On this day

February 3rd

Nostalgia

February 3, 2023

Longing for the past is generally referred to as nostalgia – a gentle, tender feeling that might make these stories seem like nothing more than harmless sentimentality. But it is crucial to distinguish between wistful memories of grandma’s kitchen and belief in a prior state of cultural perfection.

~ Alan Jay Levinovitz from, It never was golden

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You may or may not like that particular essay; There are 2,000 others to choose from over on Aeon. I was poking around, found this one, and pinned it for later reading. Figuring out how to pin things for later reading is a huge force multiplier. When I want to read good stuff, I never spend time looking for good stuff. I just go to the pile of good stuff—twitch at the 700+ items, veer back over into “that’s an embarrassment of riches, long live the open Internet—and start reading. Hmmm… nostalgia?

I remember, back in The Day, when I used to really enjoy reading— wait, no. That’s today, and without the 20-minute car ride to the Hall of Books.

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Refuge for cowards

February 3, 2022

We all have so much power that we don’t use. And I think it’s because of cynicism, which is a toxic spiritual state. Cynicism is a refuge for cowards.

~ Cory Booker

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I’m not sure what to think about the “spiritual” bit. I’d need to hear Booker explain what he means by that. This week, it seems, I’m on a language bender. And here’s something that really freakin’ matters…

Does Booker mean “Cynicism”, as in the proper noun, the state of being a Cynic…

For the [ancient] Cynics, the purpose of life is to live in virtue, in agreement with nature. As reasoning creatures, people can gain happiness by rigorous training and by living in a way which is natural for themselves, rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, and fame, and even flouting conventions openly and derisively in public. Instead, they were to lead a simple life free from all possessions.

~ Wikipedia from, Cynicism (philosophy)

…which isn’t my cup of tea, but doesn’t sound that bad. Or does Booker mean the contemporary adjective “cynicism”, simply capitalized because it’s starting a sentence…

Cynicism is an attitude characterized by a general distrust of others’ motives. A cynic may have a general lack of faith or hope in people motivated by ambition, desire, greed, gratification, materialism, goals, and opinions that a cynic perceives as vain, unobtainable, or ultimately meaningless and therefore deserving of ridicule or admonishment.

~ Wikipedia from, Cynicism (contemporary)

…also not my preferred cup of tea, although I do sometimes partake.

When I first read that quote I wondered if he was referring to Cynicism, before deciding he clearly meant cynicism. I’d wager you read that quote and didn’t wonder at any time which he meant. (I’m not criticizing, only pointing at the marvelous process of understanding language.) My question for myself today is:

While I see the nuance around that word in this quote, where am I not seeing nuance that I should be?

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Mark Balfe-Taylor: Yoga, intuition, and discipline

February 3, 2021

Mark Balfe-Taylor: Yoga, intuition, and discipline

What role do discipline, intuition, and personal transformation play in practicing and teaching yoga?

Mark Balfe-Taylor prefers to ‘go with the flow’ rather than plan everything out… it just so happens that his ‘flow’ led to a successful career as a yoga teacher and trainer. He shares his thoughts on teaching yoga, and the journey he embarked on to get there. Mark discusses the lessons he learned through traveling, and his adjustment to fatherhood. He unpacks the idea of discipline, how it’s impacted his life, his practice, and his work to develop it.

It was mentally how my approach to my daily life was changing because this was now a fundamental piece of the puzzle. And I wanted to be less hedonistic. I wanted to commit to doing this thing. I wanted to explore getting better at this thing. And there was all these noticeable changes, and I felt good and I felt energized. […] I was the guy that couldn’t touch my toes. I was the guy that didn’t feel like I can make and complete the class. And if I was then competently finishing the class and feeling so much better, I was like, I have to share this with other people.

~ Mark Balfe-Taylor (12:17)

Mark Balfe-Taylor is a yogi, teacher, and yoga teacher trainer who has been practicing for 15 years. He has experience and training in many different types of yoga, and spent years traveling the world teaching and learning. Mark is the creator of Revitalize, his own hot yoga sequence, and recently founded the Irie Agency, where he is creating yoga podcasts.

