Mark All As Read.

Turn up the lights in here, baby.

Extra bright I want y'all to see this,

Turn up the lights in here, baby.

You know what I need,

Want you to see everything,

Want you to see all of the lights.

- Kanye West + Rihanna

I just logged into my Google Reader account for the last two weeks. The Google informed me that I had 1000+ unread items. After skimming some articles about startup launch announcements on VentureBeat, I hit the 'Mark All as Read' button at the top.

"Yes Google, I am sure that I want to do this."

"No Google, do not ask me again. I'm an adult."

Clean slate. Sometimes it's just better to get a new sheet of paper than dig yourself out of a hole.

To be fair, the hole is self-induced and totally worth the dividends I received by focusing solely on a research project for the U. It was a hard effort. It was terrifying. It stretched me and introduced me to new possibilities cognitively and physiologically. Most importantly it was fun and satisfying.

It's been said that construction workers have the greatest job satisfaction of any profession. I would say that entrepreneurship and academic research are the same. Just like my friends who find satisfaction in pointing to tangible evidence of something they have produced - like driving down a road they paved or past a building they built - I have the same satisfaction in seeing a startup start to find its place in the market or watching someone present some findings that I helped contribute to.

I love the long hours. I love mulling over the floating puzzle pieces to see if they'll come together. I love the uncertainty, the ambiguity, the fear, the failure. I love the fascination, the possibility, the wonder of it all.

I love the act of producing.

Everything else - the accolades, the potential for wealth, the reputation (or something) - they are "nice-to-haves"; catalytic byproducts of doing the work I love and wish to excel at.

But sometimes, I let things go unmaintained for too long. My Google Reader and Gmail Account are certainly lightposts to indicate how well I am managing other areas of my life.

If I have made a commitment to you that I didn't follow through on - a promise to call, or meet or further a task - I appreciate your patience and I ask that we 'Mark All As Read' anything that's incomplete between us a result of my lack of focus. I recommit to complete what I originally said I would do. And I as I work through my email and other communication channels, expect to find a message from me about getting done what needs to get done.

Thanks for your love and patience.

-T