Stumbling
Tomorrow’s events:
Bioenergetic Workout w/ Devaraj Sandberg. Every Second Saturday @ 10:00 AM ET. RSVP here.
The Bridge From Stopping One Game To Starting Another: GameStop, SOCI, and Power w/ Evan McMullen. January 30th @ 6:00 PM ET. RSVP here.
The Glass Bead Game w/ The Metabeaders. Every Saturday @ 4:00 PM ET. RSVP here.
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January 29th, 2021
When Biden became president last week, I was seeing headlines such as “build back boring.” It did feel like there was a boringness in the air for a moment, and it felt comforting compared to the chaotic sense that stemmed from the previous administration.
It seems like there will be no boringness though. I got caught up in a news vortex on the GameStop and WallStreetBets situation, and I was losing myself in the excitement and anger, along with the temporary sense of unification across the political spectrum that emerged.
There is a sense of overwhelm in my body at the moment. Things are changing fast. The possibility space is opening. The energies are flowing through me. This feeling of overwhelm is no doubt amplified with the many activities I have on the go. In yesterday’s entry I hand-waved the “slow down” advice, and wanted to lean into the intensity of the moment. Perhaps I should reconsider.
Slowing down or fully jumping into the intensity do not seem like the right moves. My favorite oxymoron seems applicable here: festina lente, or "make haste slowly.” I am not interested in simple answers, yet sometimes simple advice helps tease out a nuanced response. The simple advice of the Stoics usually helps me with the balancing act that festina lente requires.
To quote Epictetus: Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. And: Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control. And some things are not.
Stephen R. Covey has good mental models that complement this simple advice. He describes the need to move from the “circle of concern” to the “circle of control” (or “circle of influence”). In the first circle, we are concerned with the problem space, and all the issues, challenges, and opportunities we have, while the second circle consists of all of the things we can do something about. The second circle is illustrated as being embedded in the first circle, and the more we are situated in the latter, the more empowered we are.
A similar mental model can improve upon the above, and that is called “circle of competence,” which is from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. As Buffett summarized it: Know your circle of competence, and stick within it. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital. I am currently visualizing these three circles being in the right relationship: the competence circle is embedded in the control circle, which is embedded in the concern circle.
This is why having a routine is often desirable, especially when it is designed with sensitivity to the boundaries of one’s circles. I am off balance again. From doing new things, feeling new things, and learning new things. Not to mention meeting so many new people.
When I experience an overwhelm in my body, this usually means I am stumbling around these circles. I am writing this with no judgment towards myself, as circle stumbling is a byproduct of trying to get good at the art of living. I do sense it will be wise for me to return to private journaling though, to process all of this in an unpretty way.
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