Scree – Page 119 – Craig Constantine

Risk →

Published March 25, 2022 · All posts on Mar 25 · Movers Mindset

Risk gives you choice, and it gives you opportunity to explore and challenge yourself. Risk is a choice, and you have to learn how to negotiate acceptable and unacceptable risks in our lives. Play is a very safe space to learn how to do that.
~ Caitlin Pontrella

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I keep trying to rearrange my efforts so I can spend more time re-experiencing the hundreds of terrific conversations I’ve experienced. Every single time I manage to find time to go back in, I find something wonderful. That quote is from episode 4 of the Movers Mindset podcast—it wasn’t even called that back then. It was a wonderful, chaotic, ramble of a conversation long before I realized the magic of conversation.

I keep thinking: Have great conversations and get them recorded. Get those conversations recorded so they can be heard by others is the most important part. I have a million other ideas about how to extract meaning, share the best parts, find threads and themes that run across large scales of people and times and …

My hope is that if I simply keep having great conversations, everything else will take care of itself.

Process with Julie Duffy →

Published March 24, 2022 · All posts on Mar 24

What are the connections between writing, creativity, and podcasting as explored through the art of conversation?

The discussion highlights the parallels between storytelling in writing and crafting engaging podcasts.

Some people have a terrible time getting started because when you’re about to start writing you could write about anything. And when you can write about anything, you could write about everything. If you can write about everything, then what do you choose?
~ Julie Duffy (4:11)

The conversation centers on the interplay between writing, podcasting, and creative expression. It begins by discussing the challenges of starting a creative project, with an emphasis on how endless possibilities can be paralyzing. This leads to a broader exploration of overcoming creative blocks, the importance of completing projects, and how understanding the end goal can shape the process.

It also goes into the technical and emotional aspects of storytelling, highlighting parallels between crafting a podcast episode and writing a narrative. Topics include structuring stories, preparing mentally for creative tasks, and the unexpected skills that cross over between disciplines. Finally, the discussion emphasizes the value of listening and allowing space in conversations, which reflects a commitment to meaningful dialogue.

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Priorities with Trevor de Groot →

Published March 24, 2022 · All posts on Mar 24 · Movers Mindset

Priorities with Trevor de Groot

How does movement, in its various forms, influence personal growth, perspective, and community connection?

Parkour fosters a perspective shift that forever changes how individuals experience their surroundings.

I think it’s just about perspective. Everything in life is, and if you can take a fresh perspective that is beneficial to your overall long-term growth, then that’s perfect.
~ Trevor de Groot (10:03)

The conversation examines the multifaceted role of movement in personal and professional life. Topics include the transformative perspective Parkour offers, such as changing how practitioners view and interact with their environment. Trevor discusses the importance of maintaining diverse movement practices, including Parkour, climbing, and martial arts, to foster creativity and growth. He also reflects on the sense of community and collaboration that these activities provide.

The discussion explores balancing personal passions with professional responsibilities, especially in the context of managing a gym and navigating challenges like lockdowns. Trevor shares his insights on re-prioritizing activities to allocate time for personal fulfillment and development. Social media’s influence on sports communities and individual training approaches is also addressed, emphasizing the importance of finding intrinsic motivation.

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The germ theory →

Published March 24, 2022 · All posts on Mar 24

Thus the germ theory, long before it led to medical treatments, drove down mortality rates by revolutionizing sanitation and hygiene.
~ Jason Crawford from, Draining the swamp

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No, literally draining the swamp. There are a few reasons to click through on that. The most amazing is simply to scroll through the long article and glance at all the graphs; Graphs of magnificent drops in mortality rates by the 1950s. The 50s and 60s were demonstrably amazing simply for the fact that by then, most people weren’t dying of the same infectious things that have been killing people for millennia.

But the little gem quoted above was something that made me pause. Yes, it’s always fun to chuckle from the privileged perspective of the third millennia of the Common Era: The germ theory. *giggles* “Theory.” That’s so cute. What made me pause though was the thought about sanitation. I’d always thought of how the germ theory *giggles* affected medical treatments—washing hands by physicians and surgeons and penicillin and all that good stuff. But the idea that, “hey tiny stuff we can’t see can hurt us… maybe we should, ya know, filter and treat the drinking water?” …it hadn’t occurred to me that that too became a thing we actually started doing because of the germ theory.

Discover with David Wilk →

Published March 23, 2022 · All posts on Mar 23

What are the challenges and opportunities in creating and sharing meaningful content in podcasting and publishing?

Podcasting shares its challenges of discovery and audience building with the world of book publishing.

If I tell you about a good podcast, that requires you to sit down, focus your attention, go to a site, put on headphones or your earbuds, and actually listen. That’s hard.
~ David Wilk (15:50)

The conversation explores the intersections between podcasting and publishing, focusing on their shared challenges in audience building and discoverability. It emphasizes how the low barrier to entry in both fields has led to an overwhelming abundance of content, creating a highly competitive environment. The discussion highlights how the “long tail” has evolved into an environment with a top-heavy market where only a few creators dominate.

Another key topic is the personal nature of consuming books and podcasts, which presents unique challenges for sharing and marketing. Podcasts are described as private experiences that lack the social visibility of books. The conversation also reflects on cultural changes, noting how digital experiences have reduced opportunities for shared moments, adding friction to the process of recommending and sharing podcasts.

