Within minutes of speaking to Scott Jones, he let out a genuine laugh. In an age where we can get consumed by appearance, his open attitude is refreshing.
Combined with his riveting stories and strong listening skills, Scott Jones is a one-man force to make anyone’s guard come crashing down.
After an alarming health scare just one year ago, Scott is primed for what is sure to be an inspiring TEDxVancouver talk.
He’ll remind us of what we have all heard but seem to forget: slow it down already.
The message of your talk is immediately appealing. Why can’t we get the message?
We naturally overwhelm ourselves. People ask us to do things. Canadians have this problem because they are so nice and polite. They try to do everything. No one has one job anymore. We stack things so easily. I was a stacker for some time. I was trying to get the most out of everything.
I had a lot of bad jobs in my life. Once I found my train tracks, I couldn’t say no to any work. I loved doing something that I was passionate about and that paid me. That was installed as a template for my life. Now, I feel like I need less in my life, not more.
Where did you notice that you had more where you might want less?
I am originally a writer. I felt like I needed 500 books around me all the time. When I came out of the hospital, I wondered why I was carting these books around all the time. It was an automatic response. The conclusion was that I wanted tolook book smart. I don’t need that anymore. I want to let the theatrical parts of my life go.
How did you start the process of letting go of the extraneous?
I decided to pare my library down to 100 books. If I get a new book, I have to let an old book go. Who is looking at these accomplishments? It’s just me and my cats. I am grateful to still be here. I want to have a meaningful interaction with the world, rather than drifting off into a sea of Netflix every night. I am trying to engage and be present and not so self-conscious all the time. I am trying to just listen.
Can social media fit in the landscape of the goal of presence?
I really want to get off Facebook. I feel it is so unhealthy for me. Posting photos on Facebook to give this impression that all the photos you take are beautiful and spontaneous. It seems incredibly insincere. I am asking myself fundamentally what is important and what isn’t important.
What isn’t important to you?
Instead of a bucket list, I had the idea of creating a “fuck it” list. I don’t need to see the pyramids. I don’t need to skydive. I want to enjoy the small bits of my everyday life. We get into habits and stop thinking of what it all means and why we do it.
We can so often look forward rather than seeing what is in front of us.
I’m still here. I want to get as much real living done as possible.
What happened one year ago to cause this shift in perspective?
I had a heart infection where common bacteria got into my bloodstream and lodged in my heart. I had night sweats for about a year. Parts of my heart had broken off and travelled to my brain. I had a stroke. Strokes are more common than we think. There are smaller strokes that don’t prohibit functioning. I do get tired a little sooner. The amazing thing about the brain is that there are potholes and we can drive around those potholes.
That is a poetic way to describe the recovery.
I’m still recovering. I can’t read very well anymore. I would get the New York Times and read the whole thing in the beginning and remember nothing from it. Sometimes it is depressing that my life isn’t going to turn out the way that I expected.
What do you want from this new life?
I am ready for Canadian citizenship. I feel like I am living on borrowed time. I have no fear anymore. I used to be terribly scared of spiders. They aren’t exactly my friends but I know now they aren’t aggressive. They just want to eat some bugs and live in the wind.
Peaceful cohabiting with insects. Are there questions we can ask to get us on this do less, fuck it path?
Are you living the life you want to live? Are you being the person you want to be?
For more big questions, genuine laughs and fuck-it inspiration, look out for Scott’s talk from TEDxVancouver this November.
