TSS #035 - April 14th, 2024
V1 of the Written Study
Good afternoon folks,
Woof - this past week and weekend have been a doozy.
Travelled to Louisiana to visit a nursery we will be working in this year, meet some more landowners, and hit Nallins for a night on Bourbon St. (and a business meeting) with our partners.
Then quickly turned around to host my Dad for Revival’s Handbuilt show/MotoGP weekend.
Unfortunately, have not been able to get as much time for personal work this weekend – thank you to everyone who texted, commented, and shared last week's post! I appreciate it very much - and will be responding as soon as I can.
As a reminder, this week’s Study will be featuring all written content.
I am operating on pretty low energy rn so I didn’t include ALL the hits from the last quarter (and kept commentary pretty light).
Hope you enjoy and excited to hear which piece is your favorite :)
books i have enjoyed/am enjoying
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams
Light, fun read — and am now equipped with a towel.
I’m Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy
I read a ton of great memoirs last year. This is now included in that list.
The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays | Elisa Gabbert
h/t to Elijah for gifting me this book a few years ago. Deeply introspective and made a lot of highlights/notes that I need to eventually digitize. (If anyone has a good process here, please lmk 😅)
Demon Copperhead | Barbara Kingsolver
Mitchell and I read this for our last BookTalk. The story is SO captivating. Shed some light onto life in rural Appalachia — poverty and the opioid epidemic — and made me me empathize with a reality I have only ever head of. Highly highly recommend. (h/t to Erika for the rec!)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking | Susan Cain
I am about 3/4’s of the way through this book. Dives deep into Introversion and Extroversion, where it came from and how it shapes life today. Has made me think deeply about how I operate. (h/t to Erika again!)
The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story For Work and Life | Paul Millard
I was fortunate to have met
at a SXSW meetup he was hosting and he gave me a free copy! This has been on my list for awhile — just started and it resonates deeply.
articles worth sharing
on what makes you come alive
on workaholic parenting
sub link, the when-then trap — basically about the hedonic treadmill: “when x happens, then I’ll be happy”
on some biz lessons
writers i’m enjoying
Alex writes here — he blends humor and deep topics perfectly. He has such a unique voice and highly recommend checking him out. Hit the link, and you’ll see for yourself.
Ant’s recs:
Andrew met with me my senior year of college when I was trying to figure out what the heck to do with my life. Apart from a founder/builder/operator - he is a great writer whom I admire. Below is one of my favorite pieces he’s written.
I discovered Erik through through Andrew/twitter. Dove into his substack/website and have really enjoyed his thorough takes.
Ant’s recs:
intriguing passages
On busyness from the afformentioned :
Extreme busyness, whether at school or college, kirk or market, is a symptom of deficient vitality; and a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity. There is a sort of dead-alive, hackneyed people about, who are scarcely conscious of living except in the exercise of some conventional occupation. Bring these fellows into the country, or set them aboard ship, and you will see how they pine for their desk or their study. They have no curiosity; they cannot give themselves over to random provocations; they do not take pleasure in the exercise of their faculties for its own sake; and unless Necessity lays about them with a stick, they will even stand still. It is no good spreaking to such folk: they cannot be idle, their nature is not generous enoughl and they pass those hours in a sort of coma, which are not dedicated to furious moling in the gold-mill. When they do not require to go to the office, when they are not hungry and have no mind to drink, the whole breathing world is a blank to them. If they have to wait an hour or so for a train, they fall into a stupid trance with their eyes open.
-Robert Louis Stevenson writing in “An Apology for Idlers” in 1877.
On tension/paranoia from of :
During so many moments I feel pulled this way and that. My life is structured around attaining and protecting composure, but underneath the surface there’s always been tumult. I grew up believing that those who are insufficiently paranoid are punished. It’s a streak I can’t shake. I work hard for things, but I don’t let myself feel the pleasure of having them. My hedonism has always been edged with guilt.
Tension is what reminds me to keep moving. I love freewheeling momentum, the clean arc of a pendulum, concentric circles rippling through water. I love what is linear and what is exponential, but rarely what stagnates. When you smiled at the restaurant I noticed that you were changing.
I’m changing, too. I’ve been working hard to be different. And sometimes I’m scared of the implications. I want to be someone who can run fast but can also stand still. I’m trying to break past the hunted, frantic motions of my past, into a kind of calm opening. This year, instead of looking for speed, I’m looking for expansion.
tweets i’ve recently bookmarked
China dunking on Britain
gamifying life
money
funny
QoTW
The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light.
— James Baldwin
(h/t James Clear for including in his NL)
As always, if you made it here to the bottom…thank you.
Loved it? Consider sharing it with a friend who may also love it.
Hated it? Tell me why and/or unsubscribe.
Missed last weeks audio/visual newsletter? Click here!
ML,
Tony Chachere