Slow down →

Published May 3, 2024  ·  All posts on May 3  ·  

Lately, I’ve been going too fast. Which is odd, because I don’t generally walk fast, or drive fast… and sure, I can talk fast, but not always. But my thoughts go too fast. I go from one thing to the next too quickly. There’s simply too much of: I do this, then I do that, then I can go do that other thing, and then this next thing, and then…

Short answer: Interdependence.

~ Cierra Martin from, What We Can Learn from a Village Postman

slip:4ugawa1.

Another thing we can learn from a village postman is to do one thing, and do it well. That village postman didn’t also run the general store and the post office itself and the grocery and the church and …

ɕ

Amateurs →

Published May 2, 2024  ·  All posts on May 2  ·  ,

That’s all of us are: Amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.

~ Charlie Chaplin

slip:4a1406.

Constraints →

Published May 1, 2024  ·  All posts on May 1  ·  

There are two roads to my destination: Addition or subtraction. If I imagine something I want to achieve, my habit and instinct is to imagine what I’m going to do to get there. That’s the additive approach. But sometimes it would be easier—in fact, sometimes it is only possible—to get there by removing impediments.

I love that question to ask yourself when you’re troubleshooting failed attempts at personal change: Why am I not doing this thing already?

~ Brett McKay from, Why Aren’t You Doing It Already?

slip:4uaoca11.

It’s quite startling, but that question works. Always. (And that question is closely related to: It is not a priority.)

ɕ

Activity →

Published April 30, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 30  ·  ,

Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.

~ Japanese proverb

slip:4a1405.

Recognizing →

Published April 29, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 29  ·  

There is a phrase I like to trot out: “Any day at the crag.” And you need two details for this to make sense: First, that a crag is any outdoors place where one goes to climb rocks. Second, the part left unsaid is that any day at the crag is better than any other day. Thus, any day at the crag. Yes, despite the litany of things that normal people would list as negatives at the crag.

To be clear, by “appreciate” I don’t mean “enjoy” exactly, although you might also enjoy the experience. I mean “recognizing the unique or worthy qualities” of the experience itself: the texture of it, the aesthetics of it, the heft of it, the heat of it, the poetry of it, the poignancy of it — whatever strikes your sensibilities when you pay attention to what’s happening.

~ David Cain from, Appreciate What Happens, as a Rule

slip:4uraae2.

And yet, despite that litany, the density of “if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is” moments is much higher, any day at the crag. Dappled sunlight. A cool breeze in the shade. A view. Friends. Food tastes better. Sleep is less troubled. You don’t have to climb (or go to a crag), but you do have to find your something.

ɕ

April 28, 2024 — #82 →

Published April 28, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 28  ·  

Reading time: About 4 minutes, 800 words.
Get 7 for Sunday in your inbox. → Subscribe here.
This issue is https://7forsunday.com/82

It grows on you

What systems are in place? →

Published April 28, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 28  ·  

Finish this sentence: I am the sort of person who…

Here’s a different way to look at it, one that we can broaden into an insight about adult decisions about where to work, where to live, who to hang out with. There are two parts:

Are the people this place attracts the sort of people I want to spend time with and become more like?

Is the system that is in place here one that pushes and cajoles and processes people to become more like the kind of person I’d like to be?

~ Seth Godin from, On choosing a college

slip:4useoo1.

Not everything needs to be planned out, pre-visualized, processified, done-defined, and OODA looped. However, having mastered those things, it is massively empowering when things go sideways, off the rails, and get set back. Having mastered those things, I know I can always begin anew a slow upward spiral.

ɕ

Luxury →

Published April 27, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 27  ·  , ,

If you wish to remove avarice you must remove its mother, luxury.

~ Cicero

slip:4a1404.

We create the decision →

Published April 26, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 26  ·  

The following is a very short blog post. The idea that struck me is that how true it is (!) that we create the decision. Each decision (the root of the word, but also clearly what happens when we decide) represents our choosing to cut off—to amputate—some thing or things as we create new or renewed focus on some other thing.

This is especially true of the most difficult decisions—the ones where you are taking a risk and simply can’t predict the many ways in which it will play out. A useful perspective for the anxiety-ridden late night hours those decisions tend to inspire.

~ Mandy Brown from, Making decisions

slip:4uaowi5.

Truly, I’ve only had to make a handful of actual decisions. And they were really stressful. Right up until the moment when I actually, finally, made a decision. I can’t recall a single time where the post-decision stress or worry was anything at all like the pre-decision stress or worry. It’s almost as if I am the one creating all the stress and worry within myself.

And to be clear: That’s snark. Obviously, I’m the once creating the stress and worry. How about you? Anything you should be deciding so you can relax and move forward?

ɕ

Experience →

Published April 25, 2024  ·  All posts on Apr 25  ·  ,

It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.

~ Ram Dass

slip:4a1403.