The Others

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

A SHORT STORY

Today is my birthday.

Fifteen years ago, while living in Mongolia, I discovered a beautiful tradition: taking people out on your birthday to celebrate the others that surround you.

So, every year, I take someone out to dinner. I focus on all the ways they’ve made my life better that year and how grateful I am to have them in my life.

I once heard a story from the Dalai Lama about a Tibetan monk who was imprisoned by the Chinese. Upon his release, His Holiness asked him: "Were you terrified? Were you scared?"

To which he replied, "Of course."

"I worried every day that I would lose compassion for the guards of the prison."

Within this is a massive lesson, one that I have never forgotten.

The source of one’s happiness depends upon other people.

Shantideva, the ninth-century philosopher, says:

“Whatever worldly joy there is
Arises from wishing for others' happiness.
Whatever worldly suffering there is
Arises from wishing for your own happiness.”

So, to any of you reading this: thank you for being here. Thank you for giving me the space to share these stories and these lessons.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

How are you thankful for the others that surround you today? How can you celebrate them?

A CREATIVE TOOL

Yuval Noah Harari released his latest book, Nexus, last week that covers a brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI. As always with Harari, I really appreciate how he examines history over long periods of time.

His ability to zoom out and see the greater picture is such a gift - so if you’re looking for your next book - I highly suggest it! If you have a Spotify account, you can also listen to it there!

A PIECE OF ART

“Untitled Poem” by Marcella Rose Sciotto (my dear friend)

original post is here

Sometimes I think to myself, maybe I choose this life. Picked it from a hand full like a deck of cards. Sat lingering over them. Oh look at this one here? Oh that one is shiny! See how sweet that life is there?

And what if out of all the choices I choose this one. What if I was willing. What if I knew the pain. The nights in dark corners alone crying. The days where my heart scraped the floor. Everything that would be taken from me, ripped from my body and heart. The years of battles. The valleys traveled alone.

What if I knew it all and said, “oh this one here.” Yes it’s full of pain and sorrow of terror and risk. That life? It’s the one for me. For look at the sky here, how it goes on forever. The mountains full of snow. See how I’m loved? See how I love? See what is built even when broken? Oh this one please.

What if I saw it all. How it started and ended. What if I could see how each turn would twist before it would stretch out before me easy or became a hill to climb when seconds before there was none. What if I saw it and said yes.

This year on my birthday I hung out the laundry to dry on the line the sun bleaching the whites. A jay dropped its feather for me to find. The first hint of color changed in the trees and I noticed. I heard the first sound of fall tumbling down the street. I celebrated others. I made a friend.

I woke up and went to sleep in this strange and hard and beautiful life that is happening all around me, grateful I did. Happy birthday human, another year made wonderful by being here.

Grateful,

Michael