These are serious fears. But they’re not the real fear. Not the Master Fear, the Mother of all Fears that’s so close to us that even when we verbalize it we don’t believe it. Fear That We Will Succeed. That we can access the powers we secretly know we possess. That we can become the person we sense in our hearts we truly are.
~ Steven Pressfield
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Reading time: About 5 minutes, 900 words
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This issue is https://7forsunday.com/74
Holding on to a lot of ideas takes a great deal of time and energy. If, like me, you’re a systems person you can make things much worse. I can build personal knowledge systems, slipboxes, databases, custom software and bend all sorts of technology into new shapes. It turns out—as I hope you’ve already guessed—that if you have too many ideas, and then build and deploy a bunch of clever tools and systems, you just end up with even more ideas. (There isn’t quite an XKCD for that, but number 927 is close.)
One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water.
~ Annie Dillard from, Spend it all every time
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Building tools and systems is also a terrific way to hide. It’s a variation of the old idea that I cannot start on the real work until I get all this other stuff organized and cleaned up and set up and just so.
Instead, I’m so much happier if I simply take something that brings me joy, and share it.
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I mean it took 10 minutes sitting in a cafe staring at my laptop screen and repeatedly cocking my head back and forth, like an absolute goon, but I can see Haidinger’s brushes!
~ Matt Webb from, Filtered for supersenses
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If you like what I’m doing, you’ll probably also like Webb’s Interconnected. I was skimming through, and spun off digging into optics and eyes and yellow bow ties. I’ve never (or I’ve completely forgotten) known about this before today. Like Webb, I was astounded to realize that I can see Haidinger’s brushes. It’s an optical phenomenon in the macula of the retina. Not everyone has the biology to see it, but with certain light coming into your eye this defect of our magnificent optical systems is revealed. Just when I think, “meh, what wonders could possibly be left…”
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What does it mean to find freedom and self-awareness through movement and how can that be applied to personal growth?
Movement becomes a metaphor for life, showcasing resilience, mindfulness, and adaptation.
I don’t have any goal when I go out to move. I just want to move and to enjoy it.
~ Sam Govindin (7:00)
The conversation begins by exploring the concept of movement as both a physical and mental discipline. Same reflects on the importance of being present and adaptable in their practice, emphasizing how energy levels, emotions, and focus shape their approach to movement. He discusses how mindfulness influences the experience of flow, and how setting aside expectations allows them to enjoy the process without frustration.
A key topic is the balance between freedom and structure, particularly in dance and parkour. Sam shares insights into how they aim to let go of control while maintaining composure. Personal anecdotes illustrate the journey of finding confidence and authenticity in public and private settings, highlighting the interplay between external judgments and internal self-awareness. The idea of smiling as a cue for readiness exemplifies their thoughtful approach to movement and life.
Takeaways
The importance of listening to one’s body — Adjusting movement practices based on energy levels and emotions enhances safety and enjoyment.
Avoiding the trap of competition — Prioritizing personal growth and enjoyment over external validation prevents burnout and injury.
The power of mindfulness — Using techniques like visualization and smiling fosters calmness and focus in challenging situations.
Freedom in movement — Embracing unstructured, spontaneous actions leads to greater self-expression and creativity.
The role of community — Finding meaningful connections with like-minded people enriches the experience of movement.
Balancing technicality and artistry — Exploring ways to transcend rhythm and technique brings unique insights into dance.
Resources
Sam Ultima @sam_ultima — A collection of videos and photos showcasing movement and dance practices.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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The acquisition of riches has been for many men, not an end, but a change, of troubles.
~ Epicurus
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How can movement practices and interactions with nature inspire personal growth and improve physical and mental well-being?
Going to a gym doesn’t cut it for Kyle Koch; His movement is guided by being in nature and responding to his environment. He recounts his movement journey from beginnings to rediscovery, and explains his current training. Kyle shares his insights on learning to interact with the environment, and seeing others begin to train outside. He discusses the nervous system, the importance of training in nature, and his inspirations.
So I think that the sit spot is exactly that. It’s just going outside and being curious and seeing what draws your attention, and then asking more questions, ‘Oh, that tree is interesting.’ Question I might ask is, could I climb it? And if I can climb it, will I climb it? Or I see all these trees that I can’t yet climb, but that’s the motivation.
~ Kyle Koch (16:15)
Kyle Koch is a former IT software technician turned nature nerd. He has been facilitating transformative experiences in nature for almost a decade: inspiring youth and adults to connect to their gifts through exploration, play, and curiosity. Kyle is always expanding his practice through the study and application of: functional neurology concepts, traditional strength training, martial arts (Systema), and meditation and breathing (Wim Hof Method). When not teaching or facilitating, you can find Kyle exploring ways to deepen his connection with himself, others, and the Earth.
