The things I learn, as I learn them
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Complete not perfect
It doesn’t have to be grand or complex, it just has to be complete. In a world where there are billions of threads hanging loose, a job complete is a job well done. Tie the knot, snip the thread, pack the tools away and sweep up afterward. Job done.
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Hold things lightly
They aren’t going to be around forever, but holding them tightly won’t change that. It just means it will hurt more when they go away. Holding lightly doesn’t mean “don’t care”, it means understanding and accepting the world. Being in harmony, not opposition to the natural order of things. It doesn’t mean “don’t act”, it…
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No regrets moves
I love finding “no regrets” moves. These are actions we can take which have positive impact in all (or nearly all) circumstances. They aren’t contingent on other actions or actors – they have no dependencies. Exercise in most circumstances is a no regrets move. Any exercise is better than no exercise, so in a spare…
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Rituals & Change
Religion doesn’t have a monopoly on ritual, it’s just written most of the classic hits. But rituals can come from anyone, from anywhere. They just require a specific combination of action, location, timing, meaning and sincere belief. Rituals can be a powerful way of codifying behaviour, of ensuring that specific actions are repeated with a…
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Beware icy conditions with loose feedback loops
This morning on the way to the tube, the footpath was frozen over. This meant I had to adjust my walking gait to avoid falling over. Had I strolled to the station in my typical jaunty style, I would have likely spent the rest of the morning in the accident and emergency department of the…
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Safe harbour is not what great ships are built for
This is my last post on Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ short essay “You were made for this”. The final idea of this amazing piece is about the purpose of great ships. “When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are…
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The part of the world within our reach
This is my second post on Clarissa Estes’ wonderful short essay “You Were Made For this”. Estes opens with the line: “Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach” So often we cast ourselves…
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Soul on deck
There is a wonderful, short-but-powerful essay by Clarissa Pinole Estes called “You Were Made For This” which I read once a year and then lament not reading every day. In only 360 words Estes packs enough wisdom to last a lifetime, so over the next few days I just wanted to pick out and share…
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Patterns, clouds and dragons
If we look for patterns, we’ll find them. We can’t help it. We see patterns in data, faces, events, clouds, stories and nature. We’re pattern-finding machines and this ability to find patterns is one of our learning and survival mechanisms. Our ability to find patterns and meaning in chaos is wonderful for speculation, for creative…
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Find the right mode
Not everything works in every way. Same is true of people. We thrive under different circumstances and in different modes of operation. If something isn’t working we can keep trying (which might be ok in the short run) or we can switch up the mode and try to find a something which works better for…
Got any book recommendations?