#100tinypoems
Let's do something fun...
I forget where I heard about it, but someone made me aware of this thing called the 100 day project.
It's pretty simple.
Basically, you choose a creative project, create something every day for 100 days in a row, and share it on social using the hashtag #The100DayProject.
I've decided for my project to share a daily tiny poem related to something going on around me.
I'll be posting on instagram under @eradicatelazy using the hashtags #The100DayProject and #100tinypoems.
I'll also update this post as I create each new daily poem.
Here we go!
Monday May 23rd (#100)
Inspiration: This is it! 100 days of poems complete.
Sunday May 22nd (#99)
Inspiration: I woke up to a raging storm this morning around 12:30. As I listened to the wind and the room lit up with every flash of lightning, it got me thinking about 1 Kings 19:11-12.
Saturday May 21st (#98)
Inspiration: Took my son Asher to work super early today and he forgot his hat (he works at a donut shop and we affectionately refer to him as "The Donut Lord").
Friday May 20th (#97)
Inspiration: Sometimes I think that I impose on myself countless artificial constraints that no one else has placed on me. Feeeling the urge to break through a few of them.
Thursday May 19th (#96)
Inspiration: The power of a good piece of music!
Wednesday May 18th (#95)
Inspiration: Having a really difficult time wrangling all the disparate thoughts in my head this week. I'm spread a bit too thin in both work and life...
Tuesday May 17th (#94)
Inspiration: Yesterday, my todo list was longer at the end of the day than it was at the beginning. 😔
Monday May 16th (#93)
Inspiration: This article about AI poetry. What makes human poetry, or music, or art unique?
Sunday May 15th (#92)
Inspiration: The headlines continues to read like an absurd work of fiction. And the strange thing is that it's not even strange anymore.
Saturday May 14th (#91)
Inspiration: Not sure what triggered this one. Just thinking about how many areas I don't have deep knowledge in but have a surface level opinion that I just accept as fact... in part because there isn't time to go deep into everything. I'm thinking less about an unwillingness to change my perspective and more about how often I don't even realize the assumptions my perspectives are based on.
Friday May 13th (#90)
Inspiration: The world's a crazy place. Reminding myself not to lay up for myself treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt.
Thursday May 12th (#89)
Inspiration: My mind has been a buzz this week! Managed to unlock a couple big mental breakthroughs around business and product strategy along with some exciting changes to our process that I'm confident will yield some great results!
Wednesday May 11th (#88)
Inspiration: Another one of Kevin Kelly's 103 bits of advice (The only productive way to answer “what should I do now?” is to first tackle the question of “who should I become?”).
Tuesday May 10th (#87)
Inspiration: Monday turned out to be a bit discouraging. Reminding myself that a man who doesn't control his spirit is like a city with broken down walls, I steadied myself and refused to let temperamental emotion dictate how I think or act.
Monday May 9th (#86)
Inspiration: I just love a good Monday. Love the weekly rhythms and resets.
Sunday May 8th (#85)
Inspiration: Mothers Day!
Saturday May 7th (#84)
Inspiration: Rich Strike wins the Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds while we were at an end of year homeschool celebration. The ruckus and clatter existed in both places...
Friday May 6th (#83)
Inspiration: Doing through some strategic thinking with my team.
Thursday May 5th (#82)
Inspiration: Whether at home or at the office (and pretty much everywhere else), there's always so much food around I have to resist. Sometimes it's easy. Other times, I cave and trade in my long term goals for the momentary bliss of a sweet confection.
Wednesday May 4th (#81)
Inspiration: No I didn't embarrass myself... but that's the problem. I got to thinking this morning about whether I protect myself too much from being embarassed and miss out on opportunities for growth or impact because of it. Jury's still out... but that's the thinking behind this one.
Tuesday May 3rd (#80)
Inspiration: One of Kevin Kelly's 103 bits of advice: "If you repeated what you did today 365 more times will you be where you want to be next year?"
Monday May 2nd (#79)
Inspiration: This! Read through this great post by the new septuagenarian Kevin Kelly. So many of the items on his list resonated deeply with me.
Sunday May 1st (#78)
Inspiration: Last night, the family and I went over to a friend's house for a game night and played Cranium... and I learned a new word (fantod). Combine that with the current state of the financial markets and you've got yourself a poem!
Saturday April 30th (#77)
Inspiration: Had a discouraging day at the office yesterday. So this morning I had to go for a run, slap myself around a bit, remind myself of the truths I know, and be encouraged in the Word... then I wrote this.
