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Seven Point Sunday #10
I’m moving on….from Revue (this newsletter platform).
After writing 10 editions with now >10k subscribers, we’ve simply outgrown its features. So, the next edition will look a little different.
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-Kabir
Sunday Seven
Learn how to start a side hustle from home. We could all use a little extra cash. But with full-time jobs and limited resources, how can you make money from home online without tiring yourself out?
Consider Whirlpool (Ticker: WHL). This US-based appliance maker (dishwashers, refrigerators) may be poised to outperform. Many took out renovation loans during the pandemic to spruce up their homes. Whirlpool’s North American margins appear to be sustainable at 15% and its European business is in the midst of an ongoing turnaround. Read why it may be a good momentum stock.
❤️ Love
What’s the secret to a long lasting marriage? President Jimmy Carter & Rosalyn Carter celebrated their 75th! wedding anniversary last weekend in Plains, Georgia. Special guests like President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton attended, as well as family members and a coterie of fly fishers. There was Georgia wine & an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley. I was lucky to attend and wrote about the experience. Learn what the Carters say is the secret to their success as a couple.
🎵 Music
Watch Meet the Donors, directed by Alexandra Pelosi. The film helped me understand the psychology of those who donate large amounts to political candidates. Pelosi interviews folks across the political spectrum with a hand-held camera which is jarring — in a good way. She even interviews wealthy individuals who are trying to blunt the effects of money on politics. Eye-opening.
📖 Book drops today! 😃
Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation
By John Lewis with Kabir SehgalIn his last months Congressman Lewis shared his memories, beliefs, and advice – exclusively immortalized in these pages – for future generations.
Order ➡️ https://t.co/ByMlagVqBh pic.twitter.com/IwPdKMdmZY
— Kabir Sehgal (@kabirsehgal) July 13, 2021
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Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter’s 75th Wedding Anniversary: Georgia Wine, Fly Fishers, and an Andrew Lloyd Weber Medley
They were out of grilled pimento cheese sandwiches at Buffalo Cafe. And there was a line out the door. Plains, Georgia, a town of 640 people was abuzz last weekend because it was President Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter’s 75th Wedding Anniversary. Friends, family members, colleagues, and associates came from all over to attend. The Carters are the longest married couple in the history of the presidency.
Just weeks earlier, I was in Plains with the Carters at their home. My father, R.K. Sehgal, has known President Carter for sixty years. He recounts the story of meeting Carter’s mother, Lillian Carter at Auburn University in his book Close the Loop.
My family and I made the three hour trek from Atlanta — a pilgrimage — to celebrate this auspicious occasion which took place at Plains High School (now a National Historical Park), which Jimmy & Rosalynn attended. Visitors parked in the grassy fields and were whisked via golf carts, past a press gaggle. Visitors had name badges with designated room numbers in which they were supposed to sequester but attendees ambled about – so many longtime friends who hadn’t seen each other, in some cases, in years.
On the menu was passed hors d’oeuvres: tomato and cheese sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, Georgia Wine, champagne, and sparkling grape juice.
The Carters entered in the auditorium where I happened to be standing. I greeted him and asked what was the secret to his marriage. “Be a good listener,” he said. Rosalynn smiled gracefully and agreed. “Let each other have space.”
Several VIP were also in attendance: President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Ambassador Andrew Young, Senator Raphael Warnock, Ted Turner, and more. Former Senator Sam Nunn proudly wore a Georgia Tech belt (and complimented my father’s Georgia Tech face mask). Also in attendance were Carter Center staff like Phil Wise and folks who worked in the Carter Administration like Dr. Bill Foege who ran the CDC and James McIntyre who ran OMB.
The ceremonies began with a champagne toast. President Carter and Rosalynn Carter sat in wood chairs that were specially engraved for the event. “To my wife Rosalynn, I want to express a particular gratitude for being the right woman that I chose for my wife,” he said. Rosalynn said she used to avoid boys and told her mom to tell them she was out of the house when they came calling. “And then along came Jimmy Carter and my life has been an adventure ever since,” she said.
