Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.
~ Oscar Wilde
slip:4a466.
§19 – One word
What is it, in this sport or project, that moves me, motivates me, nourishes me—and helps me thrive and shine?
~ Vincent Thibault
What facilitates my flourishing? Today, I’m going to say it’s space.
Not physical space—although there’s a nice metaphor here about having things planted too closely in a garden and how that affects the plants’ flourishing. No, not physical space; I’ve plenty of that.
Perhaps not even mental space—I’m certainly buffeted about by the myriad winds of demands and responsibilities. But with very few exceptions, I’ve created all of those zephyrs. No, although I have left myself no mental space, I am able usually to create it on demand.
Most likely it’s emotional space. The idea that we need room to soak in the emotional experiences that go along with the reality of things, events, and people, and to do that with no specific “why” in mind.
ɕ
Steve Zavitz: Freelancing, artistic process, and parkour culture
What drives someone to transition from a traditional career path into a freelance life focused on parkour photography and videography, and what insights can they share about this journey?
Steve Zavitz shares his passion for parkour photography and film: from his transition to freelancing, his process, and what he likes to create. He discusses the changing style and culture around parkour videos, and the impact social media has had. Steve reflects on the evolving culture, audience, and growth of parkour, and what that means for communities today.
It was in the back of my head where I was like, ‘You know, eventually, I would like to be working fully for myself, being a freelance photographer, videographer, doing my own thing.’ But it wasn’t like I have a three-year plan or a five-year plan or whatever. It was just, I’m going to go out and shoot stuff that I really like doing because I want to, because I need to, almost.
~ Steve Zavitz (11:45)
The conversation explores Steve Zavitz’s path from working in various traditional jobs to transitioning into a full-time freelance career centered around parkour photography and videography. Steve recounts his early experiences capturing parkour scenes on low-quality cameras, highlighting the incremental steps that led to his professional break working with prominent parkour brands. His approach to building a portfolio emphasizes pursuing personal passions rather than following trends, which ultimately led to organic growth and recognition in the parkour community.
In addition to discussing the creative and technical aspects of his work, Steve reflects on the evolving parkour culture and the shifting landscape of content creation. He touches on the growing prevalence of daily parkour posts on social media and how that contrasts with the slower-paced, community-driven videos of the past. The dialogue also reveals concerns about how gym-based parkour might inadvertently limit resilience and self-directed learning in newer practitioners.
Takeaways
The journey to freelancing — Transitioning from traditional employment to freelance work often involves years of side projects and incremental growth.
Parkour culture through videos — Parkour videos once centered on community and lifestyle but are now often shaped by social media trends, leading to more polished but less personal content.
Creative persistence — Shooting and editing work that aligns with personal interests fosters long-term success, rather than chasing trends or producing content solely for commercial appeal.
Role of editing in storytelling — Editing parkour photos or videos should enhance but not distort the narrative, balancing honesty with artistic refinement.
Generational shifts in parkour — Older practitioners view parkour through the lens of community and shared experiences, whereas newer participants may focus more on individual performance and social media presence.
Resources
Tempest Freerunning — One of the parkour brands Steve Zavitz has worked with, known for high-profile parkour athletes and creative projects.
The Motus Project — A parkour brand focused on high-quality parkour apparel and media.
Skochypstiks — A parkour clothing brand Steve collaborates with, producing movement-focused apparel.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
ɕ
Incessant
I’m on a streak about my problems and weaknesses, and today I have another one: Incessant, incremental improvement. I need to learn that sometimes it’s best to leave well-enough alone. My drive for continuous improvement causes me problems in two ways.
First, not every conceived improvement turns out to be so in the end. It’s more like a random walk experiment; One step forward, one step forward, one step forward, two steps back! The setbacks stick in my craw and I get fixated on the thing I was tinkering with. I had good enough, better, ok wow, awesome… and the setback to ‘better’ just feels unbearable. My favorite though is the setback to now it’s totally broken.
Second, I expend huge amounts of mental effort and time looking for incremental improvements. I can take this quest to batshit-crazy levels. Sometimes I manage to see or experience something and not start thinking of ways to change it. Sometimes. It’s rare. There’s no peace nor serenity when your mind is always ticking looking for improvements.
