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Sloww Sunday Newsletter 001 (January 19, 2020) — Inner Beauty, Pockets of Stillness, the Golden Mean, & More
Happy Sunday!
Welcome to Sloww’s new newsletter—Sloww Sunday.
Sloww Sunday is a free email newsletter sharing inspiration to awaken the art of living in all of us. You can read more about the newsletter launch here.
1 // New on Sloww
A Tough Love Approach to Spirituality: “Awareness” by Anthony de Mello (Book Summary) — A much-needed dose of spiritual tough love. Fair warning: You must be willing to enter De Mello’s teachings with a completely open mind and readiness to learn something new.
The chances that you will wake up are in direct proportion to the amount of truth you can take without running away. How much are you ready to take?
— Anthony de Mello
In Case You Missed It:
- 25+ Art of Living Quotes to Inspire the Ultimate “Work” of our Lives
- On Vocation, True Self, & the Inner Journey: “Let Your Life Speak” by Parker J. Palmer (Book Summary)
- The Top 5 Life-Changing Books I Read in 2019 (& Worth Your Time in 2020)
2 // Podcast I’m Listening To
John O’Donohue on The Inner Landscape of Beauty | On Being (52 mins) — I’ve seen this recommended several times recently, so I took it as a sign from the universe that I need to listen to it. Well worth the time.
No conversation we’ve ever done has been more beloved than this one. The Irish poet, theologian, and philosopher insisted on beauty as a human calling. He had a very Celtic, lifelong fascination with the inner landscape of our lives and with what he called ‘the invisible world’ that is constantly intertwining what we can know and see.
— Krista Tippett, On Being
3 // Video I’m Watching
Maria Popova on Building Pockets of Stillness Into Your Life | YouTube (22 mins) — You’re likely familiar with Maria’s wonderful writing on her blog Brain Pickings, but how often have you seen her on camera? In this video, Maria covers the beginnings of Brain Pickings along with seven life learnings.
In all the things that I write about…I try to find some little piece that helps us answer, or helps me answer at least, directly or indirectly that grand question of how to live and what it means to live a meaningful life.
— Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
Pair with Maria’s recent article 13 Life-Lessons from 13 Years of Brain Pickings and my personal all-time top three learnings from Maria.
4 // Article I’m Reading
Three Theories for Why You Have No Time | The Atlantic (9 mins) — Higher expectations? Status? Because we have no choice? All of the above?
To solve the problems of overwork and time starvation, we have to recognize both that individuals have the agency to make small changes to improve their lives and that, without broader changes to our laws and norms and social expectations, no amount of overwork will ever be enough.
— Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
Pair with Derek Thompson’s other amazing article Workism is Making Americans Miserable and my own seven busyness theories and why we feel so busy today.
5 // Quote & Question I’m Contemplating
Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.
— Lao Tzu
Where may you be exerting unnecessary force in your life right now?
Bonus: Something I’m Learning
I recently realized that I have 100+ fascinating Wikipedia pages saved but haven’t made progress reading them. So, I started a new thread on Twitter called Wikipedia Wednesday where I read a new page and post a short summary each week. Here’s the latest learning:
The Golden Mean (or Golden Middle Way):
- “The desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency.”
- Appeared on the Temple at Delphi as “Nothing in Excess” (“Meden Agan”)
- Seen in: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, Confucius, and religions/spirituality
Where do you think you could be better about applying the golden mean in your life at the moment?
Worth sharing? If you enjoyed Sloww Sunday, please share with a friend or two (or post socially). It’s easy for others to subscribe for free here.
Have feedback? It’s always appreciated! Please let me know by email or socially.
If you come across something interesting on the same wavelength as Sloww content, please let me know. I may be able to include it in an upcoming newsletter.
Have a fantastic week!
Go with the Sloww,
Kyle Kowalski
Founder & Writer, Sloww
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