Chip Carter, Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter’s son, acted as an emcee and gave a toast. He wondered whether to thank his parents for the big decisions like having children. Or inviting Willie Nelson over to the White House (Chip notoriously smoked weed with Nelson). Chip recognized all the dignitaries, yet he asked one group, besides his extended family, to stand: a group of fly fishers who travel with the Carters on an annual expedition.
Pianist David Osborne provided the entertainment, beginning his set with “Fly Me to the Moon” which was sung by drummer/vocalist Paul Stubblefield (who contracted COVID in 2020 and has since recovered). Osborne performed an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley which had the audience nodding their heads. He took suggestions from the crowd such as “Imagine” and “Jolene.” He didn’t seem to know “Midnight Train to Georgia,” which was requested by Pelosi.
A beautiful, heart warming occasion.
I once heard someone say that there’s never been a couple — in the history of the world — that’s created & represented so much good for others. I believe it.
Congressman John Lewis knew that voting rights and civil rights are also about money and worker pay
We remember the late Congressman John Lewis as a hero for good reason. Over more than 30 years as a member of Congress, Lewis spoke out on important issues including voting rights and climate change — and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is now making its way through congressional committees. But there was another topic on which Lewis frequently opined that receives less attention: Money.
I am fortunate to have known Lewis, who passed away in July 2020, and privileged to have collaborated with him on the newly published “Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation,” in which Lewis shares his final reflections on topics including courage, activism, and money. Here are three things I learned from him:
1. The civil rights movement was also an economic movement: During his tenure, Lewis advocated for economic reforms such as such as the Employment Empowerment Act, which would have afforded unions protections against discrimination (similar to those against race and gender). Lewis ardently supported raising the minimum wage to $15 across the board. While the $15 minimum wage wasn’t part of the coronavirus relief bill that was enacted earlier this year, President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order that mandates all federal contractors pay their workers at least $15 an hour. Lewis would have urged us to keep going until every American can earn a fair wage.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963. During that same speech, King invoked a financial metaphor, saying effectively that the American “check” had bounced and was marked “insufficient funds” when black Americans tried to cash it. Lewis spoke at the same event, and he understood the link between jobs and upward social mobility. To be sure, attaining equality at the ballot box was a central tenant of the Civil Rights Movement that Lewis helped lead. So was finding jobs and meaningful economic opportunities.
2. We must speak out for our values to be reflected in the federal budget: Lewis would have likely supported Biden’s infrastructure initiative, which aims to invest in U.S. roads, bridges, public transit and airports. I witnessed firsthand over the years how the Georgia congressman advocated for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. Lewis understood the link between infrastructure and economic opportunities.
“Accumulating money has never been a goal of mine. But when I see injustices that concern money, I stand up and speak out,” John Lewis says in “Carry On.”
He also saw the relationship between what a country values and how it spends its money. “We spend billions of dollars on wars and in other countries. How about we use that money here at home building schools, to feed the hungry, for housing and medical facilities?” Lewis asks.
3. Financial imagery matters: Lewis wanted U.S. currency to exhibit more racial and gender diversity. “We should put Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on our money,” Lewis said. “This would have the effect of reminding everyone about our values and principles.”
Numismatists and economic historians have long pointed to the glaring omission of people of color on U.S. currency. It’s also a missed opportunity. Harriet Tubman will likely grace the $20 bill eventually, as Biden reinstated this effort earlier this year. Noted Lewis: “The images of these individuals would help inspire young people to learn their stories, and in this way these images can help to shape the future of our country.”
Ultimately, the U.S. government’s money is your money, and Americans have the power to advocate for how its spent. In one of the book’s most powerful passages, Lewis urges us to “VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE…Write that in capital letters in your notes. All over the page.” He was adamant that everyone should exercise their right to vote in order to manifest the type of country in which they want to live. It’s by voting and heeding Lewis’ call that we’ll be able to enact meaningful economic reforms which help to create a more inclusive and united society.
[This article was also published in MarketWatch]
***
Kabir Sehgal is the author of sixteen books including Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation, with John Lewis (Grand Central Publishing, 2021).