As usual, more questions and observations than answers today.
ɕ
Dopamine
On the other hand, if you choose to work inside this messy metaphor, you get the thrill of finding a new path instead of merely following the old one.
~ Seth Godin from, Ahead of the curve | Seth’s Blog
slip:4useae3.
I was reading recently about ways to add pleasure and enjoyment by simply planning ahead for the more simple things one regularly does. For example, instead of just going out randomly for dinner, plan in the morning to go out for dinner at 6:15 this evening—even if it’s just to your regular, local spot. The anticipation of even a small, normally trivial and unconsidered act, will be pleasurable all day.
Which leads me to wondering about wether one of my problems is that I too often rush ahead. If I have an idea for a project, since I’ve a tremendous amount of freedom to choose what I do on a daily basis, there’s no reason (so my thinking goes,) that I shouldn’t just start on it right now. …and of course once I’ve started, I may as well sprint all the way through, and reveal my creation fully formed.
Except, there was no anticipation between the idea and the execution.
I already, intentionally do not act on a lot of ideas. (My motto for 2019 is, “no.”) But what if I intentionally begin to not act yet on my ideas to which I’ve said yes. If an idea is so great, it will certainly be there tomorrow. (I see now that there’s also an element of impulse control involved here.) Tomorrow—or next week—when I come back to the idea and find it still very interesting, then it might be time to schedule some time to work on it. Then let that sit for a few more days, and so on.
Some interesting food for thought. I’ll think about this some more tomorrow.
ɕ
Daily reminders
I learned then that even when I felt powerless to control my job or education — or anything else that seemed out of my hands — I always had control over my own mind and how I treated others. Even when I had nothing else, I could still be kind, just, generous, honest, loving and compassionate.
~ Susan Fowler
slip:4a1138.
I find that I’ve often committed myself to an unmanageable number of responsibilities. There are so many things I have the personal power to do, that I seem to be compelled to constantly deploy my power. Worse, I feel guilty if I’m not constantly applying my power towards some goal. I end up with a forest of goals and a feeling of being trapped. Shortly after feeling trapped, I find myself sinking into the pits of dispair on the shore of the lake of learned helplessness.
One habit I’ve built to try to keep myself entirely away from that lake is a collection of daily reminders. Ever the process maniac, I have them in my personal task management system in a rotation that brings one up each day. There are enough of them that even though they are in a fixed order I never know which is next. Each feels like a fresh reminder. They are collected from Ben Franklin, Leo Babauta and some other places I’ve neglected to keep track of.
They are:
- AM I AN ENERGY-GIVER OR -TAKER? — Strive to lift others up; to leave them feeling better than before the encounter. While being mindful of my own energy level, seek ways to create a zest for life in others.
- BECOME MINDFUL OF ATTACHMENTS THAT LEAD TO CLUTTER AND COMPLEXITY — For example, if you are attached to sentimental items, you won’t be able to let go of clutter. If you are attached to living a certain way, you will not be able to let go of a lot of stuff. If you are attached to doing a lot of activities and messaging everyone, your life will be complex.
- TEMPERANCE — Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
- BE PROACTIVE — While the word proactivity is now fairly common in management literature, it is a word you won’t find in most dictionaries. It means more than meerly taking initiative. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values. We have the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen. (Habit 1)
- AM I LIKELY TO “ACT” OR “REACT” TO A TASK? — Seek the reason for the task so that it may motivate me to proper action. Otherwise, determine how to eliminate or avoid the task entirely. Do or do not; there is no try.
- SILENCE — Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
- WHAT AM I DOING WHILE ON “THE BENCH?” — If there is somewhere I want to be, begin walking. Identify something which I can do now, or very soon, which is interesting. Remember that efficacy is active, not passive.
- BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND — Each part of your life can be examined in the context of the whole, of what really matters most to you. By keeping that end clearly in mind you can make certain that whatever you do on any particular day does not violate the criteria you have defined as supremely important, and that each day of your life contributes in a meaningful way to the vision you have to your life as a whole. (Habit 2)
- DISTRACTION, BUSYNESS AND CONSTANT SWITCHING ARE MENTAL HABITS — We don’t need any of these habits, but they build up over the years because they comfort us. We can live more simply by letting go of these mental habits. What would life be like without constant switching, distraction and busyness?
