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Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

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Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#81
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're open to it, I'd recommend trying the Wim Hof technique. The combination of controlled hyperventilation followed by cold water exposure is something like a reset button. Here's a link [0] - just don't do the breathing exercises anywhere that passing out could cause problems; like when driving, in water, etc. 0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ

Thanks for sharing! Controlling my breathing helps me a lot to reduce anxiety, but I found it's not getting me back into motivation mood I used to have.. To stay motivated always seemed to be such basic thing- part of my reality, until it stopped and I have to consciously build it.

That sounds like a deeper issue. I am not a motivational expert, though I've had more experience than I'd like developing coping strategies for low motivation.

Consider that perhaps being motivated automatically isn't always the best thing. Auto-motivation can make it harder to choose a good and worthwhile direction, which motivates you on its own merits to something above self-interest.

Maybe you could afford to let your self-motivation lie fallow for a while, if that's what you need to do. Put your brain in a jar, and do something helpful and physical.

Maybe none of this applies to your situation? I do find it an interesting topic as well though.

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#83

Piano. I am doing Czerny op 599.

School of Velocity next! The wealth of Czerny exercises is so much more engaging than the Hanon that have been inflicted unthinkingly on students for generations. Check out the Dohnanyi exercises for something wild and different; the later ones, not the first ones that focus on (potentially harmful) finger isolation.

Thank you! I did the Hanon exercises years ago and they were okay, but the Czerny 599 exercises are amazing! I love them! They practically sound like songs! I will check out school of velocity and Dohnanyi.

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#84
Getting back into society. I've been taking a sabbatical and building a passion project for a few years. It's been great and not so great. The project is reaching a point where I can build a web page and move it to the sales/marketing phase, and spend time with people other than my wife and close friends.

It's really time to get out of the introversion bubble again.

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#85

With the latest crypto rally, yield farm rates have skyrocketed. Getting 10 to 30% APY on stablecoins (i.e. no risk of loss in value as they are USD-matching coins). Making money hand over fist for clicking buttons.

I've been a crypto_saver for over a decade; yet still I downvoted your ridiculousness [parent comment]. Please don't be so wreckless in your passion(s). And: HODL

I've been yield farming for years, this is not a new thing.

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#86
post #16

Bicycles. They are so radically inexpensive to acquire & service. Why did I ever stop riding at 18?

Rode the Katy Trail a few weeks back. I loved it but after 6 days on the saddle my ass hurt so much that I'm trying out recumbent trikes right now. (Got a used one off Craigslist.)

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#87
post #59

Mental health. I recently passed out in public and had to finally admit to myself that I’m severely burnt out. I had ignored the signs and mentally written off the concept of burnout as a bit of a wishy-washy mostly “emotional” concept and not as the very real psychological AND physiological condition that doesn’t just go away if you get a good nights sleep and a day off. It was emotional to actually read up on it an…

The world is slowly realizing that the advice to "suck it up", "tough it out", "walk it off", "man up", etc. aren't helpful. Real problems need real solutions, not platitudes.

I'm sorry you've gone through this. I quit a previous job with no other job lined up because of burnout. Fortunately, I could afford the 4 month gap in employment. My heart aches for those who can't.

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#88

I’ve been reading up on diy speakers, with the eventual goal to make an excellent sounding pair myself. Ever heard a pair of speakers that didn’t sound like hearing a recording of an instrument, but rather hearing the instrument itself ? Me neither, but it’s apparently possible. The DIY speaker/audio hobby is highly specific but also fortunately has a lot of informative available online. I’d recommend diyaudio.com an…

> Ever heard a pair of speakers that didn’t sound like hearing a recording of an instrument, but rather hearing the instrument itself?

Yeah, full-range drivers + tube amp. I built the tube amp and speakers so it was not really expensive at all. (Maybe $500 or so all told — so not audiophile expensive by any means.)

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#89
A pair of Visual Pinball cabinets.

Even with an initial sloppy mockup I found the wife loved playing pinball. So I went all in and built a new gaming PC, bought a 120 Hz TV just for a stand-alone pinball cab build.

(Oh, and found that using the previous gaming PC and a few other things lying around I could also build a mini-pinball-cab — so I have that one coming together as well.)

Re: Ask HN: What are you passionate about at the moment?

#90

My current special interest is guns. Noise cancelling headphones, breathing exercises, generally no social interactions. So wonderful. About to goto the range with my 22lr for some group therapy. 2inch groups at 50yards.

I was very into blackpowder some years back. I just haven't had the time to get back into it.
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