In Defense of Hospitality

Weekly wisdom to level up your creative life in 3 minutes, for free.

A SHORT STORY

When I lived in Mongolia, I was privileged to witness what I often describe as an ancient way of life - a profound sense of hospitality that I still think about years later. During my fieldwork in the countryside, I would immerse myself in the nomadic lifestyle, living with families for extended periods.

Throughout my stay, I was consistently embraced and welcomed, never once turned away. Mongolia seemed to possess a deep-rooted, almost sacred tradition of hospitality that appears to have faded in many modern societies.

It became customary that whenever we encountered someone in need along the road, we would never hesitate to offer our assistance. There were countless instances in the vast countryside of Mongolia where, with no village or shelter in sight, I was graciously invited into a stranger's home, shared their food, and was treated as one of their own.

Reflecting on my time in Sogok, on the border of western Mongolia and Kazakhstan, I still vividly recall how the father of the two girls in the picture above adamantly refused to accept payment when we grabbed food at a local festival. For the Kazakhs, a guest is revered as a 'kudai konak,' a messenger from God.

And so, in the current climate of uncertainty, I find solace in these ancient traditions. There is something quite powerful in seeing the divine in another, in asking oneself, 'How can I be of service?'

How do you want to be of service this week?

A CREATIVE TOOL

Curious about how AI can take your creativity further?

Come join the free workshop I am leading next week with Stability AI that will provide you with all kinds of hands-on strategic and technical guidance on how to collaborate with Stability AI's tools to bring your creative vision to life.

If you feel intimidated by these tools and worry you are getting left behind, this workshop is designed for you.

It’s a live workshop, but will also be recorded for our international / async community.

A PIECE OF ART

“Honey From the Rock” by Rabbi Kushner

originally published in Honey From the Rock

Each lifetime is the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
For some there are more pieces.
For others the puzzle is more difficult to assemble.
Some seem to be born with a nearly completed puzzle.

And so it goes.

Souls going this way and that.
Trying to assemble the myriad parts.
But know this, no one has within themselves, all of the pieces to their puzzle.
Like before the days when they used to seal jigsaw puzzles in cellophane.
Insuring that all the pieces were there.

Everyone carries with them at least one and probably many pieces to someone else’s puzzle.
Sometimes they know it.
Sometimes they don’t.

And when you present your piece which is worthless to you, to another, whether you know it or not, whether they know it or not, you are a messenger from the most high.

Grateful,

Michael