- ORDER — Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
- WHAT CAN I DO TO BE SO GOOD THEY CAN’T IGNORE ME? — Continuous improvement? A “big swing?” A simple but insightful solution? The path to “the best” is not obvious and likely does not directly through the most-obvious next thing.
- PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST — The degree to which we have developed our independent will in our everyday lives is measured by our personal integrity. Integrity is, fundamentally, the value we place on ourselves. It’s our ability to take and keep commitments to ourselves, to “walk our talk.” It’s honor with self, a fundamental part of the Character Ethic, the essence of proactive growth. (Habit 3)
- AM I AUTHENTIC OR OBSEQUIOUS? — Discerning the difference between obsequiousness and politeness can be difficult, but courtesy should be rooted in benevolence. Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love.
- SINGLE-TASK BY PUTTING YOUR LIFE IN FULL-SCREEN MODE — Imagine that everything you do — a work task, answering an email or message, washing a dish, reading an article — goes into full-screen mode, so that you don’t do or look at anything else. You just inhabit that task fully, and are fully present as you do it. What would your life be like? In my experience, it’s much less stressful when you work and live this way. Things get your full attention, and you do them much better. And you can even savor them.
- RESOLUTION — Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
- THINK WIN/WIN — Most people tend to think in terms of dichotomies: strong or weak, hardball or softball, win or lose. But that kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed. It’s based on power and position rather than on principle. Win/Win is based on the paradigm that there is plenty for everybody, that one person’s success is not achieved at the expense or exclusion of the success of others. (Habit 4)
- HOW DO I TREAT SOMEONE I DON’T KNOW? — Your character shows in how you treat those who can do nothing for you.
- FRUGALITY — Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
- SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD — You’ve spent years learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training or education have you had that enables you to listen so that you really, deeply understand another human being from that individual’s own frame of reference? (Habit 5)
- CREATE SPACE BETWEEN THINGS — Add padding to everything. Do half of what you imagine you can do. We tend to cram as much as possible into our days. And this becomes stressful, because we always underestimate how long things will take, and we forget about maintenance tasks like putting on clothes and brushing teeth and preparing meals. We never feel like we have enough time because we try to do too much. But what would it be like if we did less? What would it be like if we padded how long things took, so that we have the space to actually do them well, with full attention? What would it be like if we took a few minutes’ pause between tasks, to savor the accomplishment of the last task, to savor the space between things, to savor being alive?
- INDUSTRY — Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
- SYNERGIZE — What is synergy? Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It means that the relationship which the parts have to each other is a part in and of itself. It is not only a part, but the most catalytic, the most empowering, the most unifying, and the most exciting part. (Habit 6)
- IS THERE AN ELEMENT OF STRUGGLE IN MY HISTORY? — This reminds me to be kind for everyone I meet is working through their own struggle. Through the experience of my own struggle I can better understand and emphathize with others on similar journeys. Furthermore, being reminded of my past struggles suggests perspective on my day-to-day general lack of struggle.
- MY OATH — Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I shall make no excuses and hold no grudges. I care not where I came from, only where I am going. I don’t compare myself to others, only to myself from yesterday. I shall not brag about successes nor complain about my struggles, but share my experiences and help my fellows. I know I impact those around me with my actions, and so I must move forward, every day. I acknowledge fear, doubt, and despair, but I do not let them defeat me.
- SINCERITY — Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
- SHARPEN THE SAW — It’s preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have–you. It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature: physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. … “Sharpen the saw” basically means expressing all four motivations. It means exercising all four dimensions of our nature, regularly and consistently in wise and balanced ways. (Habit 7)
- WHAT HAVE I BEEN READING? — I’ve performed this experiment countless times: Read little: nothing happens. Read more: ideas, new connections, inspiration, questions, motivation, short-cuts, wonder.
