefer renting a car, or riding Uber.<\/p>\n<p>I have a Ricoh GR II camera: the best digital camera ever made, for $600. If I lose or break it, I can easily buy another. I frankly think it&#8217;s a better camera, even compared to $7,000 digital Leica&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36497\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/bandwidth-maxed\/olympus-digital-camera-179\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;PEN-F&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1481884618&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;17&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dalat, Vietnam 2016 #cindyproject\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-36497\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1-2000x1333.jpg?resize=800%2C533\" alt=\"Dalat, Vietnam 2016 #cindyproject\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1.jpg?resize=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161216-PC160293eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-olympus-pen-f-17mm-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If I&#8217;m bored of photography, I have my film Leica. And ultimately, film will always look better, and be cooler than digital photography.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t like owning a phone. So no more lusting after a new iPhone or android phone. Thousands of dollars, and stress saved.<\/p>\n<h2>I don&#8217;t need anything else<\/h2>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36491\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/photo-attempt\/0-img_1509\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1545,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"cindy project &amp;#8211; in and out &amp;#8211; kettleman city\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36491\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?resize=1545%2C1024\" alt=\"cindy project - in and out - kettleman city\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?w=1545&amp;ssl=1 1545w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/0-IMG_1509.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I like having bundles of cash sitting in the bank, doing nothing. Giving me some financial cushion, to sleep at night. I like not wasting money in stupid restaurants, with confusing names, and I always end up leaving hungry. I prefer eating cheap Vietnamese food anyways, and I can always eat my 5-6 egg snacks in the evening to assuage my hunger.<\/p>\n<p>I have access to all the books of history via project Gutenberg, and I can read them for free as .epub files, or PDF, or text. No more books I need to buy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36406\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36406\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36406\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/books\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1325\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1478844022&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tokyo, 2016&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-36406\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1-2000x1325.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/eric-kim-street-photography-tokyo-0000358-1.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tokyo, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I like living in a small studio apartment, or cheap hotel. I don&#8217;t like owning furniture, too much stress. I don&#8217;t really wanna own a home: too much taxes, stress of fixing broken toilets, and shit falling apart.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t want to own an office space. Less freedom to travel to coffee shops and do creative work.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36390\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36390\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36390\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/review-olympus-pen-f\/olympus-digital-camera-175\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;PEN-F&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1481662353&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;17&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dalat, Vietnam 2016 \/ Photo by Cindy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dalat, Vietnam 2016 \/ Photo by Cindy&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-36390\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-2000x1333.jpg?resize=800%2C533\" alt=\"Dalat, Vietnam 2016 \/ Photo by Cindy\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?resize=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130098-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36390\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dalat, Vietnam 2016 \/ Photo by Cindy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I used to want to live in a fancy city like SF, NYC, or Tokyo&#8211; but I don&#8217;t like paying a lot of money for rent. I prefer to live in LA, Saigon, or any city with a lower cost of living. Less stress about rent, more freedom to buy more espresso, and play.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t want to have a lot of responsibilities or burdens in life. I just want maximum freedom to write, read, think, philosophize, share, teach, and explore. I want to be a child, forever.<\/p>\n<h2>I&#8217;ll always desire more.<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36363\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36363\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36363\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/review-olympus-pen-f\/olympus-digital-camera-157\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;PEN-F&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1481655135&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;17&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim self portrait dalat\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dalat, 2016&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-36363\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat-2000x1333.jpg?resize=800%2C533\" alt=\"eric kim self portrait dalat\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?resize=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/20161213-PC130028-2eric-kim-street-photography-dalat.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dalat, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Obviously, I am still a sucker for technology, materialism, consumerism, and shit I don&#8217;t need. It&#8217;s in my American DNA.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"36103\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/zen-photography\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1345&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1345\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;19&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;M8 Digital Camera&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1448117664&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim street photography &amp;#8211; the city of angels &amp;#8211; black and white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Shot on Broadway, Downtown LA&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1345&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-36103\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1-2000x1345.jpg?resize=800%2C538\" alt=\"eric kim street photography - the city of angels - black and white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la\" width=\"800\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1.jpg?resize=800%2C538&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la-1.jpg?resize=768%2C516&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But whenever I feel stressed about money, worried about the future, or concerned&#8211; I always ask myself the question:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I feel that so much of us would be a lot more happy if we just asked ourselves \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d more often.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"35926\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/08\/free-photography-bootcamp\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1325\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1465633526&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim photography wedding &amp;#8211; black and white &amp;#8211; ricoh gr ii-5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-35926\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1-2000x1325.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"eric kim photography wedding - black and white - ricoh gr ii-5\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-5-1.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For myself, I always desire to buy more shit I don&#8217;t need, or feel anxiety, because of the following reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Desire to impress others<\/li>\n<li>Fear of homelessness, bankruptcy, death.<\/li>\n<li>Fear of living a life not to the maximum<\/li>\n<li>Fear of looking dumb in front of others<\/li>\n<li>Fear of regret dying with unfulfilled dreams<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But honestly, I got everything I need. I got Cindy, my family, friends, internet, coffee, and my camera. I got this blog, and a mind that can create things from nothing. I got inspiration from living life on planet earth, and I&#8217;m alive.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"35862\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/the-less-you-have-the-more-you-have\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1325\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1465645909&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim photography wedding &amp;#8211; black and white &amp;#8211; ricoh gr ii-7\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-35862\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7-2000x1325.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"eric kim photography wedding - black and white - ricoh gr ii-7\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-photography-wedding-black-and-white-ricoh-gr-ii-7.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>What greater blessing is there than being alive, and being grateful of being alive?<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"35621\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/cindy-contact-sheets\/img_1572-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1545,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim cindy project garden grove\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35621\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?resize=1545%2C1024\" alt=\"eric kim cindy project garden grove\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?w=1545&amp;ssl=1 1545w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?resize=660%2C437&amp;ssl=1 660w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1572-1.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For me, it is to <strong>create more.<\/strong> To me, affirming life is to create poetry, photos, art, words, ideas, thoughts, and products that can uplift you and others.<\/p>\n<p>So friend, when in doubt in life, always ask yourself:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Be STRONG,<br \/>ERIC<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/philosophy\/\">PHILOSOPHY &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"35612\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/cindy-contact-sheets\/img_1563-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1545,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim cindy project wedding garden grove\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-35612\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?resize=1545%2C1024\" alt=\"eric kim cindy project wedding garden grove\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?w=1545&amp;ssl=1 1545w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?resize=660%2C437&amp;ssl=1 660w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1563.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Announcing ZEN OF ERIC \/\/ WHY APP? Try out ZEN OF ERIC on Facebook Messenger. Facebook messenger link Facebook page link https:\/\/www.messenger.com\/t\/ZenOfEric<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":258009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/the-zen-of-ERIC-icon-png.png?fit=2048%2C2048&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52469"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":258001,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52469\/revisions\/258001"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}