Sign up to get the Sloww Sunday newsletter via email for free:👇
Sloww Sunday Newsletter 003 (February 2, 2020) — The Overview Effect, Financial Independence, Autodidacticism, & More
Read about the newsletter launch or browse previous newsletters.
Hello Sunday!
Sloww Sunday is a new email newsletter sharing inspiration to awaken the art of living in all of us.
In a modern world focused on the trendy, here’s your weekly dose of the timeless.
1 // New on Sloww
50+ Deep Perspectives on Humanity’s Underlying & Ultimate Challenge (Hint: Ourselves) — This was an eye-opening article to put together. Mainstream media covers the urgent issues of today like the climate crisis and artificial intelligence. But, the basic and biggest challenges may be the ones we hear about the least—yet hit closest to home.
We are unlikely to effectively solve (humanity’s) problems unless we truly understand their ultimate source: the human mind. In our view, to survive and flourish…we must look inward. In an era defined by human impact, the most pressing questions of this time are about ourselves.
— Nathaniel Barr & Gordon Pennycook
In Case You Missed It:
- Humanity is a Teenager — We Will Evolve Through Simplicity
- The Modern Art of Living: With Great Choice comes Great Responsibility
- 50 Profound Quotes & 5 Deep Questions from “The Lessons of History” (Book Summary)
2 // Video I’m Watching
The Overview Effect (YouTube | 19 mins) — As the top comment says, “This video should have 7 billion views.” I agree. It’s wild to think that less than 600 humans have ever traveled in outer space. But, what if we could all be moved by that perspective?
Many of the great wisdom traditions of the Earth have pointed to what we’re calling ‘the Overview Effect.’ That is to say, they have realized this unity—this oneness—of all life on Earth and of conciousness and awareness.
— Frank White
Pair with my overview of the Overview Effect (pun intended) and why it’s time we get on board with the concept of “Spaceship Earth.”
3 // Speech I’m Listening To
What if Money was No Object? — Alan Watts (YouTube | 3 mins) — Short and sweet.
What do you desire? What makes you itch? …
— Alan Watts
If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is to go on doing things you don’t like doing…
Pair with the dangers of lifestyle inflation and how much money research says you need for well-being.
4 // Article I’m Reading
My Life with FIRE (Vicki Robin | 14 mins) — FIRE stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. A fast-growing movement and community has sprung up over the last decade (especially the last few years). It seems there’s a new FIRE blogger everyday, but Vicki is one of the originals. Her book Your Money or Your Life was first published in 1992, and she became one of the “accidental gurus of a tribe I didn’t even know existed.” This article is a breath of fresh perspective on money.
For me, FI has simply been the freedom to pursue a higher purpose – to grow spiritually, to learn, to create and to serve … I don’t see financial independence as the ultimate goal. I see it as just a ticket to the greatest show on earth – the earth itself with all her beauty, complexity, critters and currently crises. The opportunity to ask the Mary Oliver questions: What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life? I’m writing this to invite you to look past the numbers to the meaning of life.
— Vicki Robin
Pair with the Hierarchy of Financial Needs and the Meaning of Life (Mad Fientist) or my introduction to FIRE.
5 // Quote & Question I’m Contemplating
We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.
— Earl Nightingale
There are many similar quotes that hit on this same idea. I like Nightingale’s version because it acknowledges the fact that it’s not common knowledge.
What are you thinking about most of the time right now? Are you seeing your thoughts play out in your own life?
Bonus // Something I’m Learning
Autodidact (or Autodidacticism):
- Autodidacticism (self-education, self-learning, self-teaching) is education without guidance of teachers, schools, etc.
- An autodidact chooses the subject, the studying material, and the studying rhythm and time.
- More on Wikipedia.
By nature of reading this, you have access to the internet. Humanity’s information and knowledge is at your fingertips. Where would you like to apply more self-learning in your life?
Worth sharing? If you enjoyed this issue of Sloww Sunday, please share with a friend or two (or post socially). It’s easy for them to subscribe for free here.
Have feedback? It’s always appreciated! Please let me know by email or socially.
Discover awesomeness? If you come across interesting content on the same wavelength as Sloww, please let me know. I may be able to include it in an upcoming newsletter.
Have an awe-inspiring week!
Go with the Sloww,
Kyle Kowalski
Founder, Sloww
