Evolutions, love notes and ice-cream.
A series of short-thoughts, moments and words I've loved.
Friends! I hope you’re all having a beautiful week.
This weeks post is a little different to most. I wanted to share some of the words, moments and reflections I’ve loved of late. It’s almost an insight into the raw data (of life) that would normally act as the catalysts for the ideas I share.
1. Letting this evolve
This Substack started as a means of sharing longer-form ideas for Inside Lane (my coaching practice). And, if I’m being honest, it was probably born out of a little frustration with the quick-hit nature of IG.
Over time it’s evolved. I’ve played with different formats, loosened the connection to business, given myself permission to write about the ideas occupying my mind and eased the pressure to only write about ideas I think my target audience wants or needs to hear. I’ve also stopped trying to convince myself that I could possibly know what people want to hear. I’ve no idea.
Instead I’ve been on leaning on an enduring intention for my time here - to make the world a kinder place.
For now, that’s the filter I’m using to decide what I put out in the world. If it has the potential to make the world, my world, a more kind place then it’s a green light.
“You have no idea who you may end up helping or even the lives you may save simply by following the truth of your heart.”
From Mental Tension & Intuition by
.
2. Am I an artist?
I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve never identified as an artist. But I have always identified as a more sensitive person, and while I don’t think that’s a firm prerequisite to being an artist it does make for fertile ground.
I like what identifying as a creative or artist does for me though. It gives me permission to express myself and to explore the impulses or curiosities I’d maybe otherwise silence because they didn’t fit the mould I made for myself.
It also gives me permission to make mistakes. Science and the more academic world, and even the athletic world, is so much about correctness. We’re taught specific ways of thinking, that there is a definite right, wrong or best practice and that there is a correct, textbook technique for things. Through school or coaching, our unique approach is slowly sanded back to conform to standards of normal or correctness. What’s lost in that is the chance at innovation. Just because something has been, doesn’t mean it should continue to be. Current realities are always made obsolete by emerging opportunities and I’d rather be someone nudging the frontier than fearfully shackled to the current state.
Above all else, giving myself permission to express a more creative side has felt life-giving — it’s made me a better person for those I love.
This Rick Rubin gem, shared by
from , rings true for me:‘The sensitivity that allows them to make the art is the same vulnerability that makes them more tender to being judged. Still, many continue to share their work and risk criticism in spite of this. It’s as if they have no other choice. Being an artist is who they are, and they are made whole through self-expression.’
3. Let’s get ice-cream.
Monday had shades of frustration. It was a day-job day and started well, but then quickly filled up with tasks and requests I honestly didn’t have a lot of interest in fulfilling. Necessities, but just not how I wanted to spend my day and a nice reminder of the importance of moving toward an experience of life with more autonomy and freedom.
Later in the day I ducked out to fill the car with petrol and grab some things for dinner. Happy to have the laptop closed, but still a little entangled with frustration. As I drove into the petrol station, I noticed two people riding their bikes but didn’t really think too much of it.
When I walked into pay, they were just ahead of me. A man in his 70’s, or maybe 80’s, and a young girl, maybe 7-8, who I can only assume was the man’s granddaughter. She rushed ahead and ran over to the ice-creams - that’s what they were for. On a day no warmer than 10 degrees, they’d thrown their layers on, grabbed the bikes and rode however far, giddy with excitement, to get ice-cream together.
Any frustration from the day melted away and I just felt warmth. My mind instantly went to my daughter, my Dad and the thought that maybe one day I’ll be an agile 70 year-old riding down to the local servo to get an ice-cream on a day that couldn’t possibly be less appropriate for ice-cream.
I’m so glad I noticed that.
20mins later I also noticed an older couple bickering at the shops over whether they needed lettuce. She said yes. He said it wasn’t on the list. Not sure how that panned out, but it made me smile.
4. Leave your friends love notes.
Yesterday morning was spent solving the worlds problems, over coffee and breakfast, with my good mate
.Later on, I pulled out the notebook I’d had with me at breakfast and found this…
Maybe 2 months or so back, another good mate,
asked for my address. I held back on the need to ask why and just trusted, knowing Jono, it was for good reason. A week or so later we received a printed film photo of our son, taken by Jono last year, with a heartfelt note on the back thanking us for who we are as a family. We cried.Write love notes to your people.
Words I’ve loved.
A collection of quotes and thoughts saved to my phone notes lately.
‘Forgiveness shakes loose the calcification that accumulates around our hearts.’
Frank Ostaseski
‘I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.’
Kurt Vonnegut
‘The number of hours we have together is actually not so large. Please linger near the door uncomfortably instead of just leaving. Please forget your scarf in my life and come back later for it.’
Harvey Mikko
‘I like being barefoot.’
My 4y.o daughter - a little sign I’m parenting the way I want to.
‘I’ve learned how to live without knowing. I don’t have to be sure I’m succeeding, and as I said before about science, I think my life is fuller because I realise that I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m delighted with the width of the world!’
Richard Feynman
‘In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.’
Eric Hoffer
‘The fact is, happy and healthy people don't just happen. They are created by the culture in which they reside.’
from .
‘Honestly assessing our situation requires enormous courage. It makes us face hard truths; we might see things that shame, intimidate, or frighten us. But we have to. Otherwise, none of the pathways we identify to reach our objective will be realistic. We’ll nurture false hope.’
from
Thanks for being here friends - go get ice-cream.
With love.
Jesse.
I did go get ice-cream and didn't even realise I must have been subconsciously guided by this post until I wrote it as a glimmer the next day and thought... that sounds familiar! We did an 8.30pm run on a grey drizzling freezing evening and ate it while strolling outside. It was freezing! But felt enlivening in a way only silly outrageous things do - so thank you!
Yes to ice cream! It's never the wrong weather for that...