Issue #18: On Journalling, Man's Search for Meaning, and Anthony Bourdain
Journalling, Man's Search for Meaning, The Fisherman and the Investment Banker, Anthony Bourdain, and Tim Ferriss
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Alright with that out of the way, let's get into it. In this issue you will find:
On Journalling
Man's Search for Meaning
The Parable of the Fisherman and the Investment Banker
The Genius of Anthony Bourdain
a quote from Tim Ferriss
On Journalling
I've been journaling every day now for almost a month and it's been one of the gratifying habits I've ever practiced. I wanted to highlight three different ways that journalling every day has been changing my life.
Comfort
"Paper is more patient than people, we should put our angry thoughts down on the page, leave them there. Rather than projecting them, or hurting others with them.’ - Anne Frank
I've found the pages of my journal to be a great source of comfort - especially during this stressful pandemic. Friends & family can get tired of you saying the same thing over and over again, whereas journals do not. We all are experiencing different things and emotions right now - write them down in your journal and write them down truthfully - you don't have to impress it.
Reflection
"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
You can't bullshit yourself in your own journal. Doing morning and evening pages every day forces you to examine your life - and also examine your life truthfully. We've all gone through stages where the days blend together and I've found that the simple act of reflecting every day is a great way to keep track of your life and where you were at different points. Sometimes you can’t even recognize yourself from old entries.
Growth
"When you have to use your energy to put those words down, you are more apt to make them count." - Raymond Chandler
When you journal every day, you see yourself grow write before your eyes (write haha). Using journaling to make sure you complete tasks and keeping yourself accountable is probably the most helpful aspect. Using my journal to keep myself accountable to the tasks and habits that I need to accomplish throughout the day forces me into growth and also helps me dissect the things that I am getting right so I can continue implementing them in the future.
In conclusion:
"Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter. And lead pencil's markings endure longer than memory." - Jack London
Lessons From Storytelling: Man’s Search for Meaning
I've been reading Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl lately and was struck by this passage early on:
Don't aim at success-the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the byproduct of 1 surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscious commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run - in the long run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it.
This was really reminiscent of the message of one of my favorite movies of all time: 3 Idiots. I'm about halfway through the book right now and it’s a really powerful read - could not recommend it enough.
The Parable of the Fisherman and the Investment Banker
This was another really powerful story that I came across on Twitter this week:
A wealthy investment banker goes on vacation to a tropical fishing village. As he walked along the docks one afternoon, he came upon a small, run-down fishing boat with several large fish on its deck.
"How long did it take you to catch those fish?" he asked. The fisherman looked up from his work and smiled at his new visitor.
"Only a little while."
The investment banker was caught off guard by this response. He liked the fisherman and wanted to help.
"Why don't you fish for longer so you can catch more fish?" The fisherman shrugged and explained to his new friend that he had all he needed.
"Each day, I sleep late, fish a little, and spend time with my children and beautiful wife. In the evening, I go into town, drink wine, play the guitar, and sing and laugh with my friends." The investment banker was puzzled. He wanted to help his new friend, who he recognized was clearly confused. The investment banker had helped many businesses and had an MBA and other fancy credentials to his name. So he laid out a plan for the fisherman...
"First, you spend more time fishing, so you can catch and sell more fish. You use the proceeds to buy a bigger boat, which allows you to catch and sell even more fish." The fisherman listened intently, his face calm. But the investment banker was just getting started...
"Then you buy a fleet of boats. You hire a team. Vertically integrate. As CEO of a large, growing enterprise, you could move to the big city. You would take your company public and make millions!" The fisherman looked confused, but smiled.
"And then what?" he asked. The investment banker was shocked.
"Well, then you could retire to a quiet town! You could sleep late, fish a little, and spend time with your children and beautiful wife. In the evening, you could go into town, drink wine, play the guitar, and sing and laugh with your friends." Not realizing the irony, the investment banker stood silent, waiting for the fisherman to express excitement with the plan. The fisherman smiled broadly, thanked his new friend for the advice, and wandered off slowly into the warm afternoon sun.
I thought this was a really powerful story about perspective and defining what is really important to you. A lot of us can sometimes be as clueless as the investment banker, not seeing that the things that we value so much sometimes are already in our reach. Next time you find yourself thinking about your priorities - think about the fisherman and investment banker.
The Genius of Anthony Bourdain
I came across this video on twitter and this devolved into a week of me binging Anthony Bourdain's content. Anthony Bourdain is one of those people who everyone has something nice to say about and while I did know of Bourdain before I've become a card-carrying member of the Bourdain cult. He combines great food and narrations skills with a journalistic focus on culture. I'm also currently reading his book A Cook's Tour which was his first food travel show before No Reservations and Parts Unknown. The best part of the shows are his narrations and he's an even better writer than he is a TV host. Here's a little example to give you an idea of his writing style:
Quote of the Week
"Life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific task."
Tim Ferriss
That’s all for this week. If its your first time reading, I hope you’ll consider subscribing:
See you next week!
This one’s not too bad honestly