John Lewis’s key life lessons portrayed in new book
I’ve been blessed to know Congressman John Lewis for most of my life. He was a family friend since at least the 1980s when he visited my father, Raghbir (R.K.) Sehgal, in his office to discuss local business and political matters. Over the years, it was remarkable to learn from and even travel with him. In his final months, I had the opportunity to collaborate with him on a book of his final reflections, Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation. He knew that he didn’t have long to live, but he wanted to ensure that his departing words were captured to help guide the next generation.
Here are a few takeaways
Build up America
Lewis grew up with little money in Troy, Ala. He never aimed to accumulate wealth, and he saw the federal budget as a reflection of our collective values as a country: “We spend billions of dollars on wars in other countries. How about we use that money here at home building schools, to feed the hungry, for housing and medical facilities?”
It’s as if Lewis, who made these comments in 2020, had a premonition of President Joe Biden’s unfolding policies of removing U.S. forces from Afghanistan while simultaneously pushing ahead with a large infrastructure bill. Indeed, Lewis understood how jobs – and fair wages — were springboards to a more equitable country. Progressive businesses were arguably the forerunner to political change during the civil rights movement in Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Co. urged city hall officials to integrate so that our city could be a more inclusive, welcoming, and just place.
Stay with nonviolence
Lewis felt agony because of the deaths of George Floyd and so many others. These racially charged killings reminded him of Emmettt Till who was lynched in 1955. But despite his anguish, Lewis urged Black Lives Matter protesters and others to stick with nonviolence: “Destruction doesn’t work. Rioting isn’t a movement. We must be constructive and not destructive. Chaos is sowing more division and discord,” he reflected.
In an early draft of John Lewis’ speech at the 1963 March on Washington, he said that protesters would march on the South like General Sherman (who burned Atlanta). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others intervened to see if Lewis would soften his statement, and Lewis obliged: “I listened. Always listen. I believed in nonviolence, and I didn’t need to use the imagery,” said Lewis in the book.
Live in the moment
The past and future exist only in our minds. The only real, vivid moment is the present. “A good day is waking up! … You can write your own script and determine how you live each moment. And how you will respond to the people and events throughout your day. You don’t have to jump ahead and think about the future.” Lewis appreciated the little things – reading the newspaper, the daily walks, spending time with his son. He loved going to local antique shops and strawberry milkshakes. He wasn’t a fan of peanuts though. He ate them so often as a kid that he didn’t take to them as an adult.
Improve your community
While it’s no surprise that Lewis loved Atlanta, it was wonderful to know it held such a special place in his heart in his final weeks. He reflected upon some of his fond memories: marching in the Atlanta Pride parade, the success of Atlanta United, the places he liked to eat. Indeed, John Lewis and Atlanta will forever be linked. He helped to make our city a better place to live, a more equitable and fair society. And that’s the point – to leave the community in which you live a little better off from how you found it.
I will miss Congressman John Lewis and his determined, steadfast leadership. I will miss speaking with and learning from him. But I’m grateful that he gave us some of his final reflections that we can return to for guidance and motivation in the years ahead.
This article was also published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Kabir Sehgal is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books including Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation with John Lewis.
How to find & be a mentor — What I learned from John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis was many things: activist, politician, statesman. And he was also an incredible educator. He never missed a moment to speak to students about a host of topics such as the civil rights movement, voting rights, and the road ahead.
I was blessed to know Congressman Lewis for most of my life. I was also blessed to collaborate with him on a new book Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation, in which he shares his meditations on courage, hope, faith, voting rights. And also mentorship.
Here is an exclusive excerpt from the book in which Congressman John Lewis shares his views on mentorship. How to find and be one.
***
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was my mentor. He, more than anyone else, helped make me the person who I am today. Dr. King taught us that we must have love in our hearts and for our fellow brothers and sisters. He taught us all so much about how to live through his actions and words. He freed and liberated Blacks and whites and everyone from a culture of division into one of unity.
