What I’ve been reading:
Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen by Shunryū Suzuki
“Not Always So” is a collection of lectures given by Suzuki, one of the most prominent Zen Buddhist teachers of the 20th century, who’s already been featured in Existential Espresso a couple of times before.
I already made two YouTube videos discussing ideas from this book:
Zen Buddhism and Self-Actualization Connected: Becoming All and Nothing
How to express your full potential: Why too much freedom is hurting you
“Not Always So” is a book that’s easy to read and allows you to read it for even just 5–10 minutes and then put it down and spend some time pondering the ideas inside. However, if this is your first encounter with Suzuki, I would recommend starting off with “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.”
What I’ve been listening to:
“Using my leverage for life
Pushing through the strife as we crawl to the light
If we make it through, we gon' walk it upright
Watch it how we move it, we gon' make it alright”
This is the hook of the song that I both finished and started my year with: Soul of Freedom by Uyama Hiroto ft. Cise Starr.
2024 started with music, conversations, and silence. There will be plenty of time to listen to podcasts and online lectures. I already have a bunch of them lined up, and you can expect some recommendations starting next week. The mind will get stimulated; I’m not worried about that. But for now, I’m feeding my soul. And, besides purely instrumental music, what better way to feed the soul than with lyrics that are meant to uplift and encourage you to be a better human being?
Maybe what I share is not your cup of tea, but in any case, if you are someone who spends a lot of time listening to podcasts, educational videos, and audio books, I suggest you occasionally take a week or two to just enjoy soul-nurturing music (whatever that is for you) or silence.
What I’ve been thinking about:
There is no point in deleting social media.
Yes, your attention is under invasion. Your mind is being abused by different algorithms. That is, if you allow it to happen. So the one solution that might come to mind is to get off social media for good.
But what’s the point in that? What are you accomplishing? Unless you retreat from society and go live in a cave, you will spend your life surrounded by people who are largely shaped by social media. It’s a reality that we cannot escape. But it’s not all dark.
I discuss this topic in more depth in my latest YouTube video, Why You Should Not Delete Social Media.
And yes, I am still uploading daily videos. And yes, I still ask you to subscribe, like, comment, and share my channel with friends.
Thank you for reading.
Stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
Free Resources:
My free ebook: The Lost Art of Reading
Paid Resources:
The Art of Showing Up: A Clear and Practical Method for Mastering Consistency
The Gold Pill: Timeless Ideas for a Life Worth Living
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I am doing a social media detox for (at least) the first 21 days of 2024. The point, for me, was to give the dopamine centers of my brain a rest. Just like with any addiction, motivation for everything else really flags when I find myself scrolling and scrolling and scrolling in search of a good hit of cleverness or cuteness or righteousness or whatever.
I agree that we can’t escape the culture that social media helps create (in that very McLuhan-y, Medium is the Message way), but maybe it’s still worth it to check in with your body and feel for whether an activity is draining you or adding to your energy levels.