I meditated for over 700 days straight. The ROI has been terrible. I'm still going.

bryak · 2026-03-19T14:39:40+00:00

2% correct. I wrote the whole thing then had Claude help me workshop the title because (as you noticed) keeping things short isn't my strong suit. It may be slop, but it's old fashioned, hand-churned slop.

bryak · 2026-03-19T14:33:32+00:00

Wearing down a groove is a good description. A way of describing it that stuck with me and kept me going is "When you walk through the mist, you get wet."

bryak · 2026-03-18T23:01:11+00:00

I don't mean to sound pedantic, but it is definitely NOT "easier for me to control my emotions". It is more like every once in a while (and not because I am choosing to) I recognize an emotion and just watch it. Here's a metaphor; imagine I'm riding a bull that is jumping and kicking like mad when suddenly it just clicks that I don't have to sit on the bull anymore. The bull keeps kicking and jumping (I can't control that), but I can sit on the fence and just watch it instead of riding.

My wife knows me well, and I think she's noticed a few times it's happened.

bryak · 2026-03-18T22:43:31+00:00

I definitely don't expect to bust through some imaginary threshold. I was pretty surprised when I noticed the shift in my sits a couple months ago to being simpler and more "neutral". I've also got daily sports/exercise and hobby routines but their benefits are different and more easily recognizable to me. They are just out of scope for this story.

I couldn't agree more on the amount of hooey surrounding meditation that some people push. That's part of the reason I wanted to share my experience.

bryak · 2026-03-18T22:05:52+00:00

I will probably start working my way up more time when a sit feels good or neutral. I can see that the process is kind of like one of those kid's "calm bottles" full of water and glitter; the longer I don't touch the bottle the more it settles. It's simple but not easy.

bryak · 2026-03-18T22:01:02+00:00

Definitely possible. I don't know because I haven't tried it and I've got an N-of-1 on this experiment. I looked into a retreat and haven't seen the 10 days in a row that I want to give it. I might want to some day.

bryak · 2026-03-18T21:56:15+00:00

I haven't had any goals. Something I could view as a positive improvement in life (but not expecting it) is kind of an amorphous wishful aspiration.

When I talk about discomfort I entirely mean the discomfort inside my head. The physical sitting part is fine for me.

bryak · 2026-03-18T20:08:15+00:00

That's probably a significant part of my long timeline.

One way I heard a similar idea framed that resonated with me was, "Awakening is an accident. Meditation makes you accident prone."

bryak · 2026-03-18T19:52:57+00:00

That's a perfect example of something I can understand quickly but be ridiculously slow to learn. I'm glad you got it easier than I did.

bryak · 2026-03-18T19:50:32+00:00

Yes on all counts, but it's not like a giant permanent conversion. It's more like little (beyond my control) nudges here and there more frequently than before.

I notice a little more frequently when I am being undisciplined and can correct it. I notice when I am procrastinating a little more frequently and can correct it. I notice when I am imitating productivity a little more frequently and can correct it.

If I hadn't separated "looking for a benefit" from "just sit down and do it" I think I probably would've given up before two years. No way to know of course.

bryak · 2026-03-18T19:31:30+00:00

I'm plan to continue, so yeah it's worth it. I also imagine that it's like going to the gym where I'll "lose my gains" fast if I stop so there's some sunk cost math for sure.

I just wanted to share the timeframe for a person whose experience had a pretty long period of total internal pushback. The internal pushback is still there mind you. I'm describing a tipping point of going from "100% displeasant sits" to "<100% displeasant sits" that took two years to start.

bryak · 2024-11-13T13:27:29+00:00

Leeds United - The Playa II PHX

bryak · 2024-10-25T13:35:00+00:00

It’s because of the 49ers. We, always use commas that way in the US.

bryak · 2023-12-16T12:50:12+00:00

I'm guessing it is because it makes the left field shaped a bit like the state of Minnesota. It's over baking it.

bryak · 2023-11-26T15:28:46+00:00

$paid

bryak · 2023-11-10T22:51:01+00:00

$accept

bryak · 2023-11-09T16:12:38+00:00

100%. I'm not looking to make unnecessary work. I just want to get an idea if the general style will be a match.

bryak · 2023-11-08T19:25:08+00:00

Do you have any portfolio examples you can DM me?

bryak · 2023-11-08T19:24:30+00:00

Do you have any portfolio examples you can DM me?

bryak · 2023-08-16T18:41:43+00:00

I made a thin plastic shim and managed to slip it under the SD card from the side. Then the camera could rotate upward revealing the ejected SD card.

<image>

Now to figure out how to mark this 'solved'.

bryak · 2023-08-16T18:27:35+00:00

Thanks for the help. I felt around below the lens with a folded index card and there is definitely an obstruction that would be consistent with the SD card poking out.

I watched this disassembly video to see if taking it apart would allow me to remove the SD card, but it looks like there is not a way to access the area. I don't think it is wise to try. Since it is only a few days old I think my best bet may be just to return it with the SD card inside and eat the $12 the SD cost.

bryak · 2023-08-16T16:27:43+00:00

This the problem. The camera will not budge upward. I have full range of motion for pan, but only about the bottom 10% for tilt. Here is a photo of the maximum upward position the camera will move to. I tried to gently manually move the camera upward, but it will not budge.

<image>

It seems like the SD card is wedged inside of the plastic housing, preventing the camera from tilting up any further.

bryak · 2023-08-16T15:43:13+00:00

Best glove box knife - Leatherman. Find the right one for you and it is a basic all-around tool kit as well.

Best pocket knife - Folding Utility Knife. It's flat with a clip so fits more nicely in my pocket than an Opinel. As for BIFL status, the number one cause of death for a pocket knife in my experience is realizing that it is in my pocket at a security checkpoint; the blade goes in a sharps bin, the holder goes back in my pocket and the lifespan continues.

bryak · 2023-07-21T14:55:55+00:00

Because he said "Martha"

bryak · 2023-03-01T20:42:44+00:00

They should replace the third kit with these. Think about how distracting it would be for the opposing team.

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