Human for a day - a conversation with A.I.
I asked ChatGPT a question that I saw on TikTok.
Here’s what it said:
That answer wrecked me a little
Because lately, I’ve felt the weight of time more than ever.
Maybe it’s getting older or living this F'd millennial timeline.
Maybe it’s the chaos of the world—rising disease, climbing costs, jobs vanishing to AI.
Maybe it’s just the voice inside saying you don’t get forever.
We all hear it.
The uncertainty, anger, and divide.
A new world order - or whatever we are living through.
If you are on TikTok or just about any media app, then you certainly are seeing the social echo chambers manifesting into real life.
I even hear elders talking about conflicts and politics at coffee shops.
Stress is rising no matter where you look, and it's sad that while being human comes with horrors, it also comes with experiences and dreams.
Dreams can evolve. In the words of Professor Ross Gellar, "PIVOT".
Here’s what I know:
We only get around 4,000 weeks in a typical life. That’s it.
And if you’re 30? You’re already halfway through.
And the reality? A lot of those weeks get spent in traffic. On screens. In meetings.
I used to spend about 2 hours a day in my car, living in Dallas, TX. That's more than 2 days a month gone.
I hated it and swore I would never commute again. I moved closer to work, then I just moved to a new city completely.
I lived in Austin and biked everywhere. San Francisco and walked everywhere.
Even with all those improvements, I was a stress ball in my job, no matter the commute.
Nowadays, I'm ok with a commute as long as it's through a national forest.
We rarely slow down enough to get back to baseline. It's so easy to get sucked into busyness.
If not for a global shutdown, I wouldn't have lost my business and moved into my car. I wouldn't have walked away from the "success" I was having to pursue this life. So I get it when people say, "one day" or "I wish". It's hard to make changes, almost impossible if you have a family or people depending on you.
The line from Fight Club that always comes to mind is, "Until you lose everything, you aren't free to do anything."
Wake Up
Let's say for a second you do have control over at least a few things in your life.
Are you awake or are you alive?
I recently wrote about this, and want to revisit it, because I'm still thinking a lot about it.
I think about nature when it comes to "alive".
Plants are alive, wolves are alive, humans are alive.
But we (science) can't explain consciousness, though I'd argue it's through our spirit.
So are you awake, or are you alive? Here's what I mean:
You can be alive and totally unaware of it.
You can work your ass off and still sleepwalk through your days.
I know—I’ve done it.
But I’m done with that.
Now, the daily theme is that I want to live with urgency—but slowly.
You can build things that matter without uprooting your entire life. It's often a small decision and marginal changes in your routine that will lead to a more fulfilling life that doesn't leave room for vices - and we all have vices.
Feel the wind. Cry under the stars. Leave no room for regret.
And hey, if you are happy with where you are, then you are already winning.
You don't have to have a big new dream if you are content. That's all I want for myself and for others - find your purpose and leave it better than you found it.
But some of us have a dream we aren't acting on.
You may not be stuck. You might just be undisciplined.
Also Read: Play the long game
You can change your life—but it’s gonna take actual effort.
Not scrolling. Not hoping. Not manifesting.
So here’s your question for the week:
Start there.
Don't wait on life.
See you out there,
Aaron
