Gathered here are ten hand-picked and carefully curated recommendations that might spark your curiosity this month:
I.
American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg on how to detect unmet needs:
“Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.”
Source: Marshall Rosenberg in the YouTube workshop in San Francisco
II.
Q&A:
III.
A Must-Read: Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think. This remains one of the most empowering articles I’ve read in recent years. It’s hilarious and amazing. For double trouble, pair it with this interview with the author, Tim Urban.
IV.
The Strangers Project. Read just a few one-page stories and you’ll see why I find this fascinating. Here are the basics from the website: “Do you ever see a stranger and wonder… ‘What’s it like being you?’ I’ve been asking that question for the past fourteen years and have received more than 85,000 hand-written, true, and anonymous answers.”
V.
We live in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life… The noise of fast and shallow communications makes it harder to hear the quieter sounds that emanate from the depths. We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character. – David Brooks
VI.
For those who don’t know David Lebovitz—though I suspect many of you do—he writes a wonderful newsletter that I’ve referenced before. (I’ve already bookmarked all his latest Paris recommendations for my next visit).
VII.
A Personal Letter: I could easily fill a newsletter with stuff I think people would like, stuff that would get clicks or higher open rates. But that’s not what I do, and how my newsletter works. I don’t send out a list of 10 things I think my readers would find interesting. I send over a list of things I am currently obsessed with first. The secret to my newsletter is that I write something that I actually want to read myself. I’ll admit, sometimes that leads to some pretty quirky and weird recommendations. But the truth is that I genuinely love fun facts, and my shower thoughts often come to me when I’m in the bathroom. Read on for my full personal letter.
VIII.
On my mind this month: let kids be kids. Let them play with toys, let them act weird, let them fail. Most of all, let them explore and embrace every stage of life or they may grow into adults who struggle with being themselves.
X.
The fun fact of this month: You can’t hum while holding your nose. You need air to pass through your nose to hum. Try it!