If I could say something to Dr. King today, I would say, “Hello, Dr. King, how are you?” And then I would say, “Thank you. Thank you for all that you did for us to improve our country and our world, for leading by example and showing us how to live with freedom and compassion, and how to die with conviction and grace.” I would catch him up on this year 2020 especially and say, “Look at the progress we’ve made and look at the work we still have to do. We’ve been remembering your example and listening to your words. We can still hear you. I hear you every day.”
Young people today can look to people in their families and in their communities to find mentors. You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to know everything. You already know in your heart what is right and good, what is decent, just, fair. If you want to grow, find someone who has walked the walk. A mentor is a sounding board who gives you direction and guidance, and who asks you questions for you to work out on your own. We all need mentors. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
The time will come when you will need to become a mentor to the next generation. Pass on what you’ve learned to those who are assuming the mantle. Pass the torch, because the fight never ends. I make every effort to write, teach, and advise those who are involved in the Black Lives Matter movement so that they can learn about how we acted according to the dictates of our heart in the 1960s during the civil rights movement. We can all learn how to be nonviolent and take the high road. That takes work, training, guidance, and mentorship.
It’s always a good time to be with someone: Listen to someone without interrupting them, and then show them the way to respond to what’s in their hearts. We must all develop the next generation because they are the stewards of the house of humanity, the global house. They will determine the course of freedom and justice for all.
Find a mentor. Be a mentor.
Excerpted from the book CARRY ON: REFLECTIONS FOR A NEW GENERATION by John Lewis with Kabir Sehgal.
Copyright © 2021 by John Robert Lewis and Kabir Sehgal.
Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
***
Kabir Sehgal is a Multi Grammy & Latin Grammy Award winner, as well as New York Times bestselling author.
Follow Kabir on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, YouTube.
Seven Point Sunday #9
Congressman John Lewis was surely one. I knew him for most of my life, and I’ve missed him since he passed away about a year ago.
Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation – By John Lewis with Kabir Sehgal
- He shares wisdom on justice, faith, courage, character. ☀️
- He discusses personal topics like his favorite music, sports, and milkshake flavor. 🥤
Sunday Seven
⚡ Productivity
Try timeboxing. Migrate your to-do list onto your calendar. A to-do list can be daunting. It’s not easy deciding what to do first, and we tend to start with easy things. Instead, give yourself a fixed period to complete a task, schedule it in your calendar, and then complete it. “This may be the single most important skill or practice you can possibly develop as a modern professional,” a consultant writes in HBR.
Consider Oatly (Ticker: OTLY). I made the switch to oat milk a couple years ago and so have millions of Americans. It’s the second most popular plant-based milk (after almond). The global oat milk market size is projected to grow almost 10% a year until 2027. Oatly had its IPO at $17 in May, and shares surged to $28 in June. Shares have since dipped below $24 which may be an udderly great time to enter. Howard Schultz (former Starbucks CEO) is a large shareholder, too. Learn more about Oatly.
Read Carry Onby John Lewis with Kabir Sehgal. Indeed, Lewis was a paragon of the Civil Rights Movement and political leadership for decades. A hero we won’t soon forget, Lewis was a beacon of hope and a model of humility whose invocation to “good trouble” continues to inspire millions across our nation. In his last months on earth, even while battling cancer, he dedicated time to share his memories, beliefs, and advice—exclusively immortalized in these pages—as a message to the generations to come.
Listen to Transformation by Ted Nash & Glenn Close. The iconic actress curated the literary material and spoken word performances, adding her voice to selections with her signature gravitas. In co-imagining the project, Nash is the quintessential partner. His compositional prowess assimilates and morphs almost any concept into unforgettable music. The most poignant tracks are “Dear Dad/Letter” and “Dear Dad/Response” in which Eli Nash discusses his gender transition. His father, Ted, responds with a moving piece. The album’s spoken word special guests include Wayne Brady, Amy Irving. I’m proud to be involved in this project.
Watch Miss Americana, directed by Lana Wilson. It’s a revealing, behind-the-scenes documentary about Taylor Swift. I was especially interested in how Swift grapples with politics, and whether to speak out on certain issues. The film is well shot, edited, and rendered. Watch my interview of Lana, and learn about her fascinating filmmaking career, and how she makes the most of her daily walks.
