Here is your Seven-Bullet Monday
1. A quote I am pondering:
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." - Carl Jung
What we think and say about others is more a reflection of ourselves than those people. So, when we internalise that fact and take a good hard look at ourselves instead of the subjects of our irritation, it raises some profound questions that we would do well to answer.
2. A question I am asking myself:
How do I maximise my hustle factor?
The Fall will be here in Canada before we know it, and that is a great time to step up my hustle. Hustle is such a great word, because it speaks to making things happen. It also illustrates how drive and hard work can more than make up for lack of talent.
3. A book I am reading:
In Praise of Shadows – Junichiro Tanizaki
This book is delightful in many ways, and not just because it is short (one hour on Audible). Through worn pottery, architecture, theatre, food, and even toilets, Tanizaki explains the beauty of Japanese and oriental culture where shadows and darkness augment the beauty. The contrast to a western culture, where we love an abundance of light, was quite illuminating (excuse the pun).
4. My favourite podcast this week:
Prospecting Purpose: Indigenizing Mining with Allen Edzerza
In this podcast, Allen Edzerza provides some great insights into mining as viewed through the eyes of Indigenous Peoples. He is very constructive towards mining, and I thought he outlined a holistic vision of the future of mining in Canada. This included First Nations ownership, commercial and financial capacity and expanding mining skills (in such disciplines as geology and engineering) among younger generations of Indigenous Peoples.
5. Hugh-Tips
Add 20 years to your projected lifespan and see how that affects your financial plans for the future
I am not sure if you have a targeted lifespan or not, NAME, but let's say it is to live to 90 years old, and you are now 40. You might be thinking of retiring when you are 65, completing 15 years of active retirement, travelling etc., and then starting to chill and travel less as you get older. Instead, imagine if you were to live to 110 years - given rapidly evolving biotech, this is entirely possible. So, if it's 110 years, how does that affect your plans? To consider this, you should try and see the future, not just with present eyes, but by thinking of different scenarios based on what might be the norm then. Some questions to consider will be when you want to retire, when to move out of your home, when to hand over your business to a child, how much of your pension you can draw down each year, or when to book a retirement home.
6. My highlight this last week
An alternating ice bath and super-hot sauna experience at Tality Spar in North Vancouver
I figured an ice bath was the next frontier after getting my cold showers up to a sufficient length. The Tality Spar consists of several ice baths and a 50 wood-fired sauna. You start with a cold plunge for as long as you can stay in, followed by a ten-minute sauna, a shower, another cold plunge and then sit around a fire relaxing. After that, you repeat the process all over again. The icy water was quite an experience (let's call it exhilaratingly shocking), and the sauna was fantastic. Leanne and I both agreed on how wonderfully relaxed we felt after the experience. I think we will be returning next time with some friends to share the pain and the glory.
7. My challenge to you for this week
Instead of telling someone what to do, please find a way to pose it as a non-rhetorical question
When we are knowledgeable about a topic or know what to do at work or home, it is all too easy to jump in and offer advice. The unfortunate result is that the advice is frequently not taken; even if it is, the recipient is not learning much from the opportunity. If instead, we could take a few minutes to ask some focused questions, they can get to the solution themselves, and it is bound to be more meaningful that way. Also, ensure the questions are open-ended, i.e. they can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no"—that way, they have to do some serious thinking which will help the learning process.
Have a wonderful week
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