The conversation explores the intersections of yoga, personal transformation, and teaching philosophies. Mark and Craig discuss the foundational role of discipline in practicing yoga and how pushing through discomfort can lead to profound growth. Yoga is framed as not merely physical exercise but a tool for mental clarity and resilience.

A significant part of the discussion highlights the contrast between old-school yoga’s structured discipline and modern trends that emphasize comfort and modification. Mark advocates for a balance where individuals challenge themselves while acknowledging their limits. The conversation also touches on personal stories of transformation through travel and intuition, reflecting on how these experiences informed their journey as a yoga teacher and trainer.

Takeaways

Discipline in yoga practice — Discipline is essential to personal growth and achieving long-term benefits.

The transformative power of yoga — Yoga fosters mental clarity and self-discovery, transcending physical fitness.

The contrast in yoga styles — Old-school discipline contrasts with modern trends of ease and accommodation.

The role of intuition — Intuition can guide life decisions, often leading to unexpected opportunities.

Commitment to community — Building connections with others enhances the practice and teaching of yoga.

Navigating transitions — Life changes, like career shifts, often align with finding deeper meaning in practices like yoga.

Parenting and mindfulness — Incorporating nature and routine aids in balancing parenting challenges with mindfulness.

Resources

The Irie Agency — A platform offering yoga podcasts and online classes.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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When no one can take your time

February 3, 2020

When nobody can take anyone else’s time through a system, people end up with more time to themselves. When you have more time to yourself, you end up doing better work and more work. You can get a lot more stuff done in a given day than maybe you could in another organization that has six times as many people but 20 times as many meetings, 30 times less time during the day to yourself. So we try to avoid anything that breaks days into smaller and smaller chunks.

~ Jason Fried from, Working Smaller, Slower, and Smarter

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There’s a critical bit of culture however which must be in place it to work: People have to know their responsibilities and have to “pull” work towards themselves. Everyone has to know their own area and has to take responsibility. This is very different from the usual [that is, dysfunctional,] workspace where everyone shows up, and their boss—or worse, everyone—tells them what to do. In the team where people take responsibility and take work, everyone has to understand the mission. Everyone has to understand the vision of what they are trying to co-create. Everyone hast to empathize with their teammates.

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Get above the snow-line

February 3, 2019

Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.

~ Hugh MacLeod

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I am way above the snow line. I believe my toes have succumbed to frost-bite. It has not escaped me that people die on Mount Everest. It has not escaped me that no one cares about your ascent unless you come back with a great story.

Unfortunately for my well-being, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and there’s no one left to tell me to stop climbing.

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Changing context

February 3, 2018

There’s nothing magic about printing on paper and editing with a pen. To me it’s all about changing context, putting my brain in an at least slightly different mode. That’s why I love Lopp’s imperative to “Sit in a different place” — you need to see your own words in a different light.

~ John Gruber from, HOW TO WRITE

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Changing context is so critical. There’s deep magic to be found in having loving crafted spaces where you work, think, read, etc.

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Cunning as a serpent, innocent as a dove

February 3, 2017

Know how to appreciate: There’s no one who can’t be better than someone at something, and none who excel who can’t be excelled. Knowing how to enjoy the best in everyone is a useful form of knowledge. The wise appreciate everyone, recognizing the good in all and knowing how much it costs to do things well. Fools despise everyone because they are ignorant of the good and choose the worst.

~ Brett McKay from, Cunning as a Serpent, Innocent as a Dove

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Carbohydrates are way more important

February 3, 2015

(Part 2 of 25 in series, M. Eades' Blog)

It’s much more important for your long term health to work on keeping your blood sugar down than it is to work to keep your cholesterol down. It’s especially important when you realize that most people try to keep their cholesterol levels at bay be consuming a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, which is a diet containing, in many cases, a cup and a half to two cups of sugar equivalents per day.

~ Micheal Eades from, «http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/diabetes/the-sugar-hypothesis/»

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