Virtue and adversity →

Published November 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 5  ·  

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

slip:4a638.

3.5 each →

Published November 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 5  ·  

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.

ɕ

Belonging with Ric Lindberg →

Published November 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 4

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.

(more…)

Conversation with Helena Roth →

Published November 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 4

What makes a conversation meaningful and how does one cultivate the skill of engaging in impactful dialogue?

The interplay between coaching and conversational skills reveals itself in surprising ways.

[I]t’s more towards the other [end] in my podcast. […] There hasn’t been an agenda. There hasn’t been a set timeframe. There hasn’t been any, ‘this is what we need to get through, or the goal we need to reach, or anything.’ And, surprisingly, you know it’s gone really well.

~ Helena Roth (1:07)

This conversation explores the dynamics of creating meaningful dialogues, with an emphasis on curiosity and presence. Helena and Craig discuss the distinction between structured interviews and organic conversations, highlighting the challenges and rewards of allowing spontaneity to guide the flow. Insights are shared about how to cultivate an environment where natural exchanges can thrive, contrasting the vibrancy of unplanned dialogue with the rigidity of pre-set agendas.

They touch upon the art of listening and the interplay of coaching principles in conversations, including withholding judgment and fostering genuine curiosity. Reflections on well-known podcasting styles illustrate the impact of personal involvement in interviews. Practical techniques, like recording from the first moments to capture authenticity, also surface, underscoring the importance of preparation in producing organic conversations.

(more…)

Keep a notebook →

Published November 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 4  ·  ,

Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up in your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter. And lead pencil markings endure longer than memory.

~ Jack London

slip:4a637.

Course correct →

Published November 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 4  ·  

Put one dumb foot in front of the other and course correct as you go.

~ Barry Diller

slip:4a636.

Eggs and omelettes →

Published November 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 4  ·  

There is no angst. There is no disease, suffering, and death. There is no killing. There’s no lust or envy or avarice of pride. There are no eviction notices or IRS audits.

In other words, it isn’t real life.

~ Gaping Void from, «https://www.gapingvoid.com/blog/2021/07/19/the-power-of-culture/»

slip:4ugabo12.

But that’s particularly difficult to remember when you are the down-the-stairs end of something monsterous and the up-the-stairs person is going s l o w l y and futzing with their grip. Or when you are traffic. (My omission of the word “in” is intentional.) Or the queue at the security check point is crazy. The children on the bus are unruly. The tire goes flat. The microwave craps out. And on and on. Because it’s precisely in those moments that we choose what sort of person we want to be.

Presume good intent. Trust, (but verify. My fave Russian proverb, btw.) Everyone we meet is fighting a great battle. No one knows how hard I work—read that as “I” in your mind’s reading voice, so it really refers to yourself—therefore, I know not how hard others work. There are lots of ways to aphorize the sentiment, and I use every single one of them, every day, as I don the armor of the Angel of my Better Nature and try.

ɕ

Joy with Jayne Heggen →

Published November 3, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 3

How does the experience of podcasting, particularly with a focus on mentoring, allow for the exploration of meaningful stories and connections?

Mentoring bridges the gap between telling stories and finding solutions through shared experiences.

What mentoring does is, it tells stories about solutions. Which is way different from coaching, which is asking questions to get to solutions. Which is different from counseling, which is you’re asking questions to get to problems.

~ Jayne Heggen (8:44)

The conversation focuses on podcasting as a tool to explore and share meaningful stories, particularly through the lens of mentoring. Jayne shares how her background in radio contrasts with her current experiences in podcasting, highlighting the interactive and engaging nature of the latter. She discusses the challenges and opportunities in creating a successful podcast, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability, connection, and authenticity in storytelling.

Another key theme is mentoring, which is presented as a process of sharing experiences and perspectives to help others navigate their paths. Jayne differentiates mentoring from coaching and counseling, underscoring its unique role in offering solutions through storytelling. She explores how podcasting can amplify these stories, making them more accessible and impactful, while also reflecting on the balance between editing and preserving authenticity in recorded conversations.

(more…)

Ruff! Ruff! →

Published November 3, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 3  ·  

Don’t hire a dog, then bark yourself.

~ David Ogilvy

slip:4a635.

Lunacy? →

Published November 3, 2021  ·  All posts on Nov 3

But there’s a message all of our readers should appreciate: Blog posts are not enough to generate the deep fluency you need to truly understand or get better at something. We offer a starting point, not an end point.

~ Shane Parrish from, Blog Posts, Book Reviews, and Abstracts: On Shallowness

slip:4ufooa1.

First off, I totally read that as, “to generate the deep lunacy …” which is probably closer to the truth than I’d like to admit for my own blog if one tries to just read it. Second, this is so meta. I’m writing a blog post about a blog post that is referring to the other posts on that same blog.

I’ve said this sort of thing before, but it bears repeating: On this blog, I’m showing my process of reflection. I would get the exact same benefit if I did all this writing, and pressed delete instead of publish. (With the notable exception that I do also use my blog as an archive to re-find things.) But I make no claim that simply reading this blog will do anything for you. “Look! Here are my footprints, stumbles, side tracks and snow angels in the woods.” Maybe you can see some art, or some fun, or whatever. But the whole point of having it out there for you to read is to encourage you to do your own reflection.

ɕ