The conversation highlights the importance of movement practices rooted in nature and personal curiosity. Kyle recounts his journey from childhood activities to rediscovering movement through a blend of survival training, parkour, and gym-based conditioning. The discussion includes the benefits of integrating natural and gym environments, emphasizing how training tailored to real-world applications enhances overall performance.
A significant theme is the role of observation and mindfulness in nature, exemplified by practices like sit spots, which encourage curiosity and engagement with the environment. The conversation also examines how vision, both literal and figurative, plays a role in physical training and mental relaxation, alongside the value of fostering connections with mentors to guide personal and physical growth.
Takeaways
Step one, go outside — The act of being in nature is fundamental to rediscovering movement and mindfulness.
Sit spots — A simple practice of observing and asking questions in nature reveals opportunities for exploration.
Importance of mentorship — Mentors help guide personal growth by drawing out insights rather than dictating actions.
Strength training and movement — Gym training, when tailored to real-world skills, can amplify natural movement abilities.
The role of vision — Vision exercises enhance spatial awareness and help regulate the nervous system.
Creating positive stories — Using movement skills to clean up parks or inspire others showcases how skills can contribute positively to society.
Connection with nature — Learning to observe subtle signs in nature, like animal trails, fosters deeper awareness.
The balance of skill and strength — Focused training that targets foundational abilities leads to broader improvement across activities.
Resources
Katy Bowman — A biomechanist known for her work on natural movement and vision.
Ryan Ford — Works on parkour-specific strength and conditioning techniques.
Rafe Kelly and Evolve Move Play — Focuses on natural movement and dynamic environments for training.
Art of Retreat podcast — Another platform discussing themes related to movement and mentorship.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Reading and experience train your model of the world. And even if you forget the experience or what you read, its effect on your model of the world persists. Your mind is like a compiled program you’ve lost the source of. It works, but you don’t know why.
~ Paul Graham from, How You Know
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I deeply love the concept of having a “model” of the world. I’m also deeply interested in having a correct model of the world. The model enables me to understand the world, to move through it, and to create the changes I wish.
I used to try to carefully create my model; for each question I encountered, I would try to learn everything that was important to determine the best answer. But that is an endless fool’s errand. The whole world become an endless field of rabbit holes. Each rabbit hole is wonderfully interesting, and it is immediately clear that exploring even a significant number of them is hopeless in one lifetime.
Instead, I learned to follow my curiosity—which is the recipe for rabbit-holes ad nauseum—but to stop when I’m no longer curious. Piece by piece a model of the world is assembled. Want to build a great model? …don’t focus on building the best model. Instead focus on this next piece of the model—the next thing you read, the next person you interact with, the next thing you do, the next thing you explore.
You have a model too, and you use it constantly. What are you doing to build your model?
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Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. I say this a lot and always will. Your life is one long unbroken experience, and you’re the only one who’s there the whole time. Visitors will come in and out of your experience. Most of them are short-term and you won’t notice when they’ve made their last appearance.
~ David Cain, from You and your friends are all going to die, and that’s beautiful
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I’ve had this idea myself. That I won’t notice when this instance—this experience right here, right now, with this person—is going to be the last experience with this “visitor.”
You might think, as I once did, that this state of uncertainty must always be the situation. Because, how would you know for sure if this moment right here was the last moment with this visitor?
Have you, perhaps, figured out that answer?
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The self-limiting beliefs infect all of us because all of us like being competent, we like being respected, we like being successful. When something shows up that threatens to undo all of those things, well then it’s really easy to avoid it. What goes hand-in-hand with that is the sour mindset. The mindset of, “We are not getting what we deserve.” The mindset of, “The world is not fair.” The mindset of, “Why should I even bother, it’s probably not going to work.”
One thing those of us who are lucky enough to live in the world where we have enough — we have a roof and we have food — is we find ourselves caught in this cycle of keeping track of the wrong things. Keeping track of how many time we’ve been rejected. Keeping track of how many times it didn’t work. Keeping track of all the times someone has broken our heart, or double-crossed us, or let us down. Of course we can keep track of those things, but why, why keep track of them? Are they making us better?
Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep track of the other suttf? To keep track of all the times it worked? All the times we took a risk? All the times we were able to brighten someone else’s day? That when we start doing that we can redefine ourselves as people who are able to make an impact on the world.
~ Seth Godin from, Seth Godin on How to Think Small to Go Big (#177)
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Seth Godin has a lot of unusual (as in, high-fidelity, clear, insightful, meaningful, useful) things to say. This bit of insight made me stop in my tracks — literally made me stop walking and fumble for my podcast player controls to capture the time code so I could dig this out.
“We can redefine ourselves as people who are able to make an impact on the world,” indeed.
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A central part of the American Right’s false Founding Narrative is that the Tenth Amendment trumps the Constitution’s creation of a powerful central government that possesses a mandate to do what’s necessary to provide for the country’s “general Welfare.” In Right-Wing World, the Tenth Amendment gives nearly all powers to the states.
~ Robert Parry from, The Right’s Tenth Amendment Myth
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