Friday April 29th (#76)
Inspiration: Reflecting on life coming out of a conversation I had last night with my wife about how "un-different" life is despite the fact that we moved to the other side of the country and changed everything. Don't get me wrong. Lots of things are different... just not fundamentally different. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you take yourself with you wherever you go.
Thursday April 28th (#75)
Inspiration: This article about palm oil ... and all the other supply chain issues we've been experiencing over the past couple years.
Wednesday April 27th (#74)
Inspiration: The kids are going to their last day of CC (a homeschool co-op) and participating in a year end ritual they call "Blue Book".
Tuesday April 26th (#73)
Inspiration: This year is just flying by!!
Monday April 25th (#72)
Inspiration: Just thinking about life and all the things not yet decided - how much life still lies ahead (Lord willing). It's my preferred orientation. More forward, less back.
Sunday April 24th (#71)
Inspiration: Struggling to come up with a poem today, and feeling sooooo tired - so I wrote about my struggle to come up with a poem. When all else fails...
Saturday April 23rd (#70)
Inspiration: I was completely exhausted today. Unnaturally tired. So I tried to rest... and I almost forgot to write the poem for today. Ok, I did forget. But then woke up at 9:30 (yes, I was already sound asleep and 9:30) and remembering the day's poem, I came up with this, posted it, and promptly went back to sleep.
Friday April 22nd (#69)
Inspiration: Word of Disney and Florida duking it out.
Thursday April 21st (#68)
Inspiration: My son got to participate in a Mock Trial this year, and we got to attend and watch him crush it!
Wednesday April 20th (#67)
Inspiration: Just found myself lacking inspiration... so I made my lack of inspiration my inspiration. 🤷♂️
Tuesday April 19th (#66)
Inspiration: It's hard for me not to try and do way more than I have capacity for. The reality is that there are FAR more things I'd like to do than I have bandwidth for. Just reminding myself of that reality.
Monday April 18th (#65)
Inspiration: I've been having trouble getting these poems written in the morning for the past few days. It was after 10pm by the time I got to this one. 😬 I hate procrastination, especially when I'm the one doing it!
Sunday April 17th (#64)
Inspiration: Today was Easter... and my dad's birthday!
Saturday April 16th (#63)
Inspiration: My oldest son started his first job today! He had to get up nice and early and since he can't drive yet, so did we! I wished him luck as he and his mom stepped out into the dark early morning and headed out to start his new chapter as a working man.
Friday April 15th (#62)
Inspiration: My wife Joellen made a fantastic dinner for us tonight, featuring home made focasia bread... and then topped it off with some cinnamon covered pretzel bites for dessert. Yeah. I overdid it.
Thursday April 14th (#61)
Inspiration: Our trusty electric goose neck kettle that we've used for 5+ years to make pourover coffee and tea just stopped functioning. "No problem", I thought, "I'll just head over to Coffee and Coconuts and get pick up some coffee." So I drove down there and wouldn't you know it, there was a sign on the door that read: "Power's out... sorry." The storm the night before had knocked out power to a number of businesses in the area. So I headed home, put some water in a pan on the stove and worked it out that way... Sometimes that morning cup of coffee just takes a little extra effort!
Wednesday April 13th (#60)
Inspiration: How amazing would it be to hear for the first time at age 29 after having been deaf since birth?
Tuesday April 12th (#59)
Inspiration: Just read this morning in Luke 23 - this was inspired specifically by verse 31.
Monday April 11th (#58)
Inspiration: This report that shows americans trust the Weather Channel more than any other news outlet... by quite a bit!
Sunday April 10th (#57)
Inspiration: I read this article about the way things are going in Shanghai at the the moment and it left me a bit disturbed.
Saturday April 9th (#56)
Inspiration: My wife Joellen and I both tend toward taking on more than we have capacity for, but it's because we enjoy all the things. We love to be busy creating or building something over sitting around. That being said, we all need a little downtime now and again to let the brain, body, and soul breathe.
Friday April 8th (#55)
Inspiration: This week felt especially long. Not bad. Just long... And as much as I enjoy my weekdays, I welcomed this weekend with open arms.
Thursday April 7th (#54)
Inspiration: This piece I read about Vaughn Smith in today's Morning Brew newsletter.
Wednesday April 6th (#53)
Inspiration: Today was a slog... Not sure why, but I was soooooooooooo tired.
Tuesday April 5th (#52)
Inspiration: Had to give a quick backstory to a group of folks today... I wrote this as I reflected on the $80,000 in debt my wife Joellen and I had to climb out from under a few years into our marriage.
Monday April 4th (#51)
Inspiration: This TED talk by Ethan Hawke. We definitely have different world views... but it got me thinking about creativity - and that's what inspired today's tiny poem.
