Hi all,
I hope you’ve had a great week and are having a lovely Saturday morning.
Thanks for taking the time to read another edition of the newsletter as you kick off your weekend. Your support means the world to me.
Let’s dig into some of the coolest ideas and things I’ve discovered over the past week.
Book passage I loved:
Before spending time on a stress-inducing question, big or otherwise, ensure the answer is “yes” to the following two questions:
1. Have I decided on a single meaning for each term in this question?
2. Can an answer to this question be acted upon to improve things?
“What is the meaning of life?” Fails the first and thus the second. Questions about things beyond your sphere of influence like “What if the train is late tomorrow?” fail the second and should thus be ignored. These are not worthwhile questions.
If you can’t define it or act upon it, forget it. If you take just this point from this book, it will put you in the top 1% of performers in the world and keep most philosophical distress out of your life.
- Tim Ferriss, 4 Hour Workweek
Stoicism excerpt I’ve been pondering:
He who craves riches feels fear on their account. No man, however, enjoys a blessing that brings anxiety; he is always trying to add a little more.
While he puzzles over increasing his wealth, he forgets how to use it. In short, he ceases to be master and becomes a steward.
- Letters of Seneca, Vol 1, Letter 14: On the Reasons for Withdrawing from the World
Product I’ve Enjoyed:
French Press
If you are a coffee enthusiast, you likely find that there are a ton of different options to make a cup of coffee that vary in cost, ease, and time required. However, for those of you that have never tried French Press before, you might have just found a winner.
A French Press is a cylinder-shaped appliance. You put a couple of spoonfuls of coffee grounds in, pour boiling water over top, let the coffee steep for 3-5 minutes and then push the grounds down with a filter, leaving just coffee to pour.
French Press:
Many people believe the French press makes the best coffee, as it doesn’t filter out the oils from the coffee grounds, and steeping coffee improves the flavour. If you are curious to learn more, check out this article on why a French Press makes the best coffee.
I’ve tried a ton of different “presses” over the past few years but have found Secura’s French Press to be fairly reliable and inexpensive (~$30 CAD). You can see it on Amazon here.
For seasoned coffee drinkers who’ve used a French Press before and perhaps have a bigger budget, you could look into the American Press. It’s an interesting variation of the French Press that was invented a few years ago to make an easier to clean version of its French counterpart, and makes an equally good cup of coffee.
American Press:
Future Travel Destination:
Mexico City, Mexico
Now that travel restrictions are relaxing as vaccines roll out, I thought I’d begin to include a few travel destinations for those of you that are itching to get back on an airplane.
Though it may have a poor reputation for its tumultuous history, Mexico City is “cleaning up its act” and is one of the top cities on my list of places to visit.
Mexico City, once the capital of New Spain and one of the oldest cities in the Americas, has world-class museums, quaint neighborhoods, and unbelievably good food. Revamped public spaces are springing back to life, the culinary scene is exploding, and a cultural renaissance is flourishing. Moreover, visiting the city is quite affordable, especially relative to traveling in Western Europe. You can have a great trip on just $50 a day (see a full Mexico City budget guide).
I have heard from several friends who’ve traveled the world that Mexico City was one of their favourite, if not their favourite, place they’ve visited.
For those of you interested in visiting Mexico in the future, to kick off your research you can dig into the Mexico City welcome page or see the 25 Best Things to Do in Mexico City.
If you find you’re concerned about safety, check out this recent guide to staying safe in Mexico City which also includes coronavirus status updates. In general, the Government of Canada’s Global Travel Advisory page is also a great page to look at before visiting any new country.
Artwork I discovered:
The Persistence of Memory - Salvador Dalí
Painted in 1931 by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory is one of the most recognizable works of Surrealism and has been in The Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1934.
There are intricate and academic descriptions of what the painting symbolizes, which you can read about here, but for me, the melting clocks are an illustration of the idea that “time melts”.
During lockdowns over the past year, as days blended into each other, and weeks slipped by, I felt that time went by very quickly. And the closest I could come to articulating that feeling was that time was melting away.
As such, I found this painting to be a helpful reminder to make the most out of every day, to the extent that I can. Time passes incredibly quickly and can “melt away” for those that don’t appreciate it.
To be actionable, I try to ask myself at the end of each day: “Did I do my best today?”. And if I can honestly answer yes, that I’m proud of what I chose to do with my time and who I was as a person that day, then that is good enough. All I can do is my best.
As Bruce Lee says, “If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of”.
Song that’s been stuck in my head:
Canopée - Polo & Pan
This song gives off some cool South American vibes and fits for a laid-back Saturday or Sunday morning.
Check out the song on YouTube or on Spotify
Idea I’m exploring:
Being Filled with Love
Although it sounds excessively spiritual, I’ve found that thinking about being “filled with love” to be helpful in times where I lose patience, get frustrated, or feel anger. It’s quite literally a reminder I say to myself in those moments and found that it fosters forgiveness and also just an appreciation for life.
In this sense, love isn’t defined as a desire to kiss strangers and dish out compliments, but more of a feeling of compassion; a warmth and sense of understanding towards others and yourself.
To draw a parallel, this idea is similar to one from a passage in the Bible:
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:39
I don’t want to pretend this mantra will permanently eradicate any negative emotion in your life. But for me, it’s been helpful to remind myself to prioritize love instead of falling victim to anger that can hijack my whole day.
And, I strongly believe that if you’re able to prioritize love, your life will be better as a result. I’ve found that some of the most fulfilling days I’ve had to be the days where love is my predominant thought or emotion.
For example, when you’re able to cultivate a sense of love, the actions of others seem less malicious. When someone acts out of spite, you predominantly feel compassion for what must be going on in their lives to make them act that way, instead of anger in retaliation.
Tying this idea to stoicism, Seneca thought great leaders should “grant pardon but ask for none”. In other words, they should make excuses for other people (because of what they may be going through) and they’re able to do so because of that sense of compassion.
And, as far as I can tell, if more people were filled with love, the world would be a much better place.
Fundamentally, everyone has a choice to either view the world as inherently good or inherently evil (in other words, the world is a good place and bad events are anomalies or a bad place and good events are anomalies). And I’m sure people in your life in each category come to mind.
Which of those it is, no one really knows. But, if I have one life on this planet, I want to actively choose to view the world as a good place and spread love where I can.
Based on that decision alone, I think the world becomes a brighter place, as perception plays a massive role in the quality of our lives. And there’s a ton of academic and clinical research to prove that optimists and those with stronger social ties have longer, wealthier, and more successful lives.
And, lastly, being described as someone who was “filled with love” in a eulogy is a darn good impression to leave behind.
If you’re curious about putting this into practice, I’d encourage you to write down “filled with love” on a sticky note, even just for a day, and leave it in a place where you’ll see it. Before rejecting it outright, roll around the idea in your mind a bit. You may just come around to it.
That’s all from me for this week and this morning’s edition of saturday mornings.
Hopefully, you enjoyed some of the sections and were able to take away a couple of helpful points or ideas to explore for yourselves.
If you’ve enjoyed the newsletters, feel free to share them with family and friends.
Not that I’m looking to scale the newsletter, but if you feel someone you know would enjoy it or benefit from some of the ideas, I’d love to be able to reach more people.
And, as always, I’d love to hear any feedback from you. Which topic above is your favourite? What do you want more or less of?
Have a great and restful weekend. You earned it.
Much love to you and yours,
Thomas