The Mixed Bag, 0824

cozies, a bear wakes up from hibernation, and sure, links!

The Mixed Bag is a monthly curated list of “stuff” I’ve enjoyed: books, podcasts, talks, the occasional movie or TV show, and more. We’ll be back to regular programming in the next issue.

🚪 in case you missed it

• Insights gained from the 21-Days No Complaints challenge, which took me FOUR months to complete 😂

• Fulfilling Potential: Is this our ultimate goal? Maslow’s got something to say.

• Cal Newport’s deep habits suggestions for cultivating a deep life

• Highlights of my conversation with best-selling author Jen Louden: Writing Your First Book

🔗 finds

• The life sabbatical: Is doing absolutely nothing the secret of happiness? | The Guardian

• In a world where fear, disillusionment, and anger are regularly stoked,

  Susan J Tweit
  reminds us that joy is resistance.

• We don’t usually talk about this, but we should: When A Friend Breaks Your Heart |

  Kirsten Powers

• Paul Graham figures out (while writing an essay) what the “best essay” would look like.

• We don’t need to make it more complicated. We can simply decide to play more. |

  Jes Raymond

• If you can find them, labyrinth walking (not to be confused with mazes) is excellent for easing anxiety | BBC

• For a fun read: I’d really like to be one, but I’m sooo not an edgy and thought-provoking Asian American |

  Lani V. Cox

• Maria Popova’s meditation on escaping the trap of efficiency (The Counterintuitive Antidote to the Time-Anxiety That Haunts and Hampers Our Search for Meaning) is typical heavy reading but so worth it. I’ve been savoring it in slices.

📚 reading

• Discovered that I actually enjoy reading cozy mysteries. Who knew? 😂 Reading Emylia Hall’s series based in Cornwall, UK, which may be part of the reason I’m enjoying it, as I’m a sucker for anything based in that part of the world. The first book in the series is Shell House Detectives.

• A Guide To The Good Life by William Irvine. The subtitle of this book is “The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy”. Reading this on account of my continuing study of philosophy and Stoicism, in particular.

💬 last word

I kinda got sidetracked for a bit and ended up hiding in a cave for several weeks — really, most of June and July. (I’ll write about this another time as it’s related to recognizing natural rhythms. I wrote about it here, and from the comments, it looks like my experience resonated with so many.)

So, it’s a real shock to the system to realize it’s the end of August already. This must be what bears feel when they wake up from their long hibernation. “Wait, what? It’s April?!?” (which is apparently when momma bears wake up) 😂

Here’s to an easeful week ahead.

Cool Beans,
Lou Blaser