Teslas have a really cool feature by which you can see a holistic view of the traffic around you.It’s pretty remarkable because it gives you such a high level of situational awareness. I wonder what it would take to develop the same capability for ourselves. Imagine having a 360 degree + view of what’s going on around you, not just physically, but energy wise. This guy is high energy, happy. That lady is low energy, sad. That guy is high energy, angry. That kid is high energy, scared. Develop...

Teslas have a really cool feature by which you can see a holistic view of the traffic around you.It’s pretty remarkable because it gives you such a high level of situational awareness. I wonder what it would take to develop the same capability for ourselves. Imagine having a 360 degree + view of what’s going on around you, not just physically, but energy wise. This guy is high energy, happy. That lady is low energy, sad. That guy is high energy, angry. That kid is high energy, scared. Develop...

When all is said and done, you’re still here. I’m still here. Sometimes the weight of it all feels like too much. Or it feels raw and real. It hurts. But, at least you have a chance to be here. One day, neither of us will. In spite of the challenges, that’s worth remembering.

When all is said and done, you’re still here. I’m still here. Sometimes the weight of it all feels like too much. Or it feels raw and real. It hurts. But, at least you have a chance to be here. One day, neither of us will. In spite of the challenges, that’s worth remembering.

The feeling of being in line, but not knowing how long you’ll be there can be anxiety inducing. You’re waiting for your name or your number to be called. You feel the pressure of the rest of your day compressing on top of you as the seconds tick by. There’s the invisible stress in your own body, the nerves, always wondering “am I next?” “How much longer?” “Wait, he got here after I did.” You feel the nervous energy of everyone around you, experiencing similar emotions. Some handling the stres...

The feeling of being in line, but not knowing how long you’ll be there can be anxiety inducing. You’re waiting for your name or your number to be called. You feel the pressure of the rest of your day compressing on top of you as the seconds tick by. There’s the invisible stress in your own body, the nerves, always wondering “am I next?” “How much longer?” “Wait, he got here after I did.” You feel the nervous energy of everyone around you, experiencing similar emotions. Some handling the stres...

Normally, dealing with the IRS or the bank or any administrative function like that, my reaction would be the similar. A tightening of the shoulders and the chest. A furrow of the brow. An increase in the heart rate. Now, however, I’m starting (though change is difficult) to look at it as a game. A challenge. It’s an opportunity to practice staying calm amidst turbulence. To practice flow when there’s friction. To practice kindness in the face of adversity. There’s no “magical place” of life ...

Normally, dealing with the IRS or the bank or any administrative function like that, my reaction would be the similar. A tightening of the shoulders and the chest. A furrow of the brow. An increase in the heart rate. Now, however, I’m starting (though change is difficult) to look at it as a game. A challenge. It’s an opportunity to practice staying calm amidst turbulence. To practice flow when there’s friction. To practice kindness in the face of adversity. There’s no “magical place” of life ...

There’s a Zen saying that says something like:Before enlightenment, chop wood, sweep the floor. After enlightenment, chop wood, sweep the floor.The moment when you realize that the supposedly mundane affords an opportunity for transformation, for reflection, for appreciation, for holiness…that’s the moment to take a deep, deep breath. To feel the expansion of the lungs in all directions. To feel the relaxation of the shoulders. To feel the rise and fall of the chest. Then, to resume the task ...

There’s a Zen saying that says something like:Before enlightenment, chop wood, sweep the floor. After enlightenment, chop wood, sweep the floor.The moment when you realize that the supposedly mundane affords an opportunity for transformation, for reflection, for appreciation, for holiness…that’s the moment to take a deep, deep breath. To feel the expansion of the lungs in all directions. To feel the relaxation of the shoulders. To feel the rise and fall of the chest. Then, to resume the task ...

Life is like a video game. There’s adventure. There are challenges. They are opportunities to partner. There are tasks that need to be tackled alone. I used to think (and sometimes can’t really avoid it) that the “little stuff”, like dealing with bureaucracy or having a small leak, or trying to find the missing part to make the engine work were the “things that got in the way” of whatever I was meant to do. Now, increasingly, I look at it differently. Dealing with the bank. Going to the post ...

Life is like a video game. There’s adventure. There are challenges. They are opportunities to partner. There are tasks that need to be tackled alone. I used to think (and sometimes can’t really avoid it) that the “little stuff”, like dealing with bureaucracy or having a small leak, or trying to find the missing part to make the engine work were the “things that got in the way” of whatever I was meant to do. Now, increasingly, I look at it differently. Dealing with the bank. Going to the post ...

