Welcome to this weekend’s bagel!
I was talking to my dear friend Elken yesterday who confessed he feels like the summer is slipping away from him. He happens to be a teacher so for the summer he is off work and able to recharge.
I think we can all relate to this feeling of the summer slipping away from us. And you can see as you get closer to September people do more and more to savour its last drops.
I got angry when I saw the cover of a local free magazine said that this issue was devoted to “activities you can do as the temperature drops”.
I got angry because I have an activity that you can do any day of the year: Make the decision to be happy and not resist everything that shows up on your doorstep.
But for people seeking answers to this conundrum I will give one technique to try out: compare this hour with one hour from the winter and see how you enjoy the moment. Both have their merits, but I prefer being able to put on sandals to go outside for a wander.
Earlier in the week I tried to take myself on a mini-retreat into the forest. It was a poorly researched mission, taking me to a trail next to a marsh on a cloudy day. About five minutes in and it seemed a little buggy, but after ten minutes I realized I was becoming a good meal for the mosquitos.
I started running which seemed to help, but after a few minutes I realized that I did not go on this trail to run, I came here to have a leisurely walk and clear my head. So I ran back, and got the hell out of there, vowing never to return to nature again.
I thought that the serendipity of the outing would be that I would enjoy myself in some of the nearby small towns. But as I arrived in the first one, I realized that I was not welcome in the cafe as every seat was taken up by chatty retired locals who were enjoying their day. The server gave me attitude and the coffee tasted like burnt deer piss.
At some point, you realize that all these places are not designed to make you happy, but that happiness is an inside job. I made my way down to the creek and sat by the water. The white noise of the river helped wash away my disappointment from everything earlier in the day. I poured the remaining coffee into the water and sat in typical late-afternoon traffic on my back into the city.
It was all worth it for this block of content alone. I live for this newsletter. My experiences in life are happening for the sole purpose of being reported back on this very page that you’re reading.
Three Ideas from My Notebooks
1. Be in the business of forgiving personal debts. Holding grudges is like wearing a heavy backpack. You might not be able to take the whole pack off right away but at least get rid of some of the items in it. Every day, work to let go of these items.
2. Write down the things that scare you and go towards them (aka your blockages). While I love sitting in a warm bath early on in the day, jumping into a cold shower is better for this issue. Cold shower tip: stand under the faucet with no water running and send it through the shower head immediately rather than try to jump into one that’s already running.
3. Work on loosening your grip on things. I watched a bit of a mini-documentary on Thelonius Monk last night. A master jazz pianist, but he integrated a relaxed sloppiness into his style and owned it. That is what it means to be original. Don’t be afraid to play the piano with your elbows sometimes.
Recommendation: Lunch Bag
Lunch bags are not just for grade 3 students who shit in their pants. They are handy even if you don’t work in an office and need to pack a lunch to go.
Because you don’t want apples and cutlery rolling around your backpack with your dirty mouse and laptop. These neoprene ones are quite good but they have to be washed to remove the slight odour when they first arrive.
It was interesting to see just how many lunch bags there are in the Amazon catalog. Clearly they are a timeless item in the human experience.
Housekeeping
My next workshop is on Keeping Your Projects Moving, happening this Thursday evening in the Eastern time zone. Find out more info and sign up here (promo code IAMCREATIVE).
Thank you to Missy who became the third supporter of this newsletter joining Adam and Theresa. Now that there are three subscribers, we have to get to ten. If you love this newsletter you can become a paying subscriber here.
Happy birthday Ishi!
Thanks and enjoy the week ahead. We eat extra bagels on a long weekend in Canada 🤠
Elliott