Author: Andrea Grassi

Tension changes us.

The turmoil inside us, with voices screaming inside our head, changes us.

They change us because they change our priorities.
Well, they don’t change those, but they change our perception of the priorities.

They fool us into thinking there’s a bigger priority to follow.
A more urgent matter.

In my case it was how to finalize a product (a physical one).
Everything was foggy, unclear, unsure.

I felt lost.
And what chances did I have to feel in other ways? There was no way out, no certainty, nothing sure.

Everything was not going as planned, and what pissed me more than ever was that I got questions, but no one was answering.

Then 3 of my problems disappeared in one day. Everything was more calm, more in place.
My friend reminded me that you were the relaxed guy.

Yes I was, my fault for forgetting that.
I still am that guy, but my perception of reality shifted and lost my touch.

I am lucky that I’m surrounded by great people.
People who believe in the work I do.
People that trust me and remind me of my best self.

Life is gonna try to shift your priorities, but what’s really important shouldn’t change.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by perception.
Try to always see what’s after the glasses.

I don’t know if it’s us italians or if it’s an international issue, but we tend to want the cheapest solutions.

I thought about this when my mind wondered if I could get some small discount from a dear friend.
I didn’t tell him, because in the end I realize that work is work, and he was working so why not just shut up and pay for the awesome service he had gave me?

Yet I thought about how to save money, even if I’m one of the people advising to pay for services.

What’s the use of the cheap service? It will disrupt his or her job but we still want it, much like a drug.

I am writing the text for a new cosmetic product and I found that while I was joking in the text many friends got worried because I cited some big names (in a good, way).

Everyone kept worrying so I naturally added some post scriptum to explain that, but is that right?
I mean, instead of working to build a better world, a better product, how much time do we have to spend in useless things like this?

If I’m not declaring that your product is pure shit then there’s no reason to worry, but truth to be told there might be .
Because big companies can do harm.
They try to crush with the money because it’s easy and fast.

The same money that could be spent into helping people.

In any trip there are the people who prefer everything settled out and the one who prefer to adjust to the situation.

Your mileage may vary but I think that, S always, it’s good if you sit in the middle.

Not too much improv not too much control. Enough for you to be surprised and to not feel out of place.

I say this but in my mind I know how beautiful it is to be surprised by a trip. When the unexpected delights you it gives you a memory that cannot be replaced.

Even when things go wrong, if they don’t go wrong too much chances are you’ll have a wonderful story to share with your friends while drinking a beer together.

I remember the time when we were in Fez and a man came up to us and showed the hidden city.

We were always worried he was a false guide. Thanks to him we saw places with no tourists, great places we probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

In the end he wasn’t a false guide but a man genuinely interested in sharing culture and connect with new people. 

He was unexpected and even if we felt uneasy all the time we were with him, when we came back home this was one of our favorite stories.

Maybe we were just lucky or enough smart to avoid problems with him, but in the end what counts is the gifts you bring back home. Even if they are memories.