Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
RSS URL Direct Download Link Who is Chuck Marohn and why an I interviewing him? Chuck Marohn is the founder of the non-profit, Strong Towns, an organization designed to making communities across America and Canada financially strong and resilient. He is also the author of several books, the most recent of which is Strong Towns:
If you haven’t already, check out my latest post on Cal Newport’s website, Study Hacks. It’s addressed to recent college graduates (but applicable to anyone) and the primary piece of advice is to not trust anyone under 500. Check it out. On another note, I will be publishing my Taoism posts soon. That will be
This week was an interesting one. First, I was able to participate in the start of Lent. Second, I attended an orientation session for a charity I will volunteer with. Lent I participated in Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) and have decided to give up alcohol for the duration of Lent. My Catholic
Yesterday’s spiritual exercise asked us to read the introduction to the Spiritual Exercises, which is titled the “the first principle and foundation.” It states that humans are meant to “praise, reverence, and serve God our lord” and as a result, “save their souls.” It then goes on to state that everything else in the world
As of yesterday, I am down to one remaining ice bath I need to take before my Stoicism month is over. Once again, the ice bath itself was uneventful. Let’s talk about that term “uneventful.” It implies that you have an expectation of something happening, something out of the ordinary. If you go to your
The Kesher Israel Synagogue is located on the corner of 28th and N Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, DC. The building is a three-story brownstone that almost blends in with the surrounding homes; if it weren’t for the Star of David and the stained glass windows, you could easily confuse the synagogue
Everyone at some point in time, and most likely, for extended periods of time, feels like they want more from life. Indeed, I only started the Ancient Wisdom Project because I felt (and still feel) that way. It’s natural. You would have to be a robot to say you haven’t felt a deep longing for
There is a Chinese word, Pu, that can be translated as “uncarved wood” or “uncarved block.” In Taoist philosophy, it is the embodiment of simplicity, a state of being worth striving for, or rather, returning to. The essence of the principle of the Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity contain their own
Every morning, I go through my prayer ritual, or puja, to Ganesh. It involves a series of steps, one of which is lighting incense. I’ve grown quite fond of the ritual, especially the incense. It’s incredibly pleasant to have your morning coffee and write while breathing in the calming aroma of incense. Initially, I thought
One of the ways I’m practicing Taoism this month is by practicing Tai Chi. There are a few classes in my neighborhood, but at $40 per class, the $10 Tai Chi for Beginners DVD suddenly seemed more “spiritual.” It appears as if the Tao guided me to purchasing the less expensive option…. Tai Chi is