Craig Constantine

Surprising connections →

Published March 8, 2021 · All posts on Mar 8

In these blog posts I’m trying to capture my initial experiences using a Slipbox. These posts are tedious to write and relatively long reads– just to capture one tiny idea. Sorry about that.

Why am I writing this post about the Slipbox?

When [if?] you start a Slipbox, you quickly wonder: Should I “import” everything [glancing about, books, Evernote, blogs… whatever it is you have]? Woa, that’d be a lot of work. It’s obviously not necessary that one “import” all your previous whatever-you-have in your life into a Slipbox; It’d be your Slipbox so there’s no “necessary.”

But there is some heated discussion about this: should one, or should one not, back import? The consensus is DON’T. The theory is that I have collected too much stuff. (That feeling of having collected much, but yet not accomplished what I want to with it, is part of what I’m trying to wrestle to the ground.) Putting anything into a physical Slipbox is a little more friction. And that’s one of the key points.

On the other hand, I have a curated collection of things here on my web site. And one dear-to-me tag is for specific podcast episodes I’ve heard over the years. That’s why I’ve been working through adding these particular podcasts to the Slipbox.

Today I found a podcast episode that I listened to in 2017. I was adding a slip about this podcast, noting that it is a wonderful introduction to Stoicism. I’m far beyond the contents of this podcast now, having done a lot of reading of original source, and modern analysis. But it’s something I wanted in the Slipbox, for the next time someone asks. (Elsewhere I pointed out that writing URLs is bonkers, so what I do is add a slip to the Slipbox and add a little symbol to remind myself there’s a corresponding blog post.)

So there I was adding that podcast, adding the person-reference (not explained here how/why I do that, sorry) …and OH SNAP! That podcast is with William Irvine. Back then, I had no idea who he is/was.

I’m currently reading a book by W B Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life. It’s an introduction to the ancient art of Stoic joy. (It’s an interesting book, etc but that’s not the point today.)

The point is that this connection was one I had missed. If I had had that podcast in my Slipbox, I would have noticed when I was first looking into this book.

Not sure all that typing is of any help. But there it is none the less. :)

The best interviewer-on-interviewing options? →

Published March 6, 2021 · All posts on Mar 6 · Conversation

The best “interviewer on interviewing” options that I’m aware of are when a really good interviewer is interviewed by someone else. Certainly not every time, but sometimes. Here’s one:

Cal Fussman — The Interview Master: Cal Fussman and the Power of Listening (#145)

slip:4c2co3f3.

The one skill →

Published March 5, 2021 · All posts on Mar 5 · Self-improvement

I owe a large debt to Leo Babauta of Zen Habits for the tremendous number of tremendously useful posts I’ve had the pleasure of noodling over. One way I try to pay back people who’ve been kind enough to create positive things sprinkled around the Internet is simply to point as many people as I can towards said things. If you’d like to try a large dose of—what I lovingly refer to as—Leo-zen, try his free ebook, The One Skill.

slip:2oe3.

Going in dumb →

Published March 4, 2021 · All posts on Mar 4 · Conversation

In the episode with Ray Suarez, about 43 minutes in, they’re talking about the evergreen (for those of us into this stuff) topic of preparation. Should one be [prepared]? How much, or how little? And so on. There aren’t many things I listen to more than once; this is one.

Here’s a link to the area where Suarez starts discussing “going in dumb” versus going in prepared. If you’re really into conversation, you’ll need about 15 minutes as you probably won’t be able to press stop. In any case, nothing I write here is as important as what they’re discussing.

https://overcast.fm/+JU6XxrKbc/43:16

That’s a link to the Overcast podcast player’s web frontend. It will simply play from that time code right in your web browser. You can also try this link to the episode itself.)

Ray Suarez

slip:4c2co3f2.

Kyle Koch: Training, nature, and tracking →

Published March 3, 2021 · All posts on Mar 3 · Movers Mindset

Kyle Koch: Training, nature, and tracking

How can movement practices and interactions with nature inspire personal growth and improve physical and mental well-being?

Going to a gym doesn’t cut it for Kyle Koch; His movement is guided by being in nature and responding to his environment. He recounts his movement journey from beginnings to rediscovery, and explains his current training. Kyle shares his insights on learning to interact with the environment, and seeing others begin to train outside. He discusses the nervous system, the importance of training in nature, and his inspirations.

