First – thanks for stopping by! In the ever expanding universe of online websites, I appreciate you taking time to check out Grit + Dynamite.
G+D is a writing project founded in the pursuit of discovering what it means to create a meaningful life, and more importantly, understanding the tools, perspectives, and experiences that can help anyone actually achieve it. In a world of Instagram filtered philosophers, rigid corporate signaling and follow-up meetings, and seemingly endless ‘overnight’ success stories, G+D attempts to be a helpful, thoughtful, encouraging, and pragmatic oasis. A cozy corner of the internet you can always come to, in which to find: relief from an unrelenting wave of noise, a toolkit of ideas and systems to enhance your own life, and a soundboard to encourage you to pursue your most passionate dreams.
G+D is always working to provide a current of ideas and information that can help carry you to your own pool of opportunities.
This is a platform to promote a different path, a better path, however you define it. A glimmer of hope in the intimidating vastness of existence. A place of understanding for anyone who has ever experienced the life augmenting impact of anxiety and depression. A modest, referenceable library for anyone struggling to create a meaningful life. A beacon to establish the first step of a new journey for anyone that has achieved everything they were ‘supposed to’, who have put their heart and soul into their predestined goals, and are trying to determine what’s next to avoid running the same, empty race on the ‘approved’ path – for decades to come.
On the other side of the screen here at G+D, furiously clacking away at the keyboard, is me, Nick. My pen name, email signature, and iPhone group chat name is often (sometimes?) ‘Old Nick’. I’m not sure exactly how it started, but I’m sure it’s related to my mountain of cardigans on my dresser and my regular, early bedtimes accompanied by a nice cup of tea. Am I an old man? I mean, not like, physically..
I’m just another guy you might pass on the street walking out of a too fancy to pass up, too expensive to feel totally satisfied coffee shop. My professional background is being a career technology consultant (still employed) who is participating in the great bamboozle right alongside you; the Tyler Durden experience if you will – I went through an education system that didn’t help me learn to think, so I could get a job I didn’t want, to chase money to buy things only afterwards I realized I didn’t need, to maintain status and signal to people I don’t even like. I go to meetings that are meetings about meetings. I get asked about the weather. Yes, I know, I know, I am also living the dream. Surprisingly, somehow this experience has left me empty and frantically seeking something else.
I have struggled for the last 10 years to find meaning in my life. Making sense of existence is nauseating and intimidating and challenging. Yet, it’s the only thing worth doing. And that is the purpose of G+D. Choosing another way and building the tools and perspectives to strengthen us in the most expansive, unrelenting journey of our lives – creating purpose and living a life we’re proud of. To live a life we choose.
In my bones, I believe everyone can do the majority of whatever they want to accomplish. I’d bet my life on it. Our inner-narratives and the imposing presence of time is what stops us. I think together we can push back, though. Yes, it’s true that most of us are not destined to be astronauts and that’s unlikely to change. However, I’d reckon that many of you also are not indentured servants, tilling the farmland of some nobleman (at least not literally..), which is a good place not to be. Between that one really great thing (astronaut) and that one close-to-worst-case scenario (medieval peasant farmer), we have a lot of white space to play with.
You should expect me to reference a lot of books, quotes, stories and anecdotes, and high quality writing from high integrity websites. As I find them and understand them, I hope to increasingly layer in scientific studies as well. However, you should also understand that there are many..’softer’ sources from which I pull inspiration. I see pizza and coffee as examples of the highest form of satisfaction that can exist in a single entity. I’m a huge Marvel / superhero fanboy. I’ll defend to the death the high quality writing that exists on Bob’s Burgers (it’s an objectively great show!). So just get ready for things like that; I think as long as something helps us find a better way, most of the time, the results will speak for themselves, thereby validating the source. Oh..and Tame Impala. I’m seriously going to constantly bring up or reference Tame Impala. At some point you will think “surely this is enough Tame Impala, even for him” and then there it is, more Tame Impala.
Sorry, this is turning into an article; I guess all you really need to know is that I care about integrity, quality, and empathy. There will be no selling data (to be honest, as of writing this I don’t even know how to do that), no shitty advertisements that will trigger your adblocker, and no promising answers where none exist. I think I’ll have a lot of good takes and information to share, or things to consider – certainly things that have helped me; but this is not about solving your problems, it’s about giving you ammunition to solve them yourself, in the way you choose
Hope to see you again,
Old Nick
