Patrick Gallagher Clark

Welcome

The site will finally be updating and changing quite a bit in the next few months. With a little luck will get some stuff done before the end of December.

The focus of this site will be to inspire people, plain and simple. The exact definition will depend largely on the reactions I get from “You”, the visitor. So stay tuned and stand by. While you’re waiting you can also watch my YouTube channel videos by simply clicking on them below. There are more videos than initially displayed on this page. Feel free to visit my channel.

Take care and let’s see what happens.

OR, visit my blog right now. It is simply loaded with over 150 articles on a wide range of topics.

Notes in the Left Margin
notesintheleftmargin.com

Your interpretation of everything is composed of many layers. As though looking out from the inside of an aquarium. This brief video is about how to take advantage of that very fact, that your reality is layered. Because it means that each of these layers can be adjusted. Thereby allowing you to take advantage of new ways of looking at things, diffusing potentially negative situations. This is a companion video when article on my blog which you can find here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/10/approach-life-as-though-your-brain.html The main blog can be found here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/ Main section background music: "Lace Tablecloths" by The Mini Vandals https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdSDPjB1kle7puRKAuHP_g YouTube Audio Library licence
Approach Life As Though Your Brain Lived in a Fish Tank
I find it very strange, that I keep running into people who emphatically tell me they don't like change-they like routine. These aren't elderly people either, their ages run the gamut. If this article has one point, it is that I believe the unexpected is it very necessary component of a full life. "The unexpected is the catalyst for creativity." Even though in today's very busy world we all wish for more order and less surprises, for creativity to flourish there must be an opportunity for the unexpected. Let me know your thoughts, and enjoy! Patrick The companion article can be found here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/08/creativity-and-unexpected.html The landing page for my website "Notes in the Left Margin" is of course here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com Main video ackground music from YouTube Audio Library Floating Lanterns by The Mini Vandals https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdSDPjB1kle7puRKAuHP_g
Creativity And the Unexpected
Some people believe that if you simply wait. Profound change will come your way. This is not how the real world works and yet I've run into many people, in increasing numbers, who believe that they can literally stay the same, with the same behaviours, and somehow their world will change for the better. This video is actually for an old article I wrote in January 2024 entitled "If You Do Not Change, You Will Not Find." Which gives a few thoughts on the matter. Have a look and let me know what you think. If you find this useful then you have made my day. Feel free to critique the video and or article. I do read and listen to all the responses. The article can be found at https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2024/01/if-you-do-not-change-you-will-not-find.html The main website is of course "Notes in the Left Margin" https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com Take care Patrick Clark
If You Do Not Change, You Will Not Find
What if all your needs are met such that you didn't have to worry about the basics of life? Would you strive to take advantage of all your free time and explore the world around you, or would you tend to atrophy socially? This is the question I talk about in this video and that there is a companion article. I have recently met people who are in this situation, a situation that most of uswould love to have. You can read the accompanying article on my blog "Notes in the Left Margin" https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/06/when-nothing-matters-find-something.html Feel of course to visit the main blog any time at https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com Leave comments either on YouTube or on the site. Patrick Clark
When nothing matters… Find Something That Does.
I will tell anyone that I absolutely love to learn. I really mean it, there is just something magical about the whole process. Sometimes the more difficult task the more I like it, and there is a grand feeling of expanding horizons. So why is it, that of late I have seen more and more people who actively despise learning. They seem utterly disinterested in knowing why something is true or false. Preferring just go with the flow. That's when I talk about in this short video. Originally the video wasn't supposed to happen but after writing the article on my blog, which you can find the link down below, the article by itself just didn't convey my enthusiasm about the topic. So whichever format you prefer that either written word or, by way of visual presentation, enjoy! Patrick A companion article can be found on lifelong "Notes in the Left Margin". https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/03/the-exploration-afforded-by-learning.html The home page for the site, is of course at: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com
The Exploration Afforded by Learning
Are people becoming resistant to learning? Sounds crazy on the surface, but I think something is going on. In this short 11 minute video I consider that very point. This all started with a Technology Connections a week ago and it really got me thinking. I work with a lot of young students and they really don't have the same mental tools for discovering things. Could this be and overreliance on technology. Watch the video and read the short companion article and then let me know what you think. You can find the article at my website "Notes in the Left Margin": https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/03/are-people-becoming-resistant-to.html The home page for the website is of course: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com The Technology Connections YouTube video is: "Algorithms are breaking how we think" and it is really worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJpZjg8GuA As always feel free to leave comments either on YouTube or at my website. Take care Patrick Clark.
Are People Becoming Resistant To Learning?
