I am not sure how many people are aware, but car mechanics often have to buy their own set of tools. Here is a good article on the topic as I was curious how this came to be the case.

The holidays are over. The decorations are packed. The charm of the first snow is behind us. Now comes the two to three months of spirit crushing grey cold that is winter. Nothing more to look forward to other than each day getting a little bit longer.

I have been consistently meditating for about sixteen months. There have been a missed week or two and some days I might not make it in, but on average, I will do a five-minute meditation. I used to do ten minutes, but I found five minutes has worked for me.

A lot of people worry about their life’s purpose when they have not figured out how to live their lives well yet. What I mean by that is do not worry about making a dent in the universe when you are having trouble with your physical, mental, or spiritual health. Get your life under control first. Become a better version of yourself first. The life purpose stuff will sort itself out. Perhaps it is the case that getting better at being you is your life’s purpose.

Ope, let me squeeze by ya. Gift for my spouse.

I thumbed through this at the bookstore and decided then and there I must buy it. This is a beautiful book and I appreciate how it is organized. Here are a few favorites that spoke to me this week.

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about my relationship with technology. By this, I specifically mean the devices we are constantly staring at and what I am currently writing this on. I have become more and more disenfranchised by how technology has captured our collective attention and driven a wedge between human relationships. I let this affect how I view technology and have grown to have a love-hate relationship with the technology in my use. There are many upsides which I benefit from and this dichotomy feels very unsettling.

After having refreshed the Living Room, our mismatched side tables needed to be brought closer to mid-century modern style. By chance, we visited Chicago this past week, and on a whim, my spouse looked up if there were any mid-century furniture stores and indeed there is the biggest one in the nation called Modern Hill. We found exactly what we were looking for, they just needed a little bit of attention.

A former colleague had recommended this book. Saying less has been a problem for me, especially in a situation where I wish for people to like me more. It is a terrible approach. I obliged my friend and let it sit on my wishlist on Amazon. Two days before Christmas, the book was marked for $3, so naturally I purchased it. Though I am not an extreme case like the author seems to be, I did get value out of this book.