- JUSTICE — Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
- FIND JOY IN A FEW SIMPLE THINGS — For me, those include writing, reading/learning, walking and doing other active things, eating simple food, meditating, spending quality time with people I care about. Most of that doesn’t cost anything or require any possessions (especially if you use the library for books!). I’m not saying I have zero possessions, nor that I only do these few things. But to the extent that I remember the simple things I love doing, my life suddenly becomes simpler. When I remember, I can let go of everything else my mind has fixated on, and just find the simple joy of doing simple activities.
- MODERATION — Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
- WOULD I WANT TO GO ON A LONG CAR RIDE WITH ME? — Long car rides are a quintessential American experience. Along with the good however, comes the opportunity for bad. With others present the confined space, lack of privacy, and monotony of rolling vistas create a microcosm of life on a tiny stage. How I share that stage with the others in the car, and what specifically I do while on that stage tells all.
- GET CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT, AND SAY NO TO MORE THINGS — We are rarely very clear on what we want. What if we became crystal clear on what we wanted in life? If we knew what we wanted to create, how we wanted to live … we could say yes to these things, and no to everything else. Saying no to more things would simplify our lives.
- CLEANLINESS — Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
- AM I SELF-AWARE? — The first step in my journey was realizing I was unhappy. This realization — detecting it, understanding it, believing it, surrendering to it, and finally owning it — was the first piece of bedrock on which I started building.
- TRANQUILLITY — Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
- PRACTICE DOING NOTHING, EXQUISITELY — No need to plan, no need to read, no need to watch something, no need to do a chore or eat while you do nothing. You will start to notice your brain’s habit of wanting to get something done. This exposes our mental habits, which is a good thing. Keep doing nothing. Sit for awhile, resisting the urge to do something. After some practice, you can get good at doing nothing, and this leads to the mental habit of contentment and gratitude.
- CHASTITY — Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
- WHAT IS MY TALK-TO-LISTEN RATIO? — It’s better to listen to understand, rather than to, (for example,) listen to refute. Silence is fine provided one’s own thoughts are pleasant company. When speaking, think first about why you are about to say whatever it is you’re about to say.
- WE CREATE OUR OWN STRUGGLES — All the stress, all the frustrations and disappointments, all the busyness and rushing … we create these with attachments in our heads. By letting go, we can relax and live more simply.
- HUMILITY — Imitate Socrates.
- 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 [7]
- 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.
“One never notices what has been done; One can only see what remains to be done.” ~ Marie Curie (4a585)
ɕ
slip:4b1 et al
Oct 2019: Added the seven habits of highly effective people from Stephen Covey’s book.
Jul 2020: Added, “what am I doing while on ‘the bench’?” and “what can I do to be so good they can’t ignore me?“
Oct 2020: Added, “festina lente“
Dec 2020: Added, “look back“
Jan 2021: Expanded this into a series of posts, Practicing Reflection.
Mar 2023: An updated list of the prompts is now posted at My Daily Reflection Prompts.
Control
I learned then that even when I felt powerless to control my job or education — or anything else that seemed out of my hands — I always had control over my own mind and how I treated others. Even when I had nothing else, I could still be kind, just, generous, honest, loving and compassionate.
slip:4a1138.
Teach them
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
slip:4a469.
The emperor has no clothes
These contrived notifications were the “Emperor wears no clothes” moment for me. It became obvious then that Facebook knows its users have better things to do, and quietly hopes they don’t notice how little they get out of it. It knows that most of the value it delivers is on the level of lab-rat food pellets: small, scheduled hits of gratification we’ve learned to expect many times a day.
~ David Cain, from Want More Time? Get Rid of The Easiest Way to Spend It
slip:4urawa5.
I can tell you now there has been no change in the amount of human interaction since I left the last of the social networks.
Want to see how addicted you really are? Clear you home screen.
ɕ
In real life
Yet many modern-day Westerners — who will live their whole lives with freedom of speech and the means to talk to almost anyone about anything — remain convinced they are essentially powerless to improve human life around the world, and use their internet access primarily to share pictures of cats.
slip:4urate17.
I recently deleted my Facebook account; Not, “deleted the app from my phone,” but deleted my account so I am no longer on Facebook. That was the last of the social networks I was on.
My life is measurably better now without social networks. I still have this inconceivably amazing tool in my pocket which I use regularly to leverage the hard-won advantages of the human race in 2019. I still use that tool, (and other tools, including my feet and a bicycle,) to collapse the distance between me and those I want to communicate with.
