Introducing Odds & Ends

One of my favorite things that some of my fellow bloggers/newsletter authors do is offer a weekly roundup of links to books, stories, podcasts, gear, etc. that they’ve discovered and recommend. This year I thought I’d try doing that myself. There are often books I read that aren’t a good fit for the podcast (because, for example, the author is dead), or cool things I come across that won’t fit in an article, that I think AoM followers might dig or like hearing about. So this weekly feature will give me a chance to share those “Odds & Ends” with you guys. Hope you enjoy.

Facing Nolan. Like a lot of boys in the 90s, Nolan Ryan was one of my favorite baseball players. In the documentary Facing Nolan, we get to see the trajectory of the legendary pitcher’s career. The successful run he had in his 40s was particularly inspiring to me seeing how I just turned 40 a few weeks ago. Great to watch during Zone 2 cardio.

The Builder’s Mindset. I’ve never liked the dichotomy of focusing on process over outcomes or outcomes over process. I think there’s a benefit of getting lost in and enjoying the process of an activity, but results matter too. Psychologist Dr. Gena Gorlin suggests a middle way between the two: The Builder’s Mindset. Interesting idea that I will be mulling on.  

Skater Socks. My go-to socks for working out are 1980s dad tube socks from Skater Socks. The main reason I wear them is to protect my shins while deadlifting; I don’t want to scrape them while the bar is going up my legs. But I even wear them when I’m not deadlifting. Why? Because I like them.

Go for the 25-inch knee-high-ers.

Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing by Soren Kierkegaard. If you’ve been following AoM for awhile, you know I enjoy the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard. Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing is a bracing book that forces you to self-reflect and ask yourself if you’re really seeking the Good in life or if you’re just giving it lip service. Kierkegaard pushes you to explore if the opinions you have are really your own or if you just have them because everyone else does too. He demands that you act as an individual, which means being fully responsible for your actions and beliefs. It’s one of my favorite Kierkegaard books.

 

Quote of the Week:

Part of human nature resents change, loves equilibrium, while another part welcomes novelty, loves the excitement of disequilibrium. There is no formula for the resolution of this tug-of-war, but it is obvious that the absolute surrender to either of them invites disaster.

 

—J. Bartlet Brebner

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