New book 📕😀 Congressman #JohnLewis is a hero to always remember. I was blessed to collaborate with him on #CarryOn a book of his final reflections. Read his meditations on courage & character, music & sports, & more. Order @ https://t.co/ceOqW4cfU3 #CarryOnBook @GrandCentralPub pic.twitter.com/ow86PrF8Yd
— Kabir Sehgal (@kabirsehgal) July 6, 2021
What’s your favorite point?
How Peter B. Williams Thrives with Many Careers
Meet Peter B. Williams. He’s a remarkable multi-careerist who balances professions in different fields. He has a day job in the financial industry and has also become an outstanding content producer. He writes books. He makes podcasts. What’s more, he serves on non-profit boards and has turned personal tragedy into something that provides meaning and insight for others. We met at a book event in New York, and I’m so glad that we did. I’ve taken his reading list (below) to heart, and I’m enjoying the books that he suggested.
Peter’s careers & professional projects:
- Finance professional – works for a global firm based in Hong Kong (Citi Treasury, head of Business Treasury, focused on the Institutional Client Group, across Asia)
- Board member – of Music For Life International, a non-profit based in New York (creates concerts at Carnegie Hall to support global humanitarian causes, including United Nations and their efforts to end violence against women and girls, Doctors Without Borders, and various global refugee crisis). Also on the board of Resolve Foundation, a non-profit based in Hong Kong (provides a high quality leadership Fellowship to minority groups including refugees, asylum seekers, domestic workers with the aim of making Hong Kong more tolerant and inclusive — past themes include racial equality and inclusion, ending gender-based violence, disABILITIES and empowerment).
- Author – Productive Accidents a book about how innovation happens, and how to turn your life into an adventure.
- Podcast host – including a series on gratitude, and a new experiment that provides Virtual Book Tours (four authors per episode from a wide range of themes and genres)
- Speaker – particularly on how innovation happens, and how to turn your life into an adventure
On his motivations to have many careers
I’ve been working in finance since graduating from university in Australia in 1992. After more study, switching firms, and getting married we worked for a year in London. We returned to Sydney expecting our first child. Soon after I switched firms again and in 2001 relocated to Singapore, where we stayed for nine years, completed more study, and had three more children. We moved to Hong Kong in 2010, and that’s where I started playing with the idea of “productive accidents,” or the way serendipity can be predictable and repeatable, under the right conditions.
Advice for aspiring multi-careerists
Be curious and maintain a wide range of interests. Be willing to try new things, be playful and experimental. Put yourself at risk of a productive accident.
Overcoming obstacles
- We suffered a tragedy when my wife’s youngest sister went missing in 2002. This was not long after we had moved to Singapore so we felt helpless being away from Australia. Even now we’re yet to get closure — the mystery is still unsolved.
- In 2014, I compiled and self-published a book of my sister-in-law’s work, Missing Niamh: Lessons from Loss
- The connections made during this publishing project have had several unexpected benefits
- In 2015, Music for Life International hosted a concert at Carnegie Hall in support of the United Nations and their efforts to end violence against women and girls. My wife and I attended the concert with, our two eldest daughters, and my parents-in-law.
- In 2019, Resolve Foundation created a fellowship focused on ending gender-based violence.
How many careers are mutually beneficial
- Multiple interests and a portfolio of personal projects are the source of renewable energy. I’m more creative and productive when I’m energised.
- Plus my network has reached a tipping point where I can meet absolutely anyone and be in a position to either help them directly, or introduce them to relevant connections.
- The skills I’ve learned as a writer, speaker, podcast host, website creator, mentor and entrepreneur provide a consistent and predictable portfolio of possibilities.
On managing personal time
- Living in Asia, we’re fortunate have a live-in domestic worker from the Philippines for the past sixteen years. Ivy is our family chief operating officer who makes it possible for my wife and I to have four children and both work full-time.
- Plus I’m still actively riding my BMX, skateboard, Vespa, and play regular tennis and golf.
