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.
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!
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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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.