Current Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Reading: ‘Beyond Order’ - Jordan Peterson
Listening To: ‘Imagine’ - Ben Platt
I was in a gym class this morning (New Year, New Me, am I right?) and our trainer started talking about something really profound. I tried to pay attention through the haze of my sweat, tears, and pain and picked up this…
The first hour of your morning should be when you take from the world. You need to be selfish and do whatever is needed for you before you head out into normal life and the world starts taking from you. Going to the gym, meditating, going for a walk, or whatever fills up your cup can make a big difference for your day if you do it first thing in the morning.
The moment you get to work, your company starts to take from you. Your friends and family start to take from you. Eskom starts to take from you. And you give, give, and give.
If you didn’t take the first hour or so to take for yourself, you’re likely to feel empty and you won’t get the sustenance (mental, emotional, and physical) to get through a long day. So the message was to be selfish at the beginning of your morning so that you can give yourself the strength you need to give to everyone else.
Now, I don’t know why this resonated so much with me, after all - I’ve read everything you can imagine about morning routines. But this simple framing was really powerful for me. I know that I’m quite a people pleaser and that I can easily give everything to the people around me and not look after myself as a result. Perhaps that describes you too. So the idea of spending the first hour of your day taking from the world is a really good way to look at it. Be selfish there, so that when the world takes from you over the rest of the day, you have reserves that you can draw from.
Also, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have to be going to the gym. It can be yoga, meditation, reading a book, stretching, drinking your coffee on the patio, or any other number of things. But do it first thing, before you pick up your phone and your day will go much better.
Links:
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the mix of art, music, writing, and thinking that is shared in ‘The Cultural Tutor’ email newsletter every week. It’s a wonderful collection of wisdom and cultural appreciation that will make you smarter, more curious, and more cultured along the way. (Link)
If you’ve already fallen off the bandwagon of your New Year’s Resolutions, read this and cut yourself some slack. (Link)
Some mildly amusing photos where serendipity created magic. (Link)
This short film uncovers philosopher Alain Badiou’s thoughts on why we need to defend love as an antidote to modern individualism. Creating dependence on another frees us from the emptiness of our own ego. (Link)
Schedule time for creativity. (Link)
That’s it for this week. I hope you have a wonderful Monday and that you take this week by the scruff of its neck. Remember to take from the world for the first hour of your day. Be selfish so that you fill up your cup before everyone else starts to take from you.
And remember to be kind to yourself.
Barry