journal of one dude obsessed with music & life.

[ 22. aspiring music producer & songwriter. valuing authenticity. ]

[zacharybruno]

what is “depression”?

There are some people who think they’ve gone through it a couple times in their life. and there are people who go through it every single day. some people think it’s just a mindset, and others think it’s literally a hoax. 

Personally, I believe the people who ignore it are not doing anyone a service--they may be even hurting the situation even more. For everyone who suffers from any kind of depression, it’s up to them as an individual to judge how severe they believe it is--not for anyone else to force their own opinion. sure, there are medical definitions and criteria for things like this, but the point really is that these things try to keep us from living the life we ought to be living.

A healthy mindset is paramount in this situation. Realize that you do not have depression. it’s not a thing you posses. it’s simply a way to describe the way your mind works and operates--for now. the point is, the focus should be on who you want to be and how you want to operate rather than the way you’ve operated in the past. 

in no way is the medical advice. i do not pretend to be a therapist or practitioner of medicine, but i believe depression is a real thing people go through and i am simply sharing my own thoughts on the subject of what works for me and has helped in the past. peace and love, z

[zacharybruno]

impact

how can i make a difference in the world, person by person?

everything we do is related to our impact on others. if our job is developing software, our end goal is the consumer or user of that software. if our job is music, our end goal is making something that will fill the listener with a meaningful experience. if our job is scientific discovery, the end goal is providing humanity with a better understanding of the universe we live in. everything we do is all a gift we can give. the more we realize that, the more we can step into the reality of everything we have to offer. z

[zacharybruno]

light

have you found it yet? do you see the hope? do you know a glimpse of what is right and good? if you have, hold on tight and don’t you ever let it go. z

[zacharybruno]

experience

who you do want to be when you grow up—when you grow old?

what kind of person do you want to become?

what kind of experiences will you have lived through at eighty years old?

what kind of mindset does that require of you today?

z

[zacharybruno]

am i (just) another human

what makes art good?

what makes good art?

in my humble opinion: humanity. imperfection. the ability to relate on a personal level. raw. honest. z

[zacharybruno]

self-image

what do i look like to other people?

isn’t that what we all think about. a lot? it’s hard to break the pattern, but if we do realize that most of us are thinking this way, isn’t it so much easier to start thinking about your own positive traits and how you can use them to benefit others? i suggest we all stop thinking about how we could be perceived and start thinking about the good we can accomplish in the world. z

[zacharybruno]

today i

will enjoy life

am grateful for my family, and friends

am thankful for my gifts, talents, and abilities

am blessed beyond measure

z

[zacharybruno]

truth?

what is truth? in the case of morality, some people would say it’s relative, and some people would say it’s absolute. what is the answer?

well i suppose that’s up to you to decide. you have a brain, go make up your own mind. but hear me out a little first. it’s the wink in the curse, the line in the dirt, that takes anyone out in their own mind first. what’s on the other side? the line in the dirt--curiosity kills all the bravest first. i’m told of a tale of an old man Hurst, who taking his time, did everything first. he got nothing done, and he thought it quite fun, to make up excuses for being the worst. he worked on his own, and though was alone, he managed to never see the line in the dirt. he tread all around like a mad man, Hurst, never thinking about who he could hurt. nothing was real and nothing was dirt, all the world’s problems meant nothing to Hurst.

[zacharybruno]

time to think.

Lately I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve been working on the occasional project--cleaning the music room, moving things around, and a bit of decorating. my thought process has been mainly this:

Who am i?

What do i stand for?

Where am i going to go from here?

Correct me if i am wrong, but i believe most people ask themselves these questions sooner or later. So who’s asking and why do the answers matter? perhaps I’m just not very observant, but it seems most young people like me struggle with these same questions. Maybe it’s a millennial thing, but regardless it’s common today--in our age and culture.

I’m interested in the answers primarily because I believe they provide the groundwork for life and success in any area. Answer these three questions and you pretty much have a list of goals, tasks, and reasons why all at once. But it’s easier said than done, obviously. Otherwise we’d all have it figured out in a heartbeat. Answering these three questions is a powerful step toward one’s life, but making powerful steps means there’s a whole lot of conscious effort involved. Haphazardly coming up with answers to these questions will only leave one with a haphazard life.

So how does one go about answering these three questions, you ask? There’s a lot of patience and time involved. I certainly don’t have it all figured out at 22 years old. Here’s the catch--the earlier you start thinking about this the better. Any wise person advanced in years will tell you that. Just ask. However too often I think we can easily get caught up in being paralyzed by the unknowns.

