Sunday Links: don't go gentle, finding your purpose, and the Bloomfield bridge story
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Hey!
I know I owe you something more than just another bunch of links, but I am at the crossroads in my life now, deciding what focus on. So let it be just some good write-ups for now. It’s actually better than nothing.
As I have only about 20 min for this email, let’s dive right in.
The lesson behind the photo cover
The winter has come to Tyumen, and last week we had ground and trees covered with snow as the photo above depicts. However during the second half of the week the weather switched completely: on Thursday it was raining (sic), and by now all that show has melted or turned into ice crust on the sidewalks.
This kind of weather swings is not common for our latitudes. As for me I prefer a good decent frost rather that this melting mush on the ground. But here’s a lesson I learnt from the weather—as long as you can’t change that take it as is.
I realized that long ago, and since that I’ve never cared about the weather more than necessary. Sure, I put on a winter jacket if it’s –30°C, but I never complain about it. There’s no avail in that.
If it’s raining I put on a raincoat or take an umbrella with me (even though I hate umbrellas). That’s just how the weather is today and all I can do is to be prepared. The same goes for all the unpredictability and chaos in life. You can’t foresee all of problems and issues coming your way, but you can be ready to handle them and withstand the heat or the cold when it’s necessary.
So don’t go gentle. Go for a walk when it’s raining, snowing or when it’s a Mexican desert heat outside. Don’t postpone life just because something is not the way you’ve expected it to be. Harshness is necessary to handle discomfort and unpredictability down the road.
So don’t go gentle, take what’s out there and work with it.
Findings I’ve enjoyed this week
Find your purpose. The most engaging and thoughtful interview I watched for the past year. David Perell shares his view on how you find your devotion, mission and meaning in life. Here are three excerpts from the talk:
Discipline has gone out of favor in society. Disciplining others is the way to say “I love you” though most people don't get it.
A lot of people mimicry, imitate others. The key to your mission is to surrender to your true self, be the person only you can be.
Surrender to your nature and quit being someone you're not. Lack of procrastination and having general energy is a sign you found your thing.
The mystery of the Bloomfield bridge. If you think that the investigation about some pedestrian bridge over some highway in Minnesota can’t be thrilling, you’re damn wrong. The story was so intriguing I lost the track of time while drinking my morning coffee. It definitely deserves to be read and shared.
It all started with a simple question “Why is it there? And why was it built here and not a mile up or down the road?” I was impressed by the work Tyler Vigen, the author of this piece, have completed to find the answer.
Best SaaS marketing strategies for 2023. A sharp post by Justin Jackson about how to market your product if you’re a bootstrapped company that takes no venture capital. The answer is simple but not obvious to many.
Instead of trying to boost your sales here and now, you’d better invest in long-term tools like SEO and building community in the niche channels where your potential customers are. This approach involves a lot of experiments, but it is calmer and more stable than the rat race most companies take part in today.
Afterword
Hope you’ve found this email thought-provoking. If you have, share it with your friends and people who may like it. I’ll appreciate your support and feedback.
Be reasonable, be safe!
Evgeny
Sunny Tyumen, 5 November 2023
Ask me anything via email: evgeny@lepekhin.me
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