Sloww Sunday 029: Wise Attributes, Intro to Zen, Nature's Principles

Sloww Sunday Newsletter 029 (August 30, 2020) — Attributes of the Wise, Intro to Zen, Applying Nature’s Principles, & More

Hi friends,

Sloww synthesizes the world’s wisdom to awaken the art of living.

In an age of information overload, Sloww Sunday is like a deep breath for your mind.

1. Sloww Stuff

🆕 Optimize with Brian Johnson: An Intro to his Life’s Work on Virtues, Habits, & the Fundamentals of Optimal Living — Over the last two decades, Brian has been studying and embodying ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools. This post is a summary of an incredible new video where he essentially shares his life’s work—helping us all close the gap between who we’re capable of being and who we’re actually being. This one is worth bookmarking and revisiting often.

Announcements:

This was a big week of milestones! Sloww crossed 1,000,000 all-time visitors. When I quit my career in mid-2018, it was averaging 50 per day (5,000 all-time). Today, it’s 2,000+ per day. The simple powers of consistency and compounding over time. Thank you for joining the journey.

2. Video I’m Watching

📺 12 Attributes Of Above Average People According To Philosophy
(10 mins | The Art of Improvement on YouTube)

This video title is a bit misleading. These are timeless attributes of the wise and enlightened including: purpose, focus, responsibility, contentment, and more.

“No man was ever wise by chance.” — Seneca

3. Podcast I’m Enjoying

🎧 An Introduction to Zen | Henry Shukman on The Kevin Rose Show
(90 mins | Apple | Spotify | Google)

This is a refreshing conversation. They start discussing Zen at the 26:00 mark. Henry Shukman is an Associate Zen Master of the Sanbo Zen lineage. Kevin says: “Henry is dedicated to what he sees as core Zen training — clarifying our essential nature to our own satisfaction, and thereby finding true peace of mind, and then living that essential nature in every moment of daily life, in freedom, love, and deep responsiveness.”

“There is an infinite well-being in the heart of every moment.” — Henry Shukman

4. Website I’m Exploring

🌐 It’s Time to Ask Nature
(AskNature.org)

This mind-expanding website features thousands of nature’s solutions to various challenges. The big idea is that we can apply nature’s designs, strategies, and principles to create human systems that support a healthy, sustainable planet.

“If the history of life on Earth were put to a 24‑hour clock, humans would have been here shaping the world for mere seconds. As latecomers, it’s time to begin asking the rest of our complex planetary family how to build a more resilient, regenerative, and beautiful world.” — Ask Nature

5. Quote I’m Contemplating

“Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in the Great Learning. The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.

…all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.

It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered.”

— The Great Learning (attributed to Confucius)

Sharing: If you enjoyed this issue of Sloww Sunday, please share socially or send it to a few friends to spread the word!

Support: If you’re interested in supporting Sloww, there are a few financial and non-financial methods other than the Premium Membership. See ways to support.

Feedback: It’s always appreciated! Please send me an email or reach out socially.

Also, please let me know if you come across anything interesting that’s on the same wavelength as Sloww. I may be able to include it in an upcoming newsletter.

Have a tranquil week!

Kyle Kowalski
Founder, Sloww