Finding Balance

Sunday School - 7/19/20

Jul 19, 2020

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I enjoyed creating these graphics to use in promoting the newsletter and I’ve decided they have a very Ozark intro feel to them. That wasn’t the inspiration, but I’m going with it anyways.

Let’s get to it, these are the things worth learning about this week!

Homeroom

My Essay: There’s No Such Thing As Quitting

This essay was a bit out of my element, but I enjoyed what I learned during the process, and it’s my most widely read essay to date. It’s interesting how writing can make you reconsider things through new lenses when you incorporate past experiences into your thought process.

In this essay, I consider the question: When is it okay to quit? There are so many answers to this and I explore a few in detail.

My bold vision is that we all erase the term “quitting” from our vocabulary and instead focus on aligning our hearts with our actions. In accomplishing that alignment we can feel liberated to pursue, or not pursue, anything our heart desires.

Optometry

Essay: Learning to See - Dan Shipper

This is the most beautifully written essay I’ve read for a while. If you start reading this you will read the entire thing.

The central theme of this essay is learning to balance ambition (future-minded) with seeing the world around us (present-minded).

It’s an interesting essay because there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground on this topic. I’ve always been really good at having a present-minded focus. Because of this, I’ve struggled with things that require long-term vision. I’ve found that many people are super ambitious and focus on whatever it takes to get there, or super present-minded with a disdain for getting too far ahead of themselves.

Almost any time I read profound ideas like this I find that they tend to settle right in the middle with a balanced approach. Finding balance is a difficult task, but I’m convinced it’s nearly always the right approach.

Tech For Non-Creatives

I came across this idea on Twitter (credit to Ana Lorena Fabrega) recently and it’s basically my entire thesis on creativity that I’ve opened up to as someone who has always battled to be creative and use technology to work for me.

Malik Bendjelloul, director of “Searching for Sugar Man", started shooting the documentary with a Super 8 film. It was too costly, and the production ran out of money. He used a $1.99 iPhone app to finish shooting the film. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
We don't need expensive hardware to create. We don't need fancy software to share our stories. A phone can turn anyone into a filmmaker. A keyboard can turn anyone into a writer.

Here’s what I would add to this from my point of view:

We don’t need to be “naturally creative” to create. We don’t need to have a grand, unique idea to start a project. There are elements of creativity in everything you do. It has never been easier to be a creator.

The only hurdle is a reluctance to learn and the mental block that “you can’t.”

Real Estate Fantasy M&A

Essay: Zillbnb - Packy McCormick

This is my absolute favorite type of writing and I cannot recommend this essay enough, especially if you have any interest at all in real estate.

This comes from my favorite newsletter, Not Boring, by Packy McCormick. Again, this newsletter gets 15/10 stars for me, it’s great every week. Packy writes at the intersection of business/finance and pop-culture.

In Zillbnb, he writes a compelling argument for why Zillow and Airbnb should merge to form the ultimate real estate company. The integration of short-term rental mindset with a long-term-living focused business would be the ultimate grasp on the real estate market. Imagine a world where you could try out a home before you buy it. You get to belong anywhere for any amount of time.

Image Credit: Packy McCormick

Packy points out that this model also liquefies real estate. We’ve gone about owning and transacting real estate in one way, forever. What if you could own bits and pieces of properties, like stocks in a company?

This is a fascinating read and well worth the time. In fact, I recommend Packy’s newsletter over anything I read in a given week. Take a look.

Library Architecture

Link: National Geographic - 14 Epic Libraries Around the World

Here’s a slideshow of some of the most beautiful architecture you’ll see this week.

I love architecture and I love libraries, so this hits a fascinating sweet spot. It’s amazing how much detail and money has been put into libraries around the world. There’s an odd sense of pride that people have about the beauty of their local library. These are a couple of my favorites:

Convent of St. Gall in St. Gallen, Switzerland

City Library in Stuttgart, Germany

Epos Library Boat in Norway - It serves 150 towns!

Quote of the Week

“How vain is it to sit down and write when you have not stood up to live?” -Henry David Thoreau

Photo of the Week

This week I’m going with a painting because I haven’t been taking any pictures or traveling.

This is The Bonaventure Pine by Paul Signac, my favorite artist.

For some reason, I’m drawn to paintings that include water. This stands out to me because of the detail you can easily see in the upper parts of the tree.

That’s all for this week, thanks for attending!

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