I look forward to seeing you in the big room with the ceiling that’s sometimes blue and sometimes black!
ɕ
Technology in my formative years
I was exceptionally lucky to be born into this moment. I got to see what happened, to live as a child of acceleration. The mysteries of software caught my eye when I was a boy, and I still see it with the same wonder, even though I’m now an adult. Proudshamed, yes, but I still love it, the mess of it, the code and toolkits, down to the pixels and the processors, and up to the buses and bridges. I love the whole made world. But I can’t deny that the miracle is over, and that there is an unbelievable amount of work left for us to do.
~ Paul Ford, from Why I (Still) Love Tech: In Defense of a Difficult Industry | WIRED
slip:4uwiso2.
This hit me right in the feels. I think I’ve had a larger share of the upsides and a smaller share of the downsides than Ford. But this feels like a good overview of my formative years in tech.
Somewhere I read, “the messiness cannot go into the computer.” That summarizes what I believe is the cause of my neurosis; I’ve spent so many years now taking real-world problems, and real-world interactions with people, and factoring them into computers—and I’m left with the messy parts of the problem stuck in my mind. I’m not sure one can even understand what I’m talking about until you’ve spent 30 years, daily, working on refactoring the fuzzy of the real world into the binary of the computer world. Maybe I can reword it this way:
Computers and brains are very different. I’ve spent decades using my brain to understand computers, work with computers, and program computers.
What if that has fundamentally changed my brain?
How can I possibly pretend that, “what if,” is not utter bullshit…
That has fundamentally changed my brain.
ɕ
Sean Hannah: Designing curriculum, teaching seniors, and the mid-range
How can Parkour principles be adapted to improve the health, mobility, and confidence of seniors?
Sean Hannah takes us deep into curriculum development; how he researches, the importance of games and fun, and developing with specific audiences in mind. He discusses his role in designing the curriculum for the PK Move Study with Marymount University, and the specific challenges it presented. Sean shares advice on coaching and designing for adults and seniors, before unpacking his current personal curriculum and goals.
We’re going to spend a lot of time on the Single Point. …and for all the Mine Craft kids listening out there, my Fortnight players who want to do Parkour… Single Point is still your best training tool. It’s seriously overlooked in the [parkour] community because it’s hard to make money selling ninja stuff, where you’re just standing on one foot for a while.
~ Sean Hannah (20:50)
The conversation explores how Parkour can be adapted to address the unique physical and psychological challenges seniors face, focusing on fall prevention and improving overall mobility. It highlights the development of PK Silver, a Parkour program designed for older adults, and details the thought process behind designing a curriculum that makes movement both accessible and enjoyable for this age group. Games and creative scenarios are used to build strength and confidence in seniors, ultimately improving their quality of life.
The discussion also covers a study conducted with Marymount University, which examined the effectiveness of Parkour-based training for seniors. Emphasis is placed on low-impact, balance-focused exercises that encourage participants to overcome fear and improve their autonomy. The curriculum emphasizes simple but essential movements, such as getting up from the ground or navigating stairs, reimagined through the lens of Parkour. The success of the program demonstrates that the core tenets of Parkour—play, exploration, and adaptability—can have significant benefits for populations traditionally excluded from high-intensity physical disciplines.
Takeaways
Applying Parkour to seniors — Parkour can be adapted to improve balance, mobility, and confidence in seniors by focusing on simple, practical movements.
Fall prevention — Parkour’s focus on controlled landings and body awareness directly addresses the leading cause of injury and death among seniors.
Curriculum development — Designing a curriculum for seniors requires rethinking basic movement patterns, emphasizing balance, and starting from simple, low-risk activities.
Perception and fear — One of the biggest obstacles in teaching Parkour to seniors is overcoming the fear and perception that Parkour is dangerous or exclusive to younger people.
Fun and games — Reframing daily tasks as games or challenges can make movement enjoyable, reducing fear and increasing engagement.
Physical autonomy — The program emphasizes movements that directly improve seniors’ ability to navigate their environment, preserving independence and reducing fall risk.
Movement at all ages — Parkour principles apply universally, from children to seniors, reinforcing that movement exploration is valuable throughout life.
