Michael T. Starks

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  • Discoveries

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    I’m fascinated that each scientific discovery tends to happen only once. Granted, a discovery can be made simultaneously by two different people. Both Newton and Leibniz discovered the Calculus without collaborating. Because we keep decent records, once a discovery has been made, no one else is likely to make the same discovery a century later.…

  • The Rainmaker

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    Today, I watched a movie called The Rainmaker, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in 1997, based on a novel by John Grisham. It’s a good movie, with an IMDB rating of 7.2 stars. Here’s the thing. It could not be made today. It features Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, and Claire Danes. It’s not…

  • Human Experiences

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    While we are much more alike than different, humans can experience our world in almost unrecognizable ways. The fascinating movie Vantage Point shows how we all get different glimpses of many situations. None of us has the whole picture. That’s why it’s so important to listen to each other. Our own memories of any event…

  • Comfort Zones

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    We often get comfortable in our lives. We tend to go to the same places, see the same people, and do the same things day after day. In a world where the pace of change seems to be increasing, habitual experiences are comforting. Nevertheless, I like the idea of doing things that take us out…

  • Audio Versus Visual Reading

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    I’m not the first to notice a difference. Cody Kommers wrote an article about this topic in Psychology Today. While he hasn’t done a scientific study, he makes a few great points. Here’s what I’ve noticed. If I’m reading a book before falling asleep, I’ll stop on the page where I start to doze off.…

  • Curation versus Creation

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    Creation is GOLD. While I love creating stuff, I realize I’m just one person. So many people are creating stuff now that an opportunity also exists for Curators. The more people there are who create stuff, the more mediocre stuff gets created. Not everyone wants to scroll through an endless feed of mediocre content. For…

  • Making Documentaries

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    While I love watching good documentaries, I prefer the idea of making narrative features over the idea of making documentaries. Note: I’m NOT opposed to making documentaries; I might create one or more in the future. It’s just I’m more likely to make narrative movies. Many of the storytelling techniques are the same. Both rely…

  • Success Threshold

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    While setting up a new spreadsheet for Tracking Stars in 2025, I’ve decided to keep the “success threshold” low. This is by design. It turns out that Tiny Habits are easier to incorporate into our daily lives than BIG CHANGES. “As I accumulated dozens of new habits—mostly tiny ones—they combined to create a transformation. Sustaining…

  • Full Steam Ahead!

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    This morning, I got clearer on my Vision for 2025. I even set a few goals. I’m officially committing to making this a great year. Most of what I want to accomplish will happen via my daily habits. I’m going to continue Tracking Stars. I’ve expanded the set of actions worth considering each day. My…

  • Lack of Vision

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    For me, vision comes from “working in the muck”. Creating a vision of the future requires context and experience. Big dreams are fine; however, unless they’re tied to the real world, there’s no bridge to get there! Trying to prepare my goals for 2025 has been a challenge. I don’t have much real-world experience related…