I had a cool conversation with Susanne Mueller for her podcast, Take it from the Ironwoman. She published part one as, Cool to Collaborate for Change in the Chaos of the World. 5 new episodes of the Podcaster Community’s companion show are published, and 2 more for Movers Mindset.
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I had, also, during many years, followed a golden rule, namely, that whenever a published fact, a new observation or thought came across me, which was opposed to my general results, to make a memorandum of it without fail and at once; For I had found by experience that such facts and thoughts were far more apt to escape from memory than favorable ones.
~ Charles Darwin
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The answer from computer science is precise.
~ Stewart Brand from, Brian Christian, “Solving Hard Decisions” – Long Now
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‘When to stop’ is an insidiously difficult problem. Which has been solved. Whether or not you want to read that and learn some crazy heuristics, you already know the power of heuristics. They’re great when they work, until they don’t. So many Americans—whose heuristic is to glance left then step off the curb and then glance right—get wacked by cars in parts of London, they paint, “Look right,” in the street.
…which is great. Unless you’re Craig and your heuristic goes: Look left, look right, look left, and then step off. I look left, notice the words on the street, and look right. Then I go to look left, notice the words again… and look right, instead of left… then my brain screams OMGBECKY look left! Then I go to look left, notice the words again… and look right.
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Wealth is not happiness nor is swimming pools and villas. Nor is great work alone reward, or fame. Foreign places visited themselves give nothing. It is only you who bring to the places your heart, or in your great work feeling, or in your large house place. If you do this there is happiness.
~ Richard Feynman
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It may surprise you that the words keep coming even if you’re not entertaining them, just as a TV program keeps showing itself to an empty room. You can always hear it carrying on, but it’s up to you whether to go in and sit on the couch.
~ David Cain from, How to Get out of Your Own Head
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Funny, but I don’t ever recall the TV being on in the other room. I certainly have spent a lot of time—that’s a vast understatement—directly sat before the TV. But somewhere somehow somewhen I must have developed the habit of turning it off when I left the room. Which strikes me as very odd.
No great epiphany here. Just: That strikes me as very odd.
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What influences the balance between seriousness and playfulness in physical training and movement practices?
Physical challenges highlight the intricate relationship between personal growth and self-reflection.
I think that there is a lot of creativity for one— but also, just progression, that happens in the space of being playful, goofing around, and not taking your practice too seriously.
~ Alyssa Serpa (13:07)
The conversation focuses on the interplay of seriousness and playfulness in Parkour and how each can influence personal growth and training outcomes. Insights are shared on the importance of reflecting on one’s commitment to training and how shifting priorities shape practices. A nuanced discussion emerges around how environmental factors, such as the pandemic, have impacted community interactions and travel.
Another theme explored is the role of injuries in redefining one’s approach to physical movement. Recovering from injury led to creative exploration and a greater focus on playful practice. The dialogue underscores the importance of striking a balance between structured training and unstructured play, with a strong emphasis on the joy and personal autonomy gained through movement.
Takeaways
Balancing seriousness and playfulness — Finding the right mix enhances both enjoyment and progress in training.
Creativity in movement practices — Playful exploration can lead to unexpected growth and insights.
Physical activity and life balance — Staying active contributes to overall well-being and stress management.
Impact of travel on training — Travel fosters connections but also comes with costs like carbon footprint and financial strain.
Adapting through injury — Recovery periods can become opportunities for lateral growth and skill refinement.
Value of vulnerability — Allowing space for experimentation and failure encourages new possibilities.
Importance of community — Engaging with peers locally and internationally enriches the training experience.
Resources
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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How can podcasting be used as a reflective tool and integrated into personal and professional growth?
Understanding how solo podcasting can refine public speaking and storytelling skills.
I knew I wanted to start a podcast just because it was a great format. I was going to learn a lot, and it was going to be interesting to have conversations around a lot of things I care about and people’s perspectives.
~ Joe Wehbe (1:29)
The conversation explores podcasting as a medium for personal growth and professional integration. Joe describes how starting a podcast as a solo endeavor helped refine public speaking skills and brought clarity to his thoughts. The discussion emphasizes the iterative relationship between writing and podcasting, where written content often serves as a foundation for podcast topics and vice versa.
Joe shares insights on reflective practices, mentioning the interplay of writing, conversation, and podcasting as tools for self-awareness and development. He highlights the unique role of podcasting in creating reusable resources and fostering connections. The conversation also touches on feedback and audience engagement, illustrating the evolving nature of the podcasting space.
