Hi All!
Last week I published a new book summary. This one is about “The Score Takes Care of Itself” by Bill Walsh. If you’re interested in leadership and understanding how some successful organizations are built, I highly recommend it.
Have you read it or know a similar book I should check out? Please let me know, just hit reply to this email!
What I am reading 📚
Writing, even writing these short emails can feel daunting and hard some times. I was inspired to find out that even some best-selling authors think that way and that that’s OK, that’s the point. Despite our modernist habit of trying to automate everything and finding a “quick fix” for all that we do, there are things that are meant to be hard and even tedious. This is what Nir Eyal writes in this very cool article I recently stumbled upon.
When most people talk about habits, what they’re saying is, “I want something that’s difficult to become effortless. I want the benefits but I don’t want it to be hard.” Well, I have news for you: some things are just hard. There’s no way of getting around it.
—
I’m still on “Seeking Wisdom” by Peter Bevelin, the book is not very long but it is packed with information and, of course, wisdom. The author did a great job to ensure that no page, no paragraph actually went to waste. Every little piece has some piece of information that you can use and learn from.
Despite the book being great, I did less reading last week than I feel I should have. As I mentioned a couple of emails ago I’ve gotten into the habit of binge reading a few times a week rather than having a consistent reading routine. But I feel that I should still develop a consistent reading habit. Why? Because I can have more time to slowly digest the information I consume. Also, some of the most inspiring and successful people on Earth claim to spend multiple hours per day reading.
To this end, I’m thinking of starting a SPAR! reading challenge very soon. If you’re interested stay tuned!!
Nerd Corner 🤓
Ever since they were introduced in the West, mindfulness, and meditation seem to interest all kinds of people. Our lives seem so busy some times that we urge to find some way to cultivate peace and quiet time. I certainly can attest to this and in fact, have been a meditator since my college times. Starting the day with 10-20 minutes on mindful breathing seems to have a positive effect on my mood and my day overall.
I mention this because recently I’ve had many conversations with a wide group of friends that are interested in creating a meditation habit but don’t know where or how to start. There are so many options and apps out there that you’re most likely to get decision paralysis and don’t know what to do.
In my experience what works is to keep things simple. If no apps work for you (or if you want to avoid using your phone in the morning) you can use a timer, sit somewhere quiet and comfortable, and your breathing exercises until the timer goes off.
If you prefer to use an app or you’re learning and prefer to do guided meditation sessions then I recommend Oak. This is one of the most simple meditations apps I’ve found after a lot of experimentation. It is free, has only a few meditation options, and has a tab to keep track of your current meditation streak and how many minutes have you logged.
I know some of you are also big meditators. I’d love to hear about your experiences and tricks. Hit reply!
Cool Finds 🤯
Astronomers recently discovered a Black Hole very close to us.
One thing that we know is that life after COVID-19 will be different. This makes for interesting conversations, predictions, and thought experiments. Imagine it is 2025 or even 2030, what does the world look like? This Twitter thread makes for a very cool and surprising read on this topic.
This one was recently shared by one of my readers. The 2009 Ignoble Nobel Prize—a parody on the real Nobel prizes to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think”—was awarded to an inventor who created a bra that can be repurposed as a mask in a matter of seconds.
Before you go 😎
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 📢
I'd love to hear your comments and feedback. Share with me your thoughts, ideas, and criticisms in a Twitter DM!
AND REMEMBER
I've made it easy for people to subscribe to this newsletter!
If you want to share it with your friends just forward them this email or send them this link: https://aesadde.xyz/join
Until next week,
Alberto
Hola. Te conocí por el episodio en Conexiones. Estoy ahora enfocada en lo del Minddulness y los diarios. También he probado muchas aplicaciones y creo que lo más importante es que cada quien vaya descubriendo, experimentando, que es lo que más le sirve. Incluso, poder discernir que tipo de meditación estás necesitando para tu momento. Hace días encontré esta explicación https://youtu.be/_wXGW3TWIKk que me pareció buena.
También he estado revisando en Coursera "De-Mystifying Mindfulness" que me ha aportado unas perspectivas interesantes.
Un gusto conocer de ti. Tengo una profunda admiración por jóvenes como tu. Me hacen pensar en un futuro mejor. Te mando un abrazo