Hi All,
Below is your weekly dose of a list of things I’m reading, watching, listening to, or thinking about from my Friday Five No. 236 June 28 2024 newsletter. If this message was forwarded to you, sign up for this newsletter using this link.
Quote of the Week
People are always trying to add more stuff to life. Reduce it to simpler, pure moments. — Jerry Seinfeld
Video of the Week
Roger Federer is one of the best tennis players I have ever seen. His finesse is a thing of beauty. Federer recently delivered the commencement address at Dartmouth. It’s pure gold. One of my favorite parts of his speech was when he said, “You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is, to me, the sign of a champion. The best in the world are not the best because they win every point. It’s because they lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it. You accept it.” Bravo, Fed. An excellent commencement address from one of the true tennis greats!
Article of the Week
Much of What You’re Going to Do or Say Today is Not Essential is the kick in the ass I needed to read this week. Lines in the article like “Focus on what’s important and eliminate the rest.” are a wake-up call when I am stretching myself way too thin. Marcus Aurelius also reminds us constantly in his writings when he says, “Most of what we say and do is not essential. Eliminate it, you’ll have more time and more tranquility. Ask yourself, is this necessary.”
Film of the Week
Hit Man is a romantic comedy starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. The film “follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor (Powell) who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need (Arjona).” Powell and Arjona play so well together in the film, which was filmed in New Orleans. It’s dark, funny, and romantic all packed into 115 minutes.
Podcasts of the Week
The Tim Ferriss Show may be the podcast I have listened to the longest. The show just had its 10th anniversary. I may have been listening since the beginning – it’s been that impactful on my life. Recent episodes I enjoyed include A Strategic Deep Dive on TikTok, The Boiling Moat of Taiwan, and China’s Next-Generation Statecraft – Matt Pottinger, Live 10th Anniversary Random Show with Kevin Rose – Exploring What’s Next, Testing Ozempic, Reed Hastings, Co-Founder of Netflix – How to Cultivate High Performance, The Art of Farming for Dissent, Favorite Failures, and More, Legendary Actor Scott Glen – How to be Super Fit at 85, Lessons from Marlon Brando, How to Pursue Your Purpose, The Art of Serendipity, Stories of Gunslingers, Seth Godin – Coaching Tim on Overcoming Resistance, Lessons from Isaac Asimov, Writing Secretes After 8,500+ Daily Blog Posts, The Dangers of Authenticity, Barbara Corcoran – How She Turned $1,000 into a $5B+ Empire: PR Stunts, Sales Techniques, Critical Early Wins, Fighting Trump, and Becoming a Real Estate Mogul, and Claire Hughes Johnson – How to Take Responsibility for Your Life, Create Rules that Work, Stop Being a Victim, and Set Strong Boundaries.
Bonus
Books of the Week
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charlie Munger covers eleven of his talks between 1986 and 20207. Quotes like “Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up” show up throughout the book. One of the many fascinating aspects of this book is Munger’s near “encyclopedic knowledge of business, finance, history, philosophy, physics, and ethics” which he uses to build “the latticework of mental models that underpin his rational and rigorous approach to life, learning, and decision-making.” I appreciate Mungers’ wit and no BS style and writing that he uses in his talks for this book.
How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent by Carla Naumburg is another book I enjoyed on my journey to becoming a better parent. Naumburg draws “on evidence-based practices” to deliver an “insight-packed and tip-filled plan for how to stop the parental meltdowns.” The book offers a “pragmatic approach” that helped me feel more empowered to be a role model for my son.
The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn chronicles the founder of Ford Motor Company’s Henry Ford, naturalist John Burroughs, legendary inventor Thomas Edison, and tire manufacturer Harvey Firestone’s annual car trips. Following their Florida Everglades trip, the group “decided to call themselves the Vagabonds.” These summer road trips continued until 1925 when they decided to call it quits. The purpose of these trips was “to examine the conditions of America’s roadways and improve the practicality of automobile travel.”
TV Show of the Week
Special Ops: Lioness is an “American spy thriller series” where “Force Recon Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) is recruited into the CIA’s Lioness program and tasked with befriending the daughter (Stephanie Nur) of a terrorist finance.” Director Sheridan does an excellent job with this female lead show.
