Mindful Matter
A great conversation.
When is the last time that you had a great conversation? I love this excerpt from Irish poet, theologian and philosopher John O’Donohue’s conversation with Krista Tippet of On Being. It comes from one of the last interviews this brilliantly grounded thinker gave before he passed. “When is the last time that you had a great conversation? A conversation which wasn’t just two intersecting monologues, which is what passes for conversation a lot in this culture. But when had you last a great conversation in which you overheard yourself saying things that you never knew you knew
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Wait till you see the flowers by the pool.
September 2015 was a big month for us. I was about to get married, Dave was turning 30, and our third co-founder, Fabian, was about to start a new project after eight years of working with us on Holstee. So at the very last minute, we decided to go on a combo bachelor-birthday-send-off weekend trip. We booked the only place we could find that was near nature and had availability that night. We borrowed a car and made our way north up Route 28 out of New York City. When we arrived at the bungalow we’d booked, we looked around. Without saying anything, we knew exactly what one another was thinking
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How we learn.
I love this quote from Confucius: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; andThird by experience, which is the bitterest.” It reinforces a recent realization I had about learning from our mistakes. When we make a single mistake, the cost or pain caused by it is usually pretty small. It’s only when we don’t reflect on and learn from that mistake that the damage adds up. That mistake when repeated can multiply, leaving a lasting impact on our lives. Or, we can learn from the mistake — and hopefully grow wiser in the process. Dave RadparvarCo-Founder, Holstee P.S. Our Digital Resilience Guide is full of resources that can help you grow through setbacks.
Learn moreWhy do we procrastinate? (Part III - From Planning to Doing)
In the past few emails, we talked about why we procrastinate and how effective planning is one part of the solution. Now onto the second phase: doing. Tim has come up with a handful of clever names for the places our mind wanders and where it wants to go. This image helps us in
Learn moreWhy do we procrastinate? (Part II - A Solution)
So how do we tame the Instant Gratification Monkey and fight the Resistance? Yesterday we shared Tim’s breakdown of what happens in the mind when we procrastinate. I can attest that for me, the struggle with my internal Instant Gratification Monkey is real. Thinking back to Steven Pressfield's War of Art that I mentioned a few weeks ago, it feels like the monkey is a
Learn moreWhy do we procrastinate? (Part I - The Problem)
Cecilia in Buenos Aires, Argentina recently replied to our 'Ask Us Anything' prompt with the following question: “I was just wondering about why we procrastinate our important goals. Is it self sabotage? Not being really honest about what we want?” Tim Urban, one of my favorite minds — and a legendary procrastinator — tackled this question in
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A post first appeared in my Facebook newsfeed a while ago, and it recently came to mind again. I searched for it and re-read it and got goosebumps again just as I did the first time I encountered it. I recommend reading the full story from Marilee Talkington here. Talkington shares an experience she had at the
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Love and power.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix Sending you lots of love and compassion today.
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