It’s almost September now. For many of you, depending on geography, that might mean that Fall or Spring are knocking on your door.
But for those of us in southeast Louisiana, there still is another month of summer to go. At least a month, sometimes more. We typically do not get a true break from the heat and humidity until mid-to-late October, when our first real Fall cold front arrives.
So, I am happy for those of you nearer the seasonal transition. The changing of seasons can be an invigorating time, and I certainly am looking forward to ours.
As the summer dragged on here, I found myself in need of a hiatus from projects. August is a tough month for us, usually our hottest, our humidist, our rainiest, and our mosquitoist. Sometimes, our hurricaneist too. To get some relief, I took a break from some projects, like gardening, optional home improvements, almost anything outdoors, and writing newsletters.
Last week we got a reprieve in the weather by way of a “low humidity” front. For five consecutive days, the heat index values stayed below 100, and a few of our mornings touched the upper 60s on the thermometer.
It was a much needed breath of fresh air, but it was more than that. It was a renewal of spirit, a stirring of the soul, and a fresh recharge of flagging energy.
This week, please enjoy some words from others, and thank you for still being here through the (almost over!) dog days of Summer.
Ed Batista • Executive Coaching • August 2024
As I wrote last month, after living on a ranch in the far northwest corner of Marin County for four years Amy and I have moved to Petaluma, a Sonoma County town of 60,000 people that's just 15 miles from the ranch but which offers us a radically different life experience. [1] There are still glimpses of natural beauty, like the sunrise above, but so many aspects of our surroundings have changed.
The biggest difference, unsurprisingly, is the sense of community. We've met all of our immediate neighbors, and everyone's been friendly. We spend much more time downtown now that it's just a few minutes away, and the overall feeling in Petaluma is similarly welcoming. That's something we observed while visiting over the last few years, and it's one of the reasons we moved here.
And although I'm happy we've relocated, this past month has also been one of the most stressful of my life. Much of that is simply a function of moving--the physical exertion, the countless decisions, the endless piles of flattened cardboard. But there's more going on than mere logistical overload.
I'm (still) between identities.
Ed William • Infinite Loops • Now Or Never: Why Your Next Action is Everything
Think of something you want to do. That book you’ve been meaning to write. The language you’ve been planning to learn. The fitness routine you’ve been intending to start.
How long have you been toying with the idea? And what concrete steps have you taken towards achieving it? If the answer to the first question is “a while” and to the second is “none,” then the chances are you don’t desire that outcome as much as you think you do.
As Derek says, “no matter what you tell the world or tell yourself, your actions reveal your real values. Your actions show you what you actually want.”
The same principle applies to our character. Do you consider yourself a generous individual? When did you last perform a genuinely generous act? If the excuse is that you've been ‘too busy,’ you may need to reassess your self-perception.
Derek’s solution to the cognitive dissonance between actions and perception is characteristically simple. Either “stop lying to yourself, and admit your real priorities,” or “start doing what you say you want to do, and see if it’s really true.”
David Cain • Raptitude • Somebody Has Already Figured It Out for You
Until not long ago, humans ran into knowledge barriers all the time. It was hard to figure out how to do a thing you’ve never done before. You generally had to find someone who knew how to do the thing, and convince them to teach you. You probably had to travel to where they were, and live there for a while yourself.
Today, whatever it is you want to do, you can find out pretty quickly how people do that thing.
If you want to cook a turkey, build a shed, or become a lawyer, you can acquire a list of the basic steps, from someone who probably knows what they’re talking about, in about ten or fifteen minutes.
You can easily get follow-up questions answered. You can Google your question or ask an AI. You can go on Reddit and post your question to an entire group of economists, carpenters, musicians, accountants, or pastry chefs.
You can do all this while you sit in a bathroom stall on your break at work.