Sunday April 3rd (#50)
Inspiration: The humble morning cup of pourover coffee, of course.
Saturday April 2nd (#49)
Inspiration: The case against strawberry pop tarts was dismissed! I know we were all on the edge of our seats on that one...
Friday April 1st (#48)
Inspiration: Working on trying to get a coffee-related project off the ground. It's going to be fantastic, but today I'm just feeling the friction and resistance that comes with doing something new.
Thursday March 31st (#47)
Inspiration: Looking back on some early pitch decks from some of today's most successful companies.
Wednesday March 30th (#46)
Inspiration: Another windy night kept me tossing and turning... I eventually moved to a quieter room in the house, but the damage was done.
Tuesday March 29th (#45)
Inspiration: Went to bed feeling fine. Woke up feeling a little off. Went to work, made it through the first hour, and had to go home sick. 🤒
Monday March 28th (#44)
Inspiration: This creative set of visuals by Kristen Portsmouth.
Sunday March 27th (#43)
Inspiration: Family photos yesterday after a full week of activity at the office and working on our side gigs.
Saturday March 26th (#42)
Inspiration: Housing prices have gone a little nuts in Nashville... and a lot of other places making it really hard for many people to get into a house... this guy gets it.
Friday March 25th (#41)
Inspiration: Got invited to a neighbor's house for tacos yesterday evening. While there, he showed us the studio he built in his house and played us some Dolby Atmos tracks he had recently mixed. Gotta love living in Nashville! 😀🎸
Thursday March 24th (#40)
Inspiration: I got to hear Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water speak yesterday. The work that he and the folks at charity: water are doing is incredible and addressing a fundamental human need.
Wednesday March 23rd (#39)
Inspiration: A lot going on this week... When the schedule gets packed it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Starting my day reflecting on Christ helps my mind go back to its proper perspective.
Tuesday March 22nd (#38)
Inspiration: Dinner last night at Wild Ginger was exquisite!
Monday March 21st (#37)
Inspiration: A lot going on... I wrote this one as I was preparing for a jam packed day full of activity.
Sunday March 20th (#36)
Inspiration: This weekend, I was in the zone. I cranked out all sorts of tasks on Saturday and enjoyed every minute of it. I was feeling highly inspired and creative and had idea after idea exploding in my mind... It's one of the things I enjoy most - exploring ideas around how to make things better.
Saturday March 19th (#35)
Inspiration: On this last day of winter, I reflect on the plight of all the refugees fleeing Ukraine to save their lives and the lives of their families.
Friday March 18th (#34)
Inspiration: I have quite a few things rattling around in my head at the moment. It sometimes feels like my mind is stretching further and further and that if I don't do a brain dump soon, the paper thin fabric holding it all together will tear and something will fall through.
Thursday March 17th (#33)
Inspiration: Read this morning the story of Judas hanging himself after betraying Jesus in Matthew 27.
Wednesday March 16th (#32)
Inspiration: Joellen and I negotiated the purchase of an app that allows people to order ahead from their favorite local coffee shop. We've always wanted to do something together in the coffee space and this combines that world with my experience and love for mobile development. Next, we'll be working to bring on additional shops, recruit new users, and take the app and experience to the next level. More to come on that...
Tuesday March 15th (#31)
Inspiration: Dropped my folks off at the airport early this morning and now I'm enjoying an amazing cup of coffee at one of my favorite coffee spots in Nashville, Three Brothers Coffee.
Monday March 14th (#30)
Inspiration: Our boy Tom decided he's not quite ready to hang up his cleats.
Sunday March 13th (#29)
Inspiration: This one's pretty straightforward.... daylight savings hit us this weekend.
Saturday March 12th (#28)
Inspiration: After a high of 66 on Friday, we dipped to below in freezing in a matter of hours and woke up to a world covered in snow. Welcome to Nashville!
Friday March 11th (#27)
Inspiration: It's my son Asher's 14th Birthday! Grandma and Grandpa are visiting from Oregon and we're ready to have a great time!
Thursday March 10th (#26)
Inspiration: Got to talking with a friend over lunch about our struggle to relax. We're both Enneagram 7s with an 8 wing. I asked him if he'd ever tried one of those salt water floating pod things. Turns out he had and it sounds like it was pretty effective for him. Maybe I'll have to try it...
Wednesday March 9th (#25)
Inspiration: Russell Wilson is going to the Denver Broncos!
Tuesday March 8th (#24)
Inspiration: Read this morning in Matthew 12 and was reminded of the story of the Queen of Sheba... So I went back and read the account in 1 Kings 10.