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The story we tell →

Published March 23, 2022 · All posts on Mar 23 · Movers Mindset, Parkour

The story that you tell people is the story that they’ll believe. And that’s the story that you become. And so for Parkour, we have a bunch of disparate stories that are being told right now, where you have people that are doing their own things… I just think that it’s important that the people who are doing so are taking responsibility for their impact that they have on the global community and the way that Parkour is being viewed.
~ Max Henry

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Really! I wasn’t kidding the other day when I mentioned episode 4 This one is from episode 5.

Recently I published episode 129 of Movers Mindset. And there are 95 episodes of conversations with podcasters for the Podcaster Community’s show. And 38 episodes that I did for Art of Retreat’s SPARKs podcast. Okay, I’m panicking a little now. There are so many amazing things that people have shared!

Know anyone who wants to help me by working as an “archivist” or “research fellow” or something like that? …please forward!

Tension with Luke Harris →

Published March 21, 2022 · All posts on Mar 21

What are the challenges and opportunities of starting and sustaining a podcast, especially in relation to editing, performance, and interviewing?

Starting a podcast reveals unexpected learning curves and creative challenges.

I think for me that the magic is in having the tension— I think that’s where the magic comes from. If I didn’t feel the tension, then I don’t think I’d do as good a job.
~ Luke Harris (15:54)

The conversation explores the technical and emotional challenges of podcasting. Editing emerges as a significant hurdle, with its time-consuming nature and the discomfort of listening to one’s own voice. Craig and Luke discuss how tools like Descript can simplify the process, making it more intuitive and less tedious.

Another topic is the performative aspect of podcasting. Unlike writing, podcasting requires an element of performance and immediacy, which can make it feel intimate and vulnerable. Luke reflects on the importance of staying present in interviews while balancing preplanned agendas, noting how spontaneous moments often lead to richer outcomes.

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Cynosure with David Bourne →

Published March 21, 2022 · All posts on Mar 21 · Cynosure

How does engaging with nature, cycles, and mindfulness practices influence personal growth and creativity?

Insights on mindfulness and personal growth emerge through reflections on seasonal cycles.

We live in an amazing time. On the one hand, technology’s increasingly taking over our lives. But hopefully they’re going to be more of us thinking: You know what? Okay, yeah, tech’s great. But I want to go outside.
~ David Bourne (16:32)

The discussion highlights the profound influence of nature on personal growth and creative expression. Seasonal changes and sensory engagement are explored as essential ways to align with the rhythms of life, emphasizing the rejuvenating effects of connecting with the natural world. Personal practices such as hiking, observing wildlife, and sitting in quiet reflection are celebrated as gateways to mindfulness and inspiration.

Another focal point is the impact of technology on modern life. The conversation critiques the overuse of digital tools while advocating for a conscious balance that prioritizes real-world connections. The power of looking to the night sky is also discussed, offering metaphors for vastness and introspection, while personal anecdotes reveal how such practices foster emotional grounding and clarity.

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Two things →

Published March 21, 2022 · All posts on Mar 21 · 7 for Sunday, Perspective, Apogee

This sudden loss has gotten me to face my own death this week. I know it is coming, just not when. I rarely think about it, because life is so in-my-face, but it’s there, waiting. Tyler’s death is such a stark reminder that we never know how much time we have left.
~ Leo Babauta from, The Tragedy & Liberation of Death

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There are exactly two things about my life of which I am certain. I was born, and I will die. I spend a lot of time contemplating my end; Not in a fatalistic, “come at me bro’!” way, but rather with the intention of reminding myself to make the most out of every moment.

There are many moments where I’m unconscious—quite a few of those moments are while I’m sleeping, but also there are mindless moments aplenty throughout my days. But there are increasingly more mindful moments every day.

An extremely fast way to get to mindfulness—this is the fastest way I’ve found so far—is to think: This may well be the last time I do this. The last walk. The last boulder I scramble upon. The last conversation with this person. The last conversation ever. The last word I type. The last sentence I jauntily scribble with a pen. The last time I drive a car. The last time I ride a bicycle. The last time I wrench my back shoveling snow. The last time something scares the crap out of me. The last time I laugh until I lose control of my bladder. The last time I’m stuck as part of the traffic. The last time I’m part of the solution. The last time I’m the source of the problem. The last time I smash the hell out of my toe on something.

In every one of those cases, I can now enjoy it… if I can manage to remember: This could be the last time I get to experience this.

I’ve even decided that if I can manage it, my last words will be: “Well, if that wasn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” (And just maybe with a literal hat tip to Vonnegut.)

Salutary →

Published March 20, 2022 · All posts on Mar 20

The Victorian love letter and the text message, the memoir and the Instagram selfie — they are all fragments of self-expression frozen in time, expressing a self fragmentary and discontinuous across the sweep of a life, fragments that can never reconstitute for posterity a complete and cohesive portrait of a person, because to be a person is to be perpetually contradictory and incomplete.
~ Maria Popova from, Bridging the Island Universes of Our Experience

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Today was a good day. Any day wherein I stumble upon a word I do not know is a good day. I think it’s just right as rain that Huxley would be the source of the “salutary” which caused me to reach for my dictionary. (If it’s also new to you, I’ll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with “salutation,” as I had presumed.)

In addition to the unexpectedly salutary new word—a second hint—I was pleasantly held up in my light reading by Popova’s sentiment. I’m certainly not going to truly understand someone in one brief conversation. But I am definitely better off for each of those experiences spending time visiting another island universe. (That’s one of Huxley’s metaphors. Click thru already!)