Something to Keep
“Your brain is most intelligent when you don’t instruct it on what to do – something people who take showers discover on occasion.”
Nassim Taleb, The Bed of Procrustes
A Second Look
For the longest time, I had trouble sitting still. Doing nothing was the hardest thing I could do. I now find that freeing because some of my most creative thoughts come up when I’m not doing anything at all.
One of the most important skills a person can learn (especially today) is to sit without an agenda. Just sit there. People watch, watch the sunset, and get lost in your random thoughts if you have to. Do whatever you want, as long as you don’t use your phone.
We live in an era where everything and everyone demands our attention. In the self-development space, there are books dedicated to doing nothing. You don’t need that because reading a book about doing nothing is doing something.
Life isn’t something to optimize, but something to experience. We seem to forget that from time to time.
Something I Liked
This week, I started watching the National Geographic docu-series 9/11: One Day in America, and after only watching two episodes, I have to say I highly recommend it.
I’ve watched documentaries on the events before and read books about it (my favorite is The Only Plane in the Sky), but nothing like this. The series follows the September 11 attacks and shows archival footage as well as interviews with eyewitnesses, first responders, and survivors. The result is an intimate look into an event that changed the world.
As much as I’d like to recommend it to everyone, the six-part series is heartbreaking to watch. That said, I found the series captivating. If you’re interested, the first episode is available for free on YouTube, and I shared it above.