Monday March 7th (#23)
Inspiration: Well, inspiration was lacking today... hence the desert metaphor.
Sunday March 6th (#22)
Inspiration: I connected with my friend Jonmar yesterday and he was talking about what happens when he reads a book. He mentioned how at first you're reading the words but then pretty soon the book almost dissapears and becomes a window into the story that's unfolding. That doesn't really work for me (I have aphatasia), but I love the sentiment.
Saturday March 5th (#21)
Inspiration: I've enjoyed some reprieve from my own stress and anxiety this week, but I've spoken with several others who are in the thick of it. It's a stressful time. I read this morning in Matthew 6, and I'm reminded that even as battles unfold in real time around the world, the ultimate battle has already been won.
Friday March 4th (#20)
Inspiration: My calendar is looking a bit stacked these days. Everything's in order as long as nothing changes or goes wrong... what could happen?!
Thursday March 3rd (#19)
Inspiration: I came home after a long day and laid down for just a minute to rest... and woke up to my wife telling me the kids were in bed and I should probably head there myself 😴.
Wednesday March 2nd (#18)
Inspiration: Enjoyed a call yesterday with a software engineer friend over on the West Coast that I hadn't talked to in quite a while. It was really good to reconnect, even if it was over the phone (I find phone calls to be a frustratingly inadequate way to connect... but it's better than nothing).
Tuesday March 1st (#17)
Inspiration: I've been having days where I wake up to a jolt of adrenaline and start out the day stressed for no apparent reason. Today was one of those days... and I'm on vacation! 🤷♂️
Monday February 28th (#16)
Inspiration: Early signs of spring...
Sunday February 27th (#15)
Inspiration: Read this article about a marathon runner (Germán Silva) who has been running from Tijuana to Tulum! That's over 3100 miles or 119 marathons!
Saturday February 26th (#14)
Inspiration: Just thinking through all the emotions and ups and downs we all go through as we try to filter everything through our own completely unique (yet somehow common) lens of history and context.
Friday February 25th (#13)
Inspiration: Enjoyed a nice break over lunch with some teammates yesterday. It was lighthearted and fun and reminded me of how nice it can be just to relax from time to time, even it's only for an hour...
Thursday February 24th (#12)
Inspiration: Spent about 30 minutes reading the news... A lot of pain, suffering, and chaos in the world. Looking forward to a day when wrongs will be made right. (Revelation 21:4, Psalm 10)
Wednesday February 23rd (#11)
Inspiration: I got to enjoy a LinkedIn Live presentation about, well, presentations. Actually it's more about preparing for presentations. The presenter, Kacy Maxwell, did a great job laying out what I think is a super helpful framework. So helpful in fact that I wrote up this brief summary.
Tuesday February 22nd (#10)
Inspiration: This friendly looking 500 lb beast has been giving some California residents one more reason to consider moving out of state.
Monday February 21st (#9)
Inspiration: Had a conversation with a friend this weekend where I realized I have been trying to work a job while building a business in some way shape or form for over 20 years… hmmm.
Sunday February 20th (#8)
Inspiration: I spent a few hours yesterday working to revive an app that had slipped out of the app store and into oblivion. The app is called Typetastic and allows users to add stylized text to their photos and share them. The App Store account the app was initially hosted under is now defunct, so I re-published it under my current Rubotic account.
Saturday February 19th (#7)
Inspiration: A ship full of Porsches and VWs caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Thankfully the entire crew's ok, but you may want to check with your dealer as to the status of that Porsche you ordered...
Friday February 18th (#6)
Inspiration: Ran across this amazing artwork by T. Deininger. From the front everything looks normal, but when you view it from the side... well you'll just have to see for yourself.
Thursday February 17th (#5)
Inspiration: The wind picked up as a storm came through last night. From our master bedroom, the sound was maddening and made it almost impossible to sleep. Eventually, I had to move to another room in the house where I was finally able to doze off...
Wednesday February 16th (#4)
Inspiration: Over lunch yesterday, a friend of mine shared stories of an incredible time he had at Blackberry Farm in TN about 6 or 7 years ago. Add that one to the bucket list!
Tuesday February 15th (#3)
Inspiration: Stunning A.I. generated images based on cartoon drawings. Check out the rest of them!
Monday February 14th (#2)
Inspiration: After the L.A. Rams went for it on fourth and one to keep their winning drive alive in the Super Bowl, Cincinnati had the chance to do the same, but came up short.
Sunday February 13th (#1)
Inspiration: News of a Russion security guard having defaced (or in this case faced) a painting worth about a million dollars.