Everyone knows someone who has many great ideas and starts plenty of projects only never to finish them. In this video I cover overthinking an idea and some of the reasons why people do it. As usual this is a companion video to an article on the blog Notes in the Left Margin. You can find it at: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/02/overthinking-and-hidden-habits.html Of course you can visit the main page of the site any time at: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/ Please feel free to leave comments either here on YouTube or under the article itself on the site. Have a great day. Patrick Clark
Overthinking and Hidden Habits
I have noticed that more and more people seem to be afraid of challenge or difficulty. The proper challenge in life is what gives it meaning. Each time you face a challenge or difficulty there is the opportunity to grow. Ones life goal should not be to make everything easy. As the old saying goes "Use, It or Lose It." In this video I attempt to convey an enthusiastic endorsement for a good challenge. If this inspires you or makes you react in some way please leave a comment here on YouTube over on my website "Notes in the Left Margin": https://notesintheleftmargin.com There is also a written companion article on the site which can be found here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2025/02/to-benefit-from-challenge-is-meaning-of.html Best Patrick Clark
To benefit from Challenge, Is the Meaning of Life
In this video I talk about promoting personal optimism. That is, understanding why you feel a particular way in any given situation and then taking action to at the very least trough understanding from the event. When possible actually making the situation result in a positive healthy understanding of yourself and anyone involved. Most of the time people tend to run on autopilot, merely reacting to events. Or that is what they think is happening when in reality what you are reacting to is your own personal interpretation of the situation. This means that you can change that interpretation in a very real way. This is just a short 10 minute video you can find the article on which it is space at my website: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2024/12/promoting-optimism-glass-is-half-full.html The main website, Notes In the Left Margin is at: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/ Background Music: Auld Lang Syne (Instrumental) by Jingle Punks YouTube Audio Library SEARCH PHRASE Promote optimism as you go through your daily life. It not only will improve your well-being, it will also deepen your understanding of other people . Take Care, Patrick Clark
Promoting optimism: The Glass Is Half Full!
You hear the word "Patience" quite frequently now days. But if you considered what it is to actually have patience? Indeed what is it that makes someone impatient in any particular situation? Like most things it is a skill which needs to be practised and understood. In this video I talk a bit about my personal journey in that regard. I work with the public and let me tell you it is an invaluable attribute to have. There is a short companion article on my blog, "Notes in the Left Margin" https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2024/12/how-to-cultivate-patience-personal.html The main blog can be reached here. https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com ------------------------------- The background music featured in the main part of the video is: "I Saw Three Ships" by Audionautix and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ You can find it in the YouTube Audio Library. ------------------------------- As always feel free to leave a comment either on YouTube or the blog, Take care, Patrick
How to Cultivate Patience
The topic for this video and article combination occurred to me after I watched an interview with psychiatrist Dr.Bany Lee regarding Donald Trump's perception of the world. It was immediately clear that the way he perceives the world is very different, kind of a "constant conflict state". This got me thinking about the perceptions we all share and the assumptions we make. There is an general assumption that human experience has some fundamental and therefore shared aspects. I am not so sure… Imagine if we could connect to each other's minds, with the way they arrive at a decision be common to the way the visitor's method of arriving at the same decision is, or would it be far more diverse and different? I by no means come up with an answer here this is more just raising the question and pondering the possibilities.… Let me know what you think. You can find the written component of this video on my blog "Notes In The Left Margin" here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2024/10/how-is-your-mind-handling-internet-in.html The main website, with well over 100 articles now can be found here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/ It is a cornucopia of things written over the years with that healthy dose of psychology and some technology. Drop on by any time and leave me a note :-) Take care Patrick Clark ---------------- I mentioned the interview where Dr. Bany Lee discusses Donald Trump's inner mental state. Here is a link directly to the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNbDH1tqt5I
How is your mind handling the Internet in the 21st century
Have our Articles, News Stories, Books and other documents become too brief and chopped up to be truly useful to anyone looking up information? This video and article started out simply enough, but it is quickly evolving. It began as an observation on how reading and writing have changed with respect to the actual knowledge contained in an article versus the current trend of chopping things up small bite size pieces. Frequently this results in incomplete knowledge and a great deal of time ultimately wasted because one spends most of their time compiling small parts of facts. The article on the blog will continue to evolve, simply because I keep running into more examples of overly abridged documents. During the very production of this video I spent over four days straightening out a problem with the credit scroll at the end of the video. Simply because of the many sources I looked at only one explained the particular design philosophy used by the software I was using. So stay tuned and keep checking the blog article. You can find the companion article at my blog "Let's Get Back to a Richer Quality of Reading and Writing". https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com/2024/09/lets-get-back-to-richer-quality-of.html The main website "Notes In The Left Margin" can be accessed here: https://www.notesintheleftmargin.com Feel free to leave whatever comments or thoughts you like. ****A special thanks to Paul Stenning at The Heathkit Schematic and Manual Archive, which is how I found the Heathkit material mentioned in both the article and video. https://www.vintage-radio.info/heathkit/ Take care Patrick
Let's Get Back to a Richer Quality of Reading and Writing
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