Shit we like: February

Hey there! So at the end of every month, Ash and I intend to share what we’re listening to, reading and learning from … what we like to call our ‘Monthly Hi-likes’.  It’s basically the things that have really stood out to us this month and we think might also be useful to you.

[NOTE: We are still playing with this process of how to get the info out.  I (Aly) accidentally re-sent out the January post Tuesday because, and I will readily admit this, I am still learning this whole wordpress/internet/blogging and running your own site thing. Sigh. Technology. So apologies if you were like ‘wtf?’ when you saw a post at the end of February about things we liked … from January. We’ll/I’ll get the hang of this verrrrry soon.]

We have a weird little rating system — kale smoothie, sweet tea & gin/vodka soda — and if you wanna know more about it, you can check it out on our Shit We Like page.

With out further ado, here are our Hi-Likes for February.

 

Ash’s Monthly Hi-Likes

Episode 145: Philip McKernan | Why Your Truth Matters and How to Speak It.

I have heard and read so many topics on making choices that better suit your meaning in life, and this one really hit me in a new and profound way.  It was so challenging in that it forced me to ask some deep questions in my life around my current choices on making money at the expense of my deep meaning, and Philip McKernan is just fucking enjoyable to listen to.  This one is tough, and yet tugs on all the damn heart strings.  Gotta go back and listen to the last 20 minutes again because there’s some excellent tips on exercises to get the juices really flowing… 

Greg McKeown — How to Master Essentialism (#355)

This episode was a deep dive in practical ways to focus on the essential things in life.  Tim is guided by Greg on this process with a personal example from Tim’s own life, resulting in an emerging focus on a new book Tim will be writing the upcoming years (that I am highly likely to read).  The episode lost my focus at times , but it was packed with great methods and new ways of thinking on minimizing distractions and ensuring only the essential things to you in your life are given their proper attention and place. 

 

Aly’s Monthly Hi-Likes

The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield

This book is a relatively short read but it is packed with incredibly wonderful insights. It outlines the concept of the Resistance, the creative’s internal (and sometimes external) greatest enemy. What is the ‘Resistance’? Basically it is ‘that destructive force inside human nature that rises whenever we consider a tough, long-term course of action that might do for us or others something that’s actually good.’ Resistance has many manifestations – writer’s block, procrastination, self-doubt, obligations. Basically anything that immobilizes us from doing what we know we need to do – the work.  I’m going to read this one again and again. I should probably read it daily. The Resistance is sneaky, sly and strong, but Pressfield offers up ways to combat it. It’s an easy read, but a really good one if you’re like me and can easily thwart your own progress by listening to the excuses in your head for why you can’t give your all to the thing you know you’re meant to.

 

Creative Pep Talk: Want more followers? Ask yourself this

I was torn on what rating to give this episode, because in some ways it’s just Andy Miller rambling, ha. But his rambles and his thoughts were very moving and inspiring for me. He describes this episode as ‘creative REAL talk’ and it is. There’s no music, no editing – he recorded the entire thing in one take. And he’s very open and vulnerable about what he’s going through right now in his creative journey and personal life. I loved it because as someone who is aspiring to start a podcast and ultimately hopes that it will be a successful one, I am grateful that he showed his cards in this episode – all of them, good and bad. I loved that it was one take and was imperfect and real. It felt very very authentic and that is super encouraging for me … because I tend to get overwhelmed when I think about where I’m at creatively compared to those I see as having ‘made’ it. It’s refreshing to hear someone talk about their fears and their struggles and how they’re combating them or growing. More than that, the title of the episode is somewhat misleading – I think most might look at ‘Want more followers?’ and think it’s some kind of scheme or step by step article on how to gain insta fame. But it isn’t. He’s really asking deeper questions like … if you want followers, where are you planning to lead them? Where are you willing to go? It was incredibly inspiring for me and I highly recommend a listen.