One of the most fascinating discoveries in the history of physics is that things fall. Using basic principles, without any complex math and without armed guards, a farmer can find out when and why his stone will fall to earth. He can also predict where it will land when he tosses it over his head. In this song I hope to remind us how quickly we forget how fast time moves—and how powerful it feels to know yourself in the present moment.
One day we will not be able to remember what life was like before these technologies existed, but for now take a moment for some contemplation on our past. A falling stone takes 0.33 s to travel past a window 2.2 m tall. If a stone is thrown straight up into the air, it falls for 2.2 s before hitting the ground. It takes 0.33 s for a stone thrown straight up to hit the ground. It takes 0.66 s for a stone thrown straight down to hit the ground. A falling stone increases its velocity by 9 m/s every second.
A lost cell phone struck by lightning at sea level falls at 10 m/s each second, traveling 5 miles in 15 minutes, while dropping in elevation from 150 feet above sea level to 150 feet below sea level. A falling cell phone impacts with a force of 120 g’s, equivalent to 120 times the force of gravity on earth (one g).
This Is Why This Year Will Be The Year Of A Falling Stone :
1. You’re not insane, they’re just like you.
A great deal is happening but little can be seen on the surface. All the people in your vicinity are in the same boat as you, hoping and struggling to feel less alone. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve willingly suspended our disbelief, allowing ourselves to believe that it’s only happening to us and that everyone else seems to be doing okay. This leads us to make excuses for ourselves: “I have time,” or “I’ll do it tomorrow,” or “He’s going through a tough time at work.” It feels like it’s an individual battle against nature, when it’s really a team effort.
2. If you want to change, everything will be changed.
“You can’t expect to wield supreme power just because you were lucky enough to be born into the right family,” said Luke Skywalker’s mentor, Yoda. “That’s not how it works.” This year is all about figuring out what’s most important in your life and doing something about it.
You can’t just sit around and wish for a better job or more money or a better relationship with your mom; you have to create the circumstances that allow these things to happen. In order for good things to happen, we have to put ourselves in situations that make them possible—that’s what this year is all about.
3. Life is a path.
If you’re paying attention, there will be a moment in any given day when you can give up and feel defeated, or you can push onwards and experience the triumph of making it to the next step. Every day we have the choice of choosing where we want to go and how we want to feel about our lives. Every moment is a chance to go somewhere new, or stay behind and lament what could have been—the choice is ours. This year will be the year that keeps bringing us back on track—just keep moving forward and don’t look back.
4. The world is yours, man.
We’re all living our lives, but we have to do it without the magic—we’re still mere mortals. And magic isn’t enough anymore. You have to solve problems yourself and find your own solutions to the problems of the world, because that’s what real art is all about. We weren’t born with the tools necessary to change our minds or the tools necessary to change our planet; finding these things is hard work and it takes time. Sometimes I get lost in my mind trying new ideas, and sometimes I lose interest in what I was doing before I start thinking again. One day I’ll feel the power of those ideas and I’ll be able to do anything.
5. Every moment is the moment that can change your life.
It’s never too late to turn your life around. We always have time to start fresh and change our minds—the door is always open. We’re not meant to find all the answers right away; we have to go through our own journey of discovery before we begin building something amazing, or even just something comfortable. Some days I’m excited and optimistic, running with my heart while my feet barely touch the ground, while other days I’m so tired that I can’t seem to move at all. Yet, there are moments in life when you’ll feel so perfectly at ease that it’ll feel like you’re living someone else’s life—it’s a moment I want to share with everyone. Yes, this is what we came for.
6. You can do anything, but you must do everything.
I feel like I’m walking again after a long time of feeling stuck on the ground, just thinking about running and doing things but never quite starting to walk or really enjoying any activity I do instead. Now I just have to keep moving forward and trust that my legs will carry me the distance that I need; eventually they’ll carry me all the way home.
