in the wind weekly #5

Hey friends,

Maybe you already know it, or maybe it’s your first week here. Along with my message this week, I’d like to extend a familiar note to take just a few moments to breathe, wherever you are. Not in some mystical/spiritual way, but a simple way of taking in some O2 and releasing that breath if only to remind ourselves that we are alive. Or maybe that is spiritual, I dunno. That’s for you to decide. Regardless, here and now, I am grateful to share these wandering thoughts with you.

My favorite series of all time is Dune, which has been wonderful to have the movies being released and for them to almost live up to the dynamic narrative of the books. A quote that has so much meaning and power that translates directly to our Earthly movements is the repeated Bene Gesserit quote, which is said less succinctly in the books than in the movies, a character notably says, “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration. I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me.”

Science Fiction will always be one of the most insightful genres in its commentary on the politics, structure, and narrative that we hold and abide by as humans. And I believe that maybe the distance in telling the story as a metaphor allows for ideas like this to be just a bit more digestible to our mere mortal selves.

Fear. An emotion. A signal.

I think that as I reflect on my experience, I have noticed that so often we are taught that “scary” or “bad” emotions are ones to be either run away from or avoided. And in more recent years I have unpacked this concept that emotions are neither, at their core, good or bad. I wonder- do more of you reading this share this understanding or perception of emotions at charge in such a binary?

This week I’ve been moving more slowly, not just in life and the changes that have come the past few days, but also in reading. For transparency, I am working to read 2 books per month for the year. Consistency, I have been testing. Does it make a difference?

That aside, moving slowly has also bled into my rate of finishing books. So, I greet you having only made my way part way through “Think Like a Monk.” A book that it feels good to read slowly and with the intention to absorb deeply.

Jay Shetty, the author of this book, dives into an understanding of emotions that (strangely) mirror the philosophy that we find being shared in Dune’s dramatic war-torn dialogues.

He writes, “We let our fear drive us, but fear itself is not our real problem. Our real problem is that we fear the wrong things: What we should really fear is that we will miss the opportunities that fear offers.”

Let’s put to the side how science fiction and Buddhist theory share their ideologies here and get back to the important thing- Both of these philosophies highlight that emotion should be something to move through effectively and use as a reference point that can motivate change. Now that I read that back it seems so obvious (am I the only one who had to learn this in adulthood?).

In recent conversations, a friend of mine said “We are only as successful [in business] as our emotional health,” or something like this. And when it comes to the entrepreneurial world, every day I feel this to be more and more true.

It was in a recent podcast that claimed that running a business is one of the most extreme versions of self-growth and development. How could it not be? If we get a train moving (a business) and need to keep it running no matter what comes up, then we are forced to face the patterns and mechanisms that no longer serve us positively.

That is one way of forcing personal growth or, at least, a pretty darn good challenge against our deeply rooted patterns. And what if success in business is really determined by our ability to hold and process and move through emotions? So when it comes to fear, why not see it as a cairn that guides our way rather than something to freeze or run from? And are the things we fear the opportunities to grow into the best self that we desire of ourselves? What an epic and beautiful opportunity that could be if it were true.

And I think that in reference to fear, or emotions that I have learned to deem as “bad” or at least uncomfortable, there is massive opportunity and potential to “level up” if we can take this emotion, feel it fully, and motivate positive change as a response. Do you resonate with this?

Well, that said, and to keep it short, with maybe a half-baked thought presented so far here, if you haven’t yet, go get yourself a copy of Dune and get to the theaters! Sure it’s one of the most complex science fiction narratives that have ever been shared, but also, it’s entertaining and engaging from an entertainment perspective.

They are knocking it out of the park. And if you’re not finding the desire or draw to sit and watch or sit, then I hope that you can cultivate some time this week to just enjoy whatever it is that brings you what you need. Whether that’s a shoulder to lean on, a good laugh, or a highly philosophical debate.

As I work on this, I hope that you can practice too- The whole processing emotion and allowing it to motivate change.

Thank you, deeply, for taking the time to read these words. Does it make sense? I’m not sure. But thanks anyway for reading. I hope that you can find the time to breathe and slow down in the constant hum that is living, to soak in all there is to enjoy, and know that you are loved and cared for, even if there are moments that feel otherwise.

w/ metta,

Sage