Car conversations are the most intimate and comfortable, the perfect balance between presence with another and truth to yourself.
Author Archives: John
Spaces
The best spaces are ones you can randomly go to and have a reasonable expectation of seeing someone you know. Cultivate these spaces. They’re the best blend of spontaneity and community.
Get Curious
When you feel down, get curious. Fancy yourself in a PhD program studying Your Lows.
Observe, accept, and research the times that you feel down.
Get curious instead of getting down on yourself.
Wandering
Walking without purpose or direction makes presence easy. This immersion is part of why we love traveling. But we can experience it every day if we want.
Bright Lines
Bright lines are beautiful because one decision eliminates hundreds of others.
If you’re a vegan, then you don’t have to think about whether to indulge in BBQ ribs or an ice cream sandwich occasionally. You’ve already decided.
Bright lines are hard, and it’s difficult to implement many of them. But find one or two bright lines, and you’ll unlock tremendous mental capacity.
Music
When Chopin and Beethoven lived, there were no recordings. You had to hear what they composed in person, and you likely never heard it again.
What would we think about music if we could only listen to any song once?
Cats
If the space you live in feels claustrophobic, watch a cat exist in the same space: with curious, ever-present eyes, and a deep sense of peace.
Always A Reason
There’s always a reason to not do something. Every day, something tragic happens on earth that can justify us giving up on the day.
We can’t let it stop us. There’s always a reason to keep on keeping on.
John's Blog 