A lollipop moment

This is my kind of TED talk: quick, funny, thought-provoking. If you've got six minutes of nothing today (I see you scrolling through Facebook over there...), take a watch!



Watching this reminded of a "lollipop moment" involving my seventh grade choir teacher. 

During one parent-teacher conference that school year, she told my mom (as I sat listening) that she could see leadership in me. I'm pretty sure I remember her saying directly, "Alyssa...well, she is a leader!" 

And my seventh grade self thought, "What?? Nope. I am a solid follower, and I like it that way." 

But the next day, my seventh grade self started thinking, "But what if I was a leader? Am a leader? What would that be like?" And I started trying it out.

As of now, I actually do consider myself quite a leader. I don't have plans to ever become a CEO, but I seek out leadership in my work, family, and church relationships. I actively try to discover and develop leadership qualities. When nobody particularly wants to make a decision, visit the food table first, or take on an extra project, I choose to step in. And I've had people tell me that they appreciate the ways that I lead, so then I continue. Over time, leadership has become one of my things-that-I-am, and all this because of a seventh grade choir teacher and a comment that she may or may not remember making.

You may not consider yourself to be a leader, but you can still provide "lollipop moments" for others around you, and you can thank those who have provided them for you. If any come to mind for you, I'd love to hear them! And in the meantime, let's both go watch this TED talk again, yes?

(Talk discovered on the TED Radio Hour podcast. This episode ("Disruptive Leadership") is one I've listened to multiple times! Highly recommend, 10/10, 5 stars, etc.)

Google does it again

I just learned about a cool thing!

Google will apparently back up your photos for free. In an unlimited way, apparently, if you let them downsize the quality a tad. Which apparently doesn't matter if you're not a real photog, like me, and just use your phone for everything all the time. (This is, at least, my limited understanding after about 5 minutes of research.)

So that's all nice and wonderful because I have been feeling a desperate need to back up my laptop files lately, and this is an imperfect but workable solution for about half of the valuable information stored on this old thing. That's a win.

But! It's a double win because then, when you upload your photos, the Google photo assistant will make animations and stylized photos for you, which I thought might could be a) stupid, and b) for purchase only,  but they are neither! Check out these GIFs Google made for me based on photos I took in rapid succession while we tended my sister's kids on July 4th:

They're not perfect, but they're pretty wonderful. Especially since I literally had to do nothing. I'm obsessed with this new feature! I'm off now to discover more about it, but in the meantime you just go and have Google back up your photos, k folks?

#googledoesitagain

The Age of the Podcast

Check, check. Hello? Is this thing [still] on?

Oh okay, good. I thought maybe the power had gone out over here while I was gone.

I am now going to blog as if I haven't been gone for months on end. 

Lately I have realized something about myself: I don't like watching stuff.

No wait, let me clarify. Because I do like watching people, and I do like watching nature, and I do like watching live performances and shows. 

I just don't like watching TV and related media.

I've never liked watching TV, though. I thought I liked watching TV when I was younger, but sometimes it would give me a headache, and often I would get bored quickly. These things have amplified as I've grown up, and they've extended themselves to internet (lookin' at you, YouTube) and movies and such. It's a chore for me to watch a music video, and I literally can't imagine ever paying money for cable or Netflix.

But guys. GUYS. I've discovered the most wonderful replacement! It's called podcasts. And if you are in any way like me, you should check 'em out. It's all the fun of listening to something without any of the pain of stopping to watch it. They are the single best dishwashing motivator in the world, keep me company on my daily walk-runs, and play hands free in the car. I believe that is what we call "the best of all worlds."

Here are a few that I'm loving on lately:

:: Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth discuss small, actionable ways for you and me to be happier in everyday life. I love the fun sisterly dynamic between these two! That dynamic places it squarely in my favorite kind of podcast, which is where two people just have and record a conversation together and then post it.

:: Stuff You Should Know. Another highly conversational podcast with Josh and Chuck, who are on a mission to help you learn about every topic in the world. Just go look at the last 5 topics on their podcast page and I bet one will pique your interest. Bonus: I laugh out loud in every episode.

:: Mystery Show. I don't know why there haven't been any new episodes lately (Starlee? Are you listening??), but this podcast involves the detailing of a weekly mystery and its un-Google-able solution. The mysteries are often trivial, but that adds to the fun. And the host has a remarkable talent for getting random strangers to spill their most genuine hopes, dreams, and life secrets.

:: Marriage is Funny. Conversational! Jessie and Gerard are married and chatting about it. I love the openness and tenderness in their discussions. The topics involve modern marriage issues (e.g. cell phone use, career/family balance), and I sense no facade of perfection, which makes every episode very relate-able.

:: Lore. Aaron tells spooky stories from around the world, but not just in fictional form. By offering plenty of research, historical background, and witness accounts, he makes each story feel quite possibly real. But don't be scared! His main goal is to give you some real-life food for thought by the end, and he does a good job at that.

:: Note to Self. I'm new to this one, but I've liked every episode so far. Manoush Zomorodi investigates technology and its effects on everyday life, with a continued goal of helping listeners find balance between the digital and the real. More of a journalistic approach here, which is not conversational but is still enjoyable.

If you're new to podcasts, choose a couple of the above and check out a couple episodes. Let me know what you think! And if you are already a diehard fan, holler with recommendations. I'm starting to believe that one can never have too many podcasts...