Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
I am a new man. Today I feel zero anxiety and I appreciate everything that I have in my life… Just kidding, I feel the same. Yesterday, I took my first ice bath. I went to CVS to buy two, 7-pound bags of ice. I came back to my apartment, looked at my bath tub,
Week 1 was an interesting week from a Taoist perspective in that I had ample opportunity to practice Wu-Wei, or non-action and other Taoist principles. First, I gave notice at my job and started my own business (though of my course, my business is basically me doing my current job for more money). This happened
Be picky about what you stick to. Persevere in the things that matter, that bring you happiness, and that move you toward your goals. Quit everything else, to free up those resources so you can pursue your goals and stop sticking to things that slow you down. – Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing
Over the past year my Facebook feed has been loaded with lots of partisan posts, and, because I disgaree with the political views of most of my Facebook friends, this generally irritated me. Now that the election is over, I’m hoping we can move past this animosity and get back to normal. But, I expect this is unrealistic
Origins of the Caste System The idea for the caste system in India, came from the Bhagavad Gita. In the Gita, Krishna describes four groups to which people belong: The different responsibilities found in the social order – distinguishing Brahmin [Priests], Kshatriya [warriors], vaishya [traders/merchants], and shudra [agricultural/labor class] – have their roots in
I recently finished the outstanding book, Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life by former Yale English Professor, William Deresiewicz. The book is his manifesto against the culture of (over)achievement that elite schools have developed over the past several decades. He rails against the production of future
I completed my fourth ice bath yesterday. I think they are becoming colder. My shivering started about 5 minutes in as opposed to 15 minutes in. I also shivered for quite a while afterwards. However, the ice baths are becoming easier. The pre-bath anxiety is decreasing. It’s hard to say if this is making me
Yesterday I wrapped up my month of Islam. It went by a lot quicker than I thought it would, which surprised me because this was the month I was most nervous about. Judaism and Catholicism were religions that are fairly integrated into American culture, which makes it relatively accessible. Islam is still in the process
Today’s Mishnah from the Pirkei Avot reads: Rabbi says: Which is the proper path that a person should choose for himself? Whatever [path] is a credit to himself and earns him the esteem of fellow men. Be as scrupulous in performing a “minor” mitzvah as in a “major” one, for you do not know the rewards
Yesterday I caught up with one of my best friends from high school. He had just returned from a vacation to Europe (I was jealous) and was telling me about the laid-back vibe of Barcelona and how it reminded him of Miami (where he went to college) and how he’d like to buy a place