July SIX, as always, has a blend of ideas. I've had a couple of weeks without screens and internet connection this month and because of that, today’s curation includes a couple of more abstract ideas and explorations. Less clicking on websites and more immersion in natural sights. More questions than answers at this stage but isn’t that always the case for us curious folk?
Exploring Water “In time and with water, everything changes." - Leonardo da Vinci. Our household has been positively enhanced with the purchase of an inflatable kayak. It was a while in the discussing, the whole minimalism vs cluttering up the garage conversation was happening for a while. Although time in nature isn’t scarce, the kayak has provided another way to enjoy the great outdoors, particularly the waterways near our house. It’s been a game changer, lots of fun. This got me wondering, exploring if you like...what other purchases have been discarded with my minimalist mindset making the decisions? And what experiences have been missed because of that attitude?
The Idea That ‘Simple’ Transcends ‘Genius’ In his talk The Multidisciplinary Approach to Thinking, Peter Kaufman talks us through his theory on mirrored reciprocation. Do you like the idea of joining-the-dots? Yes? Then I think you’ll like Peters insights. ‘To understand is to know what to do.’ - Peter Kaufman Read The Transcript >
James Webb You Little Beauty If you haven’t yet seen the Horizon episode, Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe, you need to get onto the BBC iPlayer immediately. Images and words combined to make anyone shiver, feel small, feel special and feel overwhelmed. Wow there are some smart people on this planet. Very inspiring. BBC iPlayer > Explore the Universe > Comparing Telescopes, Webb vs Hubble >
Considerations From The Coast Every year my family meet up in north Devon. My mums from that part of the world and she needs a week of sea air from her childhood stomping ground. We all need some sea air once in a while, it’s good for the soul. Looking at large expanses of water can put things into perspective and a week of sea views across Woolacombe Sands gave me a similar feeling I got from watching the Horizon documentary mentioned above. A feeling of smallness and insignificance alongside an intense feeling of being alive! We are tiny dots on this earth. Here for such a short time. We better make the most of it.
Lost Connection Not internet signal or low speeds of dial up, but disconnection with ourselves and others. I’ve been reading Lost Connections by journalist Johann Hari, it was a page turner for sure. A collection of stories from research that have caused quite the stir amongst its readers. Like Marmite, some people loved it, some hated it. Take a look at some of the reviews and you'll see what I mean. The subtitle of the book is Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope. Not a book I'd usually choose but the recommendation was backed up by a podcast I recently heard and like all of us, I have my ups and downs. The book was insightful, surprisingly relatable and certainly thought provoking. The accounts of community stories were fascinating and the research into depression was eye opening for sure. Is this a recommendation? I'll leave that up to you. The Book > Reviews of the book >
Writing Words & Wondering Do you journal? I write in a notebook that tends to be called a journal but I find myself, most of the time, writing questions that I cannot answer. Does that count as journaling? The answers do come but they don’t usually make it to the same pages of the notebook. It would make seriously frustrating reading. A series of doubts and deliberations without direction. This practice helps process my thoughts, a good thing, but I also often realise that I’m filling pages with interrogations of myself, maybe not a good thing? A feeling of lightness at the end...a good thing. I'll persevere.
As I said, more questions than answers today, true to the title of these updates: Stuff I’m eXploring. Possibly not useful, maybe thought provoking, maybe inspiring. As always, your thoughts are welcome. Keep on with the curiosity. Lv Kim xx