Importance of walking — Simple skills like walking are often overlooked but are essential for mobility and can be developed through Parkour-based practices.
Parkour for middle-aged adults — Programs like 401 PK show that Parkour can also address the needs of adults over 35, focusing on sustainable and low-impact movement.
Resources
PK Move — Nonprofit organization focused on bringing Parkour to seniors and special populations.
Marymount University — Partnered with PK Move to conduct a study on the effectiveness of Parkour for seniors.
Art of Retreat — An event where the PK Silver program was presented to the Parkour community.
Urban Evolution — Gym where curriculum for adults over 35 (401 PK) was developed and implemented.
American College of Sports Medicine — Hosting the presentation of the Marymount University study on Parkour for seniors.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
ɕ
Intentional about people
People who cultivate an inward orientation on purpose are still relegated to the “alternative” fringes for the most part. Only a minority of people I know seem to have any interest in mindfulness and meditation, which are really just ways of practicing inwardness so that we can stay receptive in ordinary moments — which probably don’t contain hot tubs or ice cream or cocktails or anything else that’s exceptionally agreeable.
slip:4urato4.
I’ve said this before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: I’m lucky to be surrounded by a network of people who are exceptional.
Where by “lucky” I mean: The harder I work, the luckier I seem to be. I’m intentional about the people I spend time with. Time is short, and there are countless people. By choosing who I spend time with, I’m controlling one facet of the experiences to which I’m exposed, and that’s one part of actively guiding who I become.
ɕ
Always pass on good advice
I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.
slip:4a125.
§18 – Start where you are
The magic of confirmation bias is that everything I encounter seems to apply to the current situation. I incessantly, and to a fault, seek meaning. Not “what is the meaning of life” meaning, but explanations and reasons and plans and systems… all as a means to manipulating the universe around me.
Chapter 18 is the heaviest so far in the book. (I’ve read it many times now of course.) Whereas the previous chapters select a single idea that one readily finds within parkour/ADD, and unpacks it, this chapter points out that there is a large body of work and a vast shared human experience outside of parkour/ADD. Taking some hints from that outside space and bringing them back into one’s parkour/ADD practice, and into one’s life in general, can only benefit those of us on the path.
ɕ
I am aware
This makes an argument for two particular life skills:
1) Learning to notice the feeling of wanting something, without buying the mind’s story that it is necessary for happiness, and
2) Learning to pay attention to the present moment without habitually evaluating it — analyzing how it could be better, more secure, cleaner or fairer or otherwise more gratifying.
slip:4urate18.
I’ve spent so much time—all of my life so far in fact—trying to figuring it out, that it’s probably impossible to believe myself when I think I have something figured out.
The present moment is perfect, and I am blissfully aware of the present moment. I could write a full page right here and now detailing the last moment. And in the past, I’ve done exactly that in my journal as a pop quiz to verify that I “get this.”
Meanwhile my problems remain, and they are quite real. I’ll not share details because this blog is about me and my journey, not the others in my life. Suffice it to say that I am simply serving out my remaining days. They’re very nice days, to be sure, full of very nice moments which I enjoy. But those enjoyed days and moments aren’t related to making progress on the problems because they are orthogonal ideas.
ɕ
When to quit
The next time you’re feeling stymied and frustrated, look at the clock. When is your best time to create, to analyze, to think? Is it early or late? Are you trying to fit a square peg into a round hole?
~ Angie Flynn-McIver, from When? – Ignite CSP: Coaching, Speaking, Presenting
slip:4uiibo5.
I often feel my entire existence is a vicious cycle of plan, plan, over-plan… until I rebel against the self-imposed structures and tear down all the walls and systems. But one thing is ever present: I never know when to quit.
I should amend that. Until very recently, I never knew when to quit. That does not mean I now always know when to quit, and it certainly does not mean that I do quit when I should. But every once in a great while, it occurs to me that now would be the perfect time to stop.
Way too often I feel I don’t have the time to do something at the right time and try to just jam the square peg in. One more task before dinner. One more thing to organize before this. One more thing. One more thing. One more thing.
ɕ
This too shall pass
This is a news flash to some: It’s okay to experience unpleasant feelings. It’s okay for things to happen that you don’t want to happen. It is possible to notice these things happening and consciously allow them to be there. And it makes a huge difference to how traumatic or not-so-bad the experience ends up being.
~ David Cain, from It’s okay to be here
slip:4uraoa1.
I believe that in some people circumspection develops with age.
I love to remind myself: If things are not going as I’d wish, relax because they won’t last. Also, if things are going as I’d wish, relax because they won’t last either.
There will be a last time that I awake from sleep. There will be a last time I have dinner with my mom. There will be a last line of software I write. There will be a last parkour jump I do. There will also be a last wasp sting, a last broken bone, a last heart-break, and the hottest and stickiest time I’ve ever experienced.
Why exactly should I be affected by the flat tire on my bicycle, the traffic jam, the cancelled flight or the irate customer?
In the end, it is all the same.
ɕ
Movers Mindset Team: Roles, remote work, and passion
What are the unique roles and collaborative processes behind the production of Movers Mindset podcast episodes?
In our special 50th episode, the Movers Mindset team gets together to discuss what we do, and how far we’ve come. Each team member explains what they do in the team, and how all of our roles fit together. We talk about working remotely, the freedoms and challenges that come with it, and some of the strategies we use to help with that. The team discusses favorite episodes, things we’ve learned, and what each of us has found to be very special about the project.
The thing that I’m really passionate about is that we have a platform, Movers Mindset is a platform that can give people a voice.
~ Melissa Way (10:27)
Movers Mindset team members explain how they balance creativity and organization while managing the complexities of remote podcast production.
There’s something really, really special about when— I don’t know, just the simple fact of somebody being very interested in what someone has to say.
~ Miguel Chero (11:58)
The conversation explores the inner workings of the Movers Mindset podcast, highlighting the roles and responsibilities of the team members. The team discusses the collaborative process that allows them to manage podcast production remotely, balancing creativity, technical tasks, and the logistics of releasing weekly episodes. They describe how each member’s unique strengths contribute to the overall success of the podcast.
I handle production. I handle social media. I’m also the ‘no’ to every idea Craig tries to throw at us.
~ Kristen Swantek (15:25)
Topics such as remote work challenges, the importance of guest relations, and the structured workflows that keep the project organized are examined. The team reflects on their passion for storytelling and their commitment to providing a platform for voices that may not otherwise be heard. Additionally, the group shares anecdotes about the joys and occasional chaos involved in producing the podcast.
Takeaways
Creating episodes in advance — The team often works two to three months ahead of the release schedule.
Collaborative remote work — Weekly meetings and consistent communication help keep the remote team aligned.
Role specialization — Each member focuses on different aspects such as editing, social media, guest management, and production.
Platform for voices — Movers Mindset provides a space for lesser-known individuals to share their insights alongside more prominent figures.
Structured workflows — The podcast production process follows a structured path with numerous checkpoints and collaboration steps.
Emphasis on storytelling — The passion for storytelling and listening to people’s experiences drives the podcast’s success.
Dynamic problem solving — The team adapts quickly to unexpected issues, often relying on each other to solve problems creatively.
Resources
Basecamp — Project management tool used by the Movers Mindset team to coordinate tasks and projects.
Overcast — Podcast player referenced for listening to episodes.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
ɕ
Warburg’s finding
In 1924 a scientist named Otto Warburg happened upon a counterintuitive finding. Cancer cells, even in the presence of sufficient oxygen, underwent a type of metabolism cells reserved for rapid energy demand – anaerobic metabolism. In fact, even when cancer cells were given additional oxygen, they still almost uniformly defaulted into using only glucose to make ATP via the anaerobic pathway. This is counterintuitive because this way of making ATP is typically a last resort for cells, not a default, due to the very poor yield of ATP.
~ Peter Attia from, Is there a way to exploit the metabolic quirk of cancer? – Peter Attia
slip:4upewa2.
This is a simple introduction to the two methods our cells can use to get the energy they need to do everything; One way is efficient and one is not. It’s critical that our cells can switch between the two methods as circumstances change. The curious discovery made by Warburg is that cancer cells always use the inefficient method.
ɕ