Awhile back, on a Ben Thompson/Stratechery podcast, he introduced the concept of “Principle Stacks.” We have principles. But they aren’t all equal. There is a priority order in which they “board the plane.” So, for example, when I see a headline on CNN that says “Trump contradicts Netanyahu on Gaza,” I understand that CNN’s principle stack has the “we hate Israel” as higher than “we think Trump is a total liar.” So, Trump’s a total liar unless there is something higher in the principle stack ...

Awhile back, on a Ben Thompson/Stratechery podcast, he introduced the concept of “Principle Stacks.” We have principles. But they aren’t all equal. There is a priority order in which they “board the plane.” So, for example, when I see a headline on CNN that says “Trump contradicts Netanyahu on Gaza,” I understand that CNN’s principle stack has the “we hate Israel” as higher than “we think Trump is a total liar.” So, Trump’s a total liar unless there is something higher in the principle stack ...

Imagine you kindly ask a neighbor to refrain from a certain behavior. Yet, they persist in doing it. Dealing with it, responding to it, “getting even.” All of these thoughts, at least for me, start to take up more and more of my mental real estate. I feel the rush of chemicals swell into my body. My shoulders tense. My jaw clenches. My muscles contract. Meanwhile, I’m letting the beauty of life go by. I’m not appreciating the scent of the flowers because of how irritated I feel. My lens apert...

Imagine you kindly ask a neighbor to refrain from a certain behavior. Yet, they persist in doing it. Dealing with it, responding to it, “getting even.” All of these thoughts, at least for me, start to take up more and more of my mental real estate. I feel the rush of chemicals swell into my body. My shoulders tense. My jaw clenches. My muscles contract. Meanwhile, I’m letting the beauty of life go by. I’m not appreciating the scent of the flowers because of how irritated I feel. My lens apert...

Over the years, we add on aspects of our identity, like layers of a cake. But, with time, we are forced to let go of some of those layers. A career change. A marriage. A divorce. A child. A student. A member. Sometimes we bring the changes upon ourselves. Sometimes, they are forced upon us. Either way, the change of state from one to the other can be jarring. It can (and often does) induce anxiety. After all, if I’m not [whatever], then what am I? The tension arises in the shoulders, the head...

Over the years, we add on aspects of our identity, like layers of a cake. But, with time, we are forced to let go of some of those layers. A career change. A marriage. A divorce. A child. A student. A member. Sometimes we bring the changes upon ourselves. Sometimes, they are forced upon us. Either way, the change of state from one to the other can be jarring. It can (and often does) induce anxiety. After all, if I’m not [whatever], then what am I? The tension arises in the shoulders, the head...

Ok. It’s not fair. I get it. But who says that I’m entitled to fairness all the time, in everything? And what, exactly, is fairness anyway? I know this. I know I shouldn’t expect fairness all the time. It’s nice, but not realistic. Maybe I’m jaded. Or maybe I’m wise. Who knows? But either way, I sometimes hear the voice in my head and feel the pang in my chest and shoulders, wishing it were different. Is that the voice of a true soul seeking justice for all? Or is it an infantile ego making a...

Ok. It’s not fair. I get it. But who says that I’m entitled to fairness all the time, in everything? And what, exactly, is fairness anyway? I know this. I know I shouldn’t expect fairness all the time. It’s nice, but not realistic. Maybe I’m jaded. Or maybe I’m wise. Who knows? But either way, I sometimes hear the voice in my head and feel the pang in my chest and shoulders, wishing it were different. Is that the voice of a true soul seeking justice for all? Or is it an infantile ego making a...

There’s a goal. It is a motivator. It is achieved. But, to what end? Why does it matter? And what was sacrificed, missed, or ignored along the way? And once it is achieved, what happens next? Were the obvious consequences not so obvious? Was it worth it?

There’s a goal. It is a motivator. It is achieved. But, to what end? Why does it matter? And what was sacrificed, missed, or ignored along the way? And once it is achieved, what happens next? Were the obvious consequences not so obvious? Was it worth it?

I need to think about it more (which probably means “ask ChatGPT”), but I’m curious about the technical difference between the concepts of “Rhythm” and “Harmony.” I like rhythm. I feel good when there’s a set order of things, like a program, and I “know” what I’m supposed to do next. This is my morning routine, for example. It makes me feel accomplished. But, then there’s harmony. There are times, like when traveling for example, when the home rhythm is not possible because, if I tried to som...

I need to think about it more (which probably means “ask ChatGPT”), but I’m curious about the technical difference between the concepts of “Rhythm” and “Harmony.” I like rhythm. I feel good when there’s a set order of things, like a program, and I “know” what I’m supposed to do next. This is my morning routine, for example. It makes me feel accomplished. But, then there’s harmony. There are times, like when traveling for example, when the home rhythm is not possible because, if I tried to som...