What he wishes he had learned earlier
- Just keep creating and experimenting continuously. Every time you learn a new skill you create a new portfolio of possibilities. Eventually the goal is for the dots to connect, so that what you do for fun and what you do for work converge — they become indistinguishable
Recommended Reads
- My most recommended books include Craig Wortmann’s What’s Your Story, Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup, Greg Larkin’s This Might Get Me Fired, Bob Burg’s The Go-Giver, Derek Sivers’ Anything You Want, Diana Wu-David’s Future Proof, Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, Simon Singh’s Fermat’s Last Theorem, Hector Garcia’s Ichigo Ichie, Chris Palmore’s Dear Gratitude, and the latest is Authentic the autobiography of Paul Van Doren, the founder of Vans.
- One of the goals of self-publishing and self-distributing my second book, Productive Accidents — a playbook for personal & professional adventure is to convert the content into ten different formats (digital, physical, audio etc). This has evolved into a GratitudeSpace x Productive Accidents podcast collaboration with Chris Palmore.
- The latest iteration of this is to create a Virtual Book Tour series of podcasts. The first two episodes can be found here and here. Each episode will feature four authors and a brief introduction to each of their books.
Overcoming stigma of multiple careers
- Several years ago, I remember being told not to talk about interests outside my day job because it will seem like I have too much time on my hands and make me a target for redundancy. But not today — I’m connected to local, regional, and global CEOs on LinkedIn and that’s where I share my complete range of activities
On sublimating ego
- I try to bring my entire set of interests to work, by volunteering to run various projects, volunteer to be on committees for diversity groups, invite speakers from my network, and promote creativity and lifelong learning.
On what he cares about
- The causes I care about include equality, education, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and the environment.
A Day in the Life
- 6am – Wake up, check my calendar, prepare to take our dog for a hike
- 7am – Meet a recurring group of colleagues and friends to walk to The Peak in Hong Kong
- 9am – Return home ready for a daily Zoom call with regional colleagues
- 10.30am – Speak to my team, one in Hong Kong and another in Singapore
- 11am – Emails / virtual meetings / reading
- 12.00pm – Meet visitors (if any) for lunch
- 1.30pm – Join at least two calls in the afternoon
- 4pm – Check in with my team, prepare any communication to update regional or global colleagues
- 6pm – Light dinner with family
- 7pm-9pm – Tennis training with team
- 10pm – Reading / sleep
Where to find Peter
***
Kabir Sehgal is a Multi Grammy & Latin Grammy Award winner, as well as New York Times bestselling author.
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Seven Point Sunday #8
Would you offer 80% of your net worth to a friend in need?
My #1 “secret” to success is to Close The Loop, which I learned from my father. It’s become my personal mantra and operating philosophy. I probably say it fifteen times a day to myself and others: “Did you close the loop?” It means: Get the job done. And then tell the people who need to know that you’re done, in order to boost everyone’s situational awareness. Don’t keep people guessing. Don’t keep yourself guessing. Learn more.
Consider buying these assets that are protected against inflation: gold, commodities, REITs. I believe the US will have elevated inflation over the next 12 months, so I’m studying the best gold stocks to buy.
Read Close the Loop by Raghbir (R.K.) Sehgal and yours truly. I wrote this filial biography of my father to honor him and also to share his American Dream story. My dad left India as a teenager with little money in his pocket. He worked factory jobs in the UK and eventually moved to the US. Living in the Deep South in the 1960s, he experienced discrimination that redoubled his desire to succeed. He started as a junior engineer at a firm and rose to become Chairman & CEO. My dad also shares his five lessons for success, which you can use to optimize your life. If you want to hear his story told with an Indian accent, watch this interview that my sister and I did with him.
Listen to Pedro Giraudo’s Impulso Tanguero. This album exemplifies Giraudo’s contemporary tango style which so elegantly and seamlessly crosses over to the world of chamber music. You’ll hear virtuosic musical styles that take elements from Argentine tango, American jazz, European classical music and even some Brazilian traditions. My favorite tracks are “Ávido” and “La Poda.” It was a great honor to help produce this project.
Watch Cryptopia. This documentary helped me understand the players involved in the blockchain movement and how the evolution of cryptocurrencies will likely impact our lives. You meet and understand the people behind the headlines. And yes, despite the recent sell-off, I’m still long Cardano (ADA).
