9.25.2020

The 33 Project

What a week. The devastating blows came hard this week. It just feels unbearable. Constant humming of death, grief, mourning, pain. And then the power struggle and fight and playing dirty and disintegration of even faux decency. That ones a bit trickier, right? At least the wolf isn’t dressing in sheep’s clothing. But, now what? The wolf appears stronger, scarier, and more unchecked than ever. Terrifying.

The wolf isn’t just a person, either. It’s several people and institutions and systems. It’s spread across the land in a myriad of ways. So yes, unbearable is the right word. Not being dramatic. Being realistic.

Here are my three recommendations if you want to look elsewhere.

1/ Many of the creative people I know are in a bit of a rut these days. Something about the time kind of being given to us, but given with conditions. Conditions are a tricky thing for artists because they can be useful or they can be paralyzing. And often, we’re not in control. One way to take control though, is to set up a personal challenge. Enter: That Icelandic Guy. This guy’s a trip. One thing he did that is worth sharing is challenge himself to take a photo every day for a year. The goal was to become a photographer. And…it worked. Watch this video for the full story and maybe it’s time to set up a personal challenge?

2/ I’m a huge fan of the NIKE trained podcast. It’s an incredibly motivating listen. Whenever I’m looking for something, in need of some kick into action or if I'm interested in self-improvement, this is my first stop. The guests are experts that share tight bites of wisdom as it pertains to their field. This week’s guest talked about nutrition and health and along with big picture claims, she was able to narrow in on actionable steps. Each episode has those actionable steps and I love them. It’s a great way to push toward progress. Highly recommend subscribing.

3/ This article collates and organizes information that is essential for understanding how to avoid distraction (when it’s a bad thing). There’s nothing particularly surprising, but altogether it is useful. The tools we claim distract are us are just tools and nothing more. The distraction comes from within, from a root cause that has little to do with the tools. We’d find the tools no matter what. So considering the root cause is the way to go. I like that reframing.

Ok, that’s all for this week. Remember to drink water and talk to people you love. Till next week.