So I think that the sit spot is exactly that. It’s just going outside and being curious and seeing what draws your attention, and then asking more questions, ‘Oh, that tree is interesting.’ Question I might ask is, could I climb it? And if I can climb it, will I climb it? Or I see all these trees that I can’t yet climb, but that’s the motivation.
~ Kyle Koch (16:15)

Kyle Koch is a former IT software technician turned nature nerd. He has been facilitating transformative experiences in nature for almost a decade: inspiring youth and adults to connect to their gifts through exploration, play, and curiosity. Kyle is always expanding his practice through the study and application of: functional neurology concepts, traditional strength training, martial arts (Systema), and meditation and breathing (Wim Hof Method). When not teaching or facilitating, you can find Kyle exploring ways to deepen his connection with himself, others, and the Earth.

The conversation highlights the importance of movement practices rooted in nature and personal curiosity. Kyle recounts his journey from childhood activities to rediscovering movement through a blend of survival training, parkour, and gym-based conditioning. The discussion includes the benefits of integrating natural and gym environments, emphasizing how training tailored to real-world applications enhances overall performance.

A significant theme is the role of observation and mindfulness in nature, exemplified by practices like sit spots, which encourage curiosity and engagement with the environment. The conversation also examines how vision, both literal and figurative, plays a role in physical training and mental relaxation, alongside the value of fostering connections with mentors to guide personal and physical growth.

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Better is better →

Published March 3, 2021 · All posts on Mar 3

I once asked someone a long, complicated question related to how I was currently doing something. I was considering changing the way I did the thing, and would “more” be better? …or would “less” be better? …or maybe something entirely different would be better? Their answer was:

“Better is better.”

As 2021 came around I found myself assessing what this blog is, why I’m investing all the time and effort, and what do I want you, Dear Reader, to get from it. It’s that last part that I’ve not specifically thought about in the past decade. 10 years of posting nearly 3,000 posts… and that’s all been done for my benefit. I realized I want this blog to help you become more reflective, and as a first step that’s why I created the previous 8 weeks of daily posts.

Going forward you’ll receive a single email from me on Sunday mornings. My hope is that a longer, but less-frequent email will encourage you to spend higher-quality time reading and reflecting.

I’ll see you on Sunday!

Our journey of small steps →

Published March 2, 2021 · All posts on Mar 2

Meditation is intermittent fasting for the mind. Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit.
~ Naval Ravikant

Today’s message is not really a prompt like the previous 60. Alas, we’ve reached the terminus of our journey of small steps practicing reflection.

Thank you for being awesome!

I created this series by taking my personal collection of self-reflection prompts and forming them into these blog posts. Next, I wrote the three getting-started posts to ease you into the daily routine. Finally, I came up with a theme for each of the 8 weeks and wrote short additions that appeared below the main sequence of prompts. These additions carry the through-line of teaching self-reflection. (…or at least, I hope they did.)

Here are all the additional parts in one place:

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Reflection: Day 60 →

Published March 1, 2021 · All posts on Mar 1

LOOK BACK — Look back at some of the things you’ve accomplished or experienced and think… — “Well if that isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut — “One never notices what has been done; One can only see what remains to be done.” ~ Marie Curie

One day, tomorrow in fact, there won’t be any more of these prompts. But having read this far, I hope you’ll believe me when I say: You’ll like tomorrow’s post too.

Arrived in the middle? Visit the first post, Where to begin?
(The entire series is available to download as a PDF ebook.)

Reflection: Day 59 →

Published February 28, 2021 · All posts on Feb 28

FESTINA LENTE — Make haste, slowly. Or, unrestrained moderation. — “The worker must be stronger than his project; loads larger than the bearer must necessarily crush him. Certain careers, moreover, are not so demanding in themselves as they are prolific in begetting a mass of other activities. Enterprises which give rise to new and multifarious activities should be avoided; you must not commit yourself to a task from which there is no free egress. Put your hand to one you can finish or at least hope to finish; leave alone those that expand as you work at them and do not stop where you intended they should.” ~ Seneca, On Tranquility

Last week we began looking beyond this small, introductory journey and talking about ways you could continue on your own.

Reflection: Day 58 →

Published February 27, 2021 · All posts on Feb 27

HUMILITY — Imitate Socrates.

Simply being is easy to understand but difficult to embody. In week six I tried to point at the moon, while hoping my pointing finger didn’t draw your attention instead.