I did not see that coming →

Published July 16, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 16  ·  , ,

I struggle a lot with processes. I struggle with not implementing all of the processes I imagine. I struggle with gauging if some process will have the desired outcome. I struggle with deciding if I’m fascinated with the process, with the outcome, or simply with novelty in itself. I struggle with knowing when to abandon a process; for something I do which had clear benefits in the past, but isn’t moving me forward right now, how long do I stick with that?

Humans have invented all sorts of practices like this, and their purpose is simply to put your mind somewhere outside of your normal, habitual ways of seeing, and discover what you come back with.

Nobody knows quite what insights and paradigm shifts will be produced by doing these practices, which is exactly why you do them.

~ David Cain from, You Need to See Things Differently to Do Things Differently

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Over the years I’ve come to terms with my struggles. That’s just the way it is (for me.) Year by year I find I’m increasingly okay with tossing stuff (figuratively and literally.) “Is this working?” seems too dumb to be useful, and yet it cuts as well as Occam’s Razor. Today, I’m downright comfortable with leaving many ideas and opportunities unexplored. “Life moves pretty fast.“

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Idleness →

Published July 16, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 16  ·  

[H]ad I my life to arrange over again, I would do again as I have done. Only those who have lived at the full stretch seven days a week for a long time can appreciate the full beauty of a regular recurring idleness. Moreover, I am ageing. And it is a question of age. In cases of a bounding youth and exceptional energy and desire for effort I should say unhesitatingly: Keep going, day in, day out.

~ Arnold Bennett

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More than just questions →

Published July 15, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 15  ·  , ,

Questions alone are not enough. Context matters. The mind-set that people bring to the room matters. How people came to be in the room matters. The room itself matters. The social structure of how people talk to each other matters. The action of the leader/convener matters.

~ Peter Block

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Intentional with Auraiya Madrid →

Published July 14, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 14  ·  

Intentional – with Auraiya Madrid

What is the relationship between creativity, resilience, and adaptability in pursuing diverse interests and entrepreneurial endeavors?

Auraiya Madrid highlights the significance of creating meaningful relationships, embracing creativity, and being intentional in her practice, offering insight into her journey as a performer, athlete, and gym owner.

I try to live my life [without regrets] because you do the best with what you know and what you have at the moment. Generally, as long as you’re doing that, that’s all you can do.

~ Auraiya Madrid 18′ 55″

Craig Constantine talks with Auraiya Madrid. They explore her dynamic approach to life as a self-described “Hobby Hoarder,” constantly embracing new projects and challenges. They discuss the transition from performer to content creator and the importance of building authentic connections with audiences. The conversation also dips into Auraiya’s experience founding Edge Movement, a parkour gym, and the valuable lessons learned. Throughout the conversation, Auraiya emphasizes the significance of creativity, diversity, and intentionality in her practice.

Creativity is definitely a skill set … anyone who doesn’t think they have it, that just means they haven’t practiced it. You can always get better at creativity.

~ Auraiya Madrid ~3′ 20″

Takeaways

Embracing Diverse Interests — Erica is a self-described “Hobby Hoarder” who enjoys exploring various activities like movement, arts and crafts, music, and more. Embracing diverse interests can lead to personal growth and creativity.

Creativity as a Skill — Erica emphasizes that creativity is a skill that can be developed with practice. It’s not limited to a select few, and anyone can become more creative through consistent effort.

Prioritizing People and Mentorship — Erica prioritizes paying her coaches well and fostering strong mentor-student relationships. She believes in the importance of investing in people’s growth and providing a positive influence in their lives.

Resources

Edge Movement — https://www.edgemvmnt.com

@auraiyamadrid on IG — https://www.instagram.com/auraiyamadrid/

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Happiness →

Published July 14, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 14  ·  

Happiness. I’m inclined to think it is something that arises spontaneously; When I create space within—meaning when I don’t fill my thoughts and actions up with stress and chaos—then sometimes I discover that happiness fills that space. But I can also tell you that it doesn’t always fill that space.

Kahneman contends that happiness and satisfaction are distinct. Happiness is a momentary experience that arises spontaneously and is fleeting. Meanwhile, satisfaction is a long-term feeling, built over time and based on achieving goals and building the kind of life you admire. On the Dec. 19 podcast “Conversations with Tyler,” hosted by economist Tyler Cowen, Kahneman explains that working toward one goal may undermine our ability to experience the other.

~ Ephrat Livni from, Daniel Kahneman explains why most people don’t want to be happy

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Perhaps I don’t understand the difference between the experience of happiness and satisfaction. I can only note that the idea of, “I am satisfied” or “I am not satisfied”, is a necessary part of feeling satisfaction. Have I ever been and felt satisfied? Yes, I’ve definitely experience that. But how is that different from happiness?

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Speak →

Published July 14, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 14  ·  

All I insist on, and nothing else, is that you should show the whole world that you are not afraid. Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak—and speak in such a way that people will remember it.

~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Crazy →

Published July 13, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 13  ·  , ,

If you want these crazy ideas and these crazy stages, this crazy music, and this crazy way of thinking, there’s a chance it might come from a crazy person.

~ Kayne West

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Fatal but not serious →

Published July 12, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 12  ·  , ,

My deepening dive into conversation will continue for the foreseeable future. I’m still in the phase of learning where, the more I read and listen (explicitly to podcasts but also just to conversations in life in general) the more I discover that I don’t know. I’m definitely in the epoch of “study the masters” and “learn the state of the art.” But still, sometimes things snap into a clear relationship to things I already know.

On the whole, you could say that if you are defending your opinions, you are not serious. Likewise, if you are trying to avoid something unpleasant inside of yourself, that is also not being serious. A great deal of our whole life is not serious. And society teaches you that. It teaches you not to be very serious – that there are all sorts of incoherent things, and there is nothing that can be done about it, and that you will only stir yourself up uselessly by being serious.

But in a dialogue you have to be serious. It is not a dialogue if you are not – not in the way I’m using the word. There is a story about Freud when he had cancer of the mouth. Somebody came up to him and wanted to talk to him about a point in psych-ology. The person said, “Perhaps I’d better not talk to you, because you’ve got this cancer which is very serious. You may not want to talk about this.” Freud’s answer was, “This cancer may be fatal, but it’s not serious.” And actually, of course, it was just a lot of cells growing. I think a great deal of what goes on in society could be described that way – that it may well be fatal, but it’s not serious.

~ David Bohm from, On Dialogue

Everything, everywhere, in every moment does not need to be serious. That’d be exhausting. But if there’s too little in my life that is serious, my behavior starts to polarize. Moments where others want to introduce some levity become to me strident and annoying. I’m finding there’s a balance—but that’s not quite the right word because I’ve not yet discovered how to actually balance this…

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The letter kills →

Published July 12, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 12  ·  , ,

Individually and collectively, men have always been the victim of their own words […] Taken too seriously, symbols have motivated and justified all the horrors of recorded history. On every level from the personal to the international, the letter kills. Theoretically we know this very well. In practice, nevertheless, we continue to commit the suicidal blunders to which we have become accustomed.

~ Aldous Huxley

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Society →

Published July 11, 2023  ·  All posts on Jul 11  ·  , ,

Society is not some grand abstraction, my friends. It’s just us. It’s the words we use, which are the thoughts we have, which determine the actions we take.

~ Umair Haque

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