Investors and Influencers

Entry 12/16/20

Today I’m putting into severe practice the to-do list method, and the outcome is impressive.

Book highlight

I’m re-reading a marketing book picked up awhile back. Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention dissects some of the most interesting campaigns run across a variety of media. Since I began putting the principles into practice in 2018 the book has been loaned out, returned, and found a home on my shelf. Results are uncanny. At times it seems that I’m either a narcissist or a fraud. But in just as many scenes I am, uncomfortably and unfortunately, the center of attention in any given room. Parr’s book has provided structure for me to “rise above the noisy crowd and be heard - all without giving a shout”. This is not accidental, but the fruit of my study of presence and attention.

The narcissist in me supposes that this curious rise is due to intrinsic attributes; to follow this thought process would be to feed the ego. Instead, it is a result of my extrinsic attributes, namely implementing knowledge discovered and compiled by another. Thanks Ben Parr for writing this book.

Ironic, for I hardly enjoy the attention.

Bonsai

The tree has been through some tough circumstances: first the trimming and the double repotting, then the cold weather. As I left the house this morning I discovered, to my horror, that the tree had been left on the balcony overnight in the temperature drop. I fed the tree and left it on the table outside while out all day. Now that I’m home, I’ve brought the tree inside and it is hashtag thriving.

Principles of Spirit

Harrison Owen is the author of a book which I picked up by random in a thrift store. The idea conveyed is incredible; Owen’s writing is not academic in nature but succeeds in conveying the idea. Among other strategies discussed is the acknowledgement of the 4 Principles of Spirit:

  1. Whoever comes is the right people.

  2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.

  3. Whenever it starts is the right time.

  4. When it’s over, it’s over.

Owen argues that open space is with carefully designed constraints is the ideal situation for building with spirit. I’ll argue more about this in Owen’s book review.

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Redundancy & Iteration

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Entry 12.15.20