Herein lies a great challenge. As young adults in today’s curated culture (Instagram selfies, you get the point), it’s easy to think we need to have everything figured out before we can move forward. the problem is that is counterproductive. Yes, of course thinking and planning ahead is beneficial and encouraged, but overthinking and not executing never got anybody anywhere good. Thinking about all of our problems and reasons why our idea, goal, or dream can’t work really steals the energy we could be using to step out in faith and conquer it those fears. Avoid the loop of self-doubt by thinking of reasons why it could work and putting that extra energy to use productively. z

[zacharybruno]

judge

There is something to be said about hard work. the people that work hardest usually are heard the least. and it reminds me of my struggle to become the best version of myself. it’s hard to judge everyone else when you’re way too busy working on yourself. whenever i catch myself paying too much attention to what everybody else is doing, i usually realize that it’s because i’m avoiding a lesson i could be learning and using to grow.

the more i do and the less i ponder and doubt, the more defined i become. z

[zacharybruno]

just do it.

plan execute plan execute plan execute plan execute 

work. do. execute. detach your emotions from the process. get stuff done. z

[zacharybruno]

self-awareness

what are my strengths

how can i utilize them to serve in a way that is bigger than myself

what are my weaknesses

how can i turn them into strengths

what are my dreams

what are my fears

z

[zacharybruno]

intentional living

this is a plea to taking yourself, your thoughts, your dreams, your actions seriously. there are many parts of life and so many reasons why it’s easy to think life is just a game. we know it’s not. our minds are more powerful than the best supercomputers in the world. scientists have barely even scratched the surface of understanding our brain and how it works. why should we take our minds and our bodies for granted? it’s time to start taking your life more seriously. seriously not as in the opposite of fun, but the opposite of careless living. it’s time to take who you are seriously — to let your value sink in — really sink in. whether you like it or not, you have something special to offer on this planet. everyone does. so please excuse me while i get to work on my unique contribution. -z

[zacharybruno]

late night thoughts

do you ever stop to think to yourself, what am i even doing here? maybe in the early hours of morning when you can’t get to sleep you’ve had that thought. I just find it interesting that we never chose when to be born or what family we’d like to be a part of. i don’t know about you, but i never got to choose how i would look when i was born.

reality is a strange place when you really think about it. sometimes i feel like i just don’t belong here. but i think that’s ok. it’s ok to not feel like you belong if you already belong to something greater than yourself. someone greater than the universe itself.

if God himself lives inside of us, i think it would be impossible for us to feel any differently. if we really thought about it, everything this world has to offer just never can measure up to what we truly want or need. we definitely aren’t made for pain or death. they seem wrong. lots of people would like to say they are wrong. and perhaps those people wouldn’t be too far off.

it seems to me like most of us have experienced some sort of pain in their life. perhaps a traumatic childhood or maybe even a divorce late in life. there are so many things in life we cannot control no matter how hard we may try. we grow up in a family we never knew before, and have to try to do the best we can.

so to all the broken hearts and dreamers out there, keep hope. we all have wounds. we’re all dealing with stuff. you’re not alone. there are some wounds i believe only God can heal. but on the flip side of that coin is an interesting fact--God does most of his work through people like you and me. so find some people you can trust, let your guard down and let them help you get through whatever it is you’re going through. when we are weak, we are strong. it really is true. -z

[zacharybruno]

self-respect

respect yourself enough to say no, or yes. respect yourself enough to commit to growth and self-awareness. respect yourself enough to be honest with who you really are, and not some imaginary version of yourself you like to concoct in your head. respect yourself enough to realize you were created in the image of the Creator of the universe. respect yourself enough to embark on the journey of self-mastery since it is the framework for everything you do on this earth. -z

[zacharybruno]

what’s in a name?

there’s a lot of theoretical debate on how important names are to the success of brands. Most of it dealing with the meaning and psychology of it. to be honest, for the most part, i just don’t see it as being a keystone in the success of a brand. sure there have been bad names that have never “made it,” but when you take a look at companies like “kodak” (which means nothing at all in and of itself) and “facebook” (which does have somewhat of a meaning built in), you’ll quickly realize just how diverse the brand name market is. sure certain types of names appeal to certain types of people, but i think names in general are assimilated into our vocabulary easier than most people think--most of the time due to the vast marketing strategies and plenty of capital to back them.

However, on the flip side, I believe names do matter. At least, to the people working for and with the brand. If you believe in the brand, you genuinely like the name what it stands for. And if you really like the name and what it stands for, you’re going to do everything it takes to make the whole world hear its message. and you won’t stop until you’re the best. that, i believe, is what differentiates a good brand from a great brand. it’s the people behind it and the truth of how completely the people resonate with each other and the thing they make. that is a “brand.” it’s the environment, the community, the culture, the “vibe”, the values. Everything. -z

[zacharybruno]

give and take

are you giving more than you’re taking?

it’s a question i’ve been asking myself lately. it’s easy to take. it’s easy to expect — and then get disappointed when reality doesn’t meet those expectations. giving isn’t as natural, but it’s an integral part of who we are and how we’re built. we’re made to give, to bring joy to people, to share our thoughts, talents, gifts. it’s how we connect, grow, develop, and mature. -z