This was a trip I took in 2022 with my American friends as part of my Americanisian protocol. I mainly used the Fujifilm XT4 with the 23mm lens.

I also filmed a little youtube video.

If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

William Morris

I’ve been Kondo-pilled since I heard about the petite Japanese lady a few years ago. Mistakenly, many people misunderstand Kondo’s message. It’s not about getting rid for the sake of getting rid of things, but only keeping what brings joy.

The objective of this post is to remind you to seek joy in the small things. The often overlooked trivialities in your life. To pay a specific kind of attention to them: introspective awareness of the sensations of using it, and a keen appreciation that they are impermanent and will vanish.

This is what the Buddhists mean when they talk about ‘non-attachment’. It’s about deeply experiencing the contents of consciousness, without grasping for more or pushing away the unpleasant, but being totally immersed in each moment.

This sounds dramatic to apply to objects, but its a form of gratitude practice. It becomes automatic after a certain point. You own objects. Use them, value them, and when the time comes, let them go.

Own few things

Don’t get attached

Use them, value them, be grateful and when the time comes- let them go.

Leave the earth with nothing

Give away everything you own to your family, your friends and society

Leave quietly

What do you value? Here is a small list from me.

• Biophilic design
• Paper notebooks
• Fountain pens
• Worn books
• Coffee mugs
• Typing on a mechanical keyboards
• Wood and glass

Your physical environment often ends up being a manifestation of your internal environment.

A change I’ve noticed is a keener appreciation for art and beauty in life. It’s definitely a ‘peak’ in conscious experience that I want to consistently come back to.

I’ll leave with this directive. Look deliberately for beauty, especially in the mundane. Pay close attention. As Alain de Botton says, seek to ‘mold the world to graceful ends’.

lost - forever chasing the ghost of optimal

What is the ‘most optimal’ training program? It is hard to know. But you can end up spinning your wheels by hopping from one program to another- constantly seeking the ‘best’.

Therefore you end up making no progress towards any specific goal.

It is better to stick with a program. Reap the benefits and move on. Why is this difficult?

Because we want results yesterday. We are inpatient. We want to be jacked, strong and flexible, holding front/back levers with full Planche.

The reality is : if you are in this for the long haul (i.e. decades)- it will take time. It is better to build a strong foundation to prevent injuries and in the longer run, make faster progress.

TLDR

• Stick to programs
• When your goals change- (hypertrophy/strength/achieving specific skills - then change the training program.
• Zoom out - think years/decades rather than weeks
• Injury prevention should be 1# priority for a non-professional (arguably also for a pro)