Lifetime moment. Dad unboxes his biography! 😊📚🙏🏽 #CloseTheLoop https://t.co/z3J1oJYxOX pic.twitter.com/g26NvsVEn0
— Kabir Sehgal (@kabirsehgal) April 30, 2020
Seven Point Sunday #7
- Practice Spanish – 186 days (every day)
- Daily vitamins – 186 days
- Meditation – 186 days
- Practice guitar – 138 days (I slipped a bit)
- Vegetarian – 129 days (I’m carnivorous on weekends)
I try to create “good” habits – taking small actions every day that can transform your life. It takes on average ~65 days to form a new habit.
I use Habitbull an app to track my habits. It’s free. Set up a habit like “exercise” and then click the button that indicates “yes” or “no” every day to record your activity. I don’t like having many “no’s” staring me in the face. I bought the premium edition ($5) so I could add more habits and export my data. If you want a more comprehensive system, try Goals on Track (~$5/month) with which you can create sub goals, milestones, track progress, and stay motivated (with many e-books).
Don’t look at your stock portfolio (every day). According to Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, when our portfolio is up, we’re happy. When its down, we are extra miserable. This is known as “loss aversion,” as humans tend to value losses twice as much as gains. “What happened in the past is water under the bridge,” he says. “From time to time, it’s good to imagine life as starting from scratch.” Get in the good habit of focusing on the firm/stock you’re buying, not the daily fluctuations.
Read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This book changed my life. It made me rethink my diet, exercise regime, mental state. Its exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. Duhigg shows that by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.
Listen to Tumaini by Berta Moreno. An uplifting and joyous musical journey that takes listeners on a vibrant tour of Kenya. Informed by the bandleader’s life changing experience volunteering in the Kawangware region several years ago, this heart-led new release seamlessly intertwines elements of soul, jazz and traditional African styles. It was a great honor to help produce this album. Get in the habit of listening to this one!
Watch (DisHonesty) – The Truth About Lies, directed by Yael Melamede based on the work of behavioral economist Dan Ariely. This film explores the human proclivity to lie with personal stories, expert opinions, and archival footage. By becoming aware of how lying is a habit of humanity, we can more directly confront it.
Have you listen yet to my newest album #tumaini? pic.twitter.com/HBfXJGbBLE
— Berta Moreno (@BertaMorenoJazz) May 22, 2021
Seven Point Sunday #6
Grayscale your phone to make it less bright. I broke away from my mobile phone by putting it in grayscale mode. When I switched my phone from color to black and white, it was like I had turned a mental switch: I wasn’t attracted to my phone anymore. It looked obsolete and less vibrant, like a remnant of an early episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Over time, I stopped compulsively checking my phone, which let me concentrate my attention on other things. How to grayscale on Android and iPhone.
Cardano (ticker: ADA) is my favorite cryptocurrency. Its goal is to create a public blockchain platform for “smart contracts” that are self-executing. Cardano is 1.6 million times more energy efficient than Bitcoin. Cardano was founded in 2017 by Charles Hoskinson who is a co-founder of Ethereum (the second largest crypto by market capitalization). After I watched this tutorial video of Hoskinson explaining Cardano, I promptly bought some.
Read The Up Level Project by Hanneke Antonelli.It’s a personal and profound meditation on life transformation. I’ve known Hanneke for years and learned new things in these pages, like how she overcame the toxic environment of her Wall Street job. She’s now her own boss and on a mission to help people overcome their mental and physical barriers. “I’ve written this book to help you unlock, and escape, this jail,” she writes. Her book will help you think about your path, increase clarity, and ultimately gain freedom.
Listen to Social Distancing: Coming Together While Apart by Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet. The confluence of a worldwide pandemic, a whole lot of masks, 120 determined fans, and a poem-gone-viral have produced this bold and brilliant album. From relentless percussive chaos to sublime harmonies of healing, every moment of this recording delivers the listener from the confusion of the 2020 pandemic into an undeniably safe place: A new home called Afro-Peruvian jazz music. It was an honor for me to help produce