Takeaways
Creating solo podcasts — A method for practicing public speaking and concise communication.
Integration of podcasting — A way to blend personal interests with professional goals.
The role of writing — Writing serves as a foundational tool to clarify and organize ideas before podcasting.
Reflection in podcasting — Podcasting as a secondary draft to refine and communicate ideas.
Community building — Conversations foster network growth and deepen audience connections.
Audience engagement — Feedback is essential for refining podcasting formats and content.
Resource development — Podcasts can serve as a personal resource library for future reference.
Resources
Seth Godin’s Podcast — A source of inspiration for adopting the “host-on-mic” format.
Notion — Used for organizing ideas and creating headings for blog and podcast content.
18 & Lost? — A collection of stories about life after high school, written by everyday people.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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I may wish to be free from torture, but if the time comes for me to endure it, I’ll wish to bear it courageously with bravery and honor. Wouldn’t I prefer not to fall into war? But if war does befall me, I’ll wish to carry nobly the wounds, starvation, and other necessities of war. Neither am I so crazy as to desire illness, but if I must suffer illness, I’ll wish to do nothing rash or dishonorable. The point is not to wish for these adversities, but for the virtue that makes adversities bearable.
~ Seneca
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I don’t know why, but I never learned to solve a Rubik’s Cube. I am exactly the right age; the durned things appeared on the scene just before I got to primary school and they were common in my high school. But I never got into it. I had one, of course. I pretty much immediately took it apart (very carefully) to see how it worked… just honestly curious about how it worked, not trying to solve it. When I put it back together, I put it together in the solved state because it seemed obvious that if I put it together randomly it couldn’t be solved by then trying to rotation-solve it as usual.
Aside: Yes, of course I did. Any time I found a cube, I’d surreptitiously mechanically detach and flip a few pieces, and then scramble it. Few people are good enough to quickly figure out what has happened.
…and then I never was interested in solving one after I understood how it worked. Tetris? Okay, yeah, that game ate years of my life—because you can’t solve it, you just do it. Anyway, I’m 50 and I just got a Rubik’s Cube.
And what am I doing? Measuring it: Let’s call it 2.2 inches on an edge. How many of them are there? Wikipedia says 350,000,000. Crap, that’s a lot of plastic. How big a pile is that? How big are 350,000,000 2-inch cubes? …and I was hoping Wolfram Alpha would give me units of Empire-State-Buildings or something. Instead, I learned something about the total number of Angels according to the Bible. (That should get you to click, no?)
What’s that? How many ESBs is it? …oh, sorry, it’s 0.0583 ESB. I know right? We’ve only 6% filled the ESB with Rubik’s Cubes?! We need to ramp up production.
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How do tools and human connections shape the development and success of online communities?
Successful communities depend more on leadership and shared purpose than on the platforms they use.
If you don’t have that previous experience that, ‘I’ve been this lost before and it’s okay.’ …or, ‘I have backups. It’s burning, but it’s okay.’ If you don’t have those experiences, poking the box is scary.
~ Ric Lindberg (5:34)
This conversation explores the complexities of building online communities, emphasizing the interplay between human connections and the technical tools used. A significant focus is placed on how platforms like Discourse serve as frameworks for fostering interaction, with insights on their benefits and challenges, including the learning curve for new users. Strategies for onboarding and engaging participants are highlighted as critical for a community’s success.
Another key topic is the balance between structure and organic growth in community dynamics. Practical examples discuss the importance of reducing barriers for new members while maintaining engagement among seasoned participants. Reflections on leadership and intentional design reveal how communities thrive not from technology alone but through careful cultivation of shared values and goals.
Takeaways
Removing barriers to participation — Encouraging exploration and minimizing the fear of making mistakes can boost engagement.
The importance of leadership — Effective communities require intentional design and ongoing support from leaders.
Learning curves in technology — New users face challenges in adapting to platforms, requiring thoughtful onboarding strategies.
Role of shared experiences — Building comfort through shared struggles and support strengthens community bonds.
Value of small groups — Intimate communities foster deeper connections and sustainable engagement.
Balancing free and premium content — Freely accessible resources attract users, while value-added services encourage financial support.
Evolving community needs — Successful communities adapt to meet the changing needs of their members.
Platform limitations — Tools like Discourse are beneficial but not sufficient without purposeful application.
Humanizing interactions — Real-time, informal meetups create stronger interpersonal connections among members.
Resources
Everything is Figureoutable — Marie Forleo’s book exploring a mindset of resilience and problem-solving.
Discourse (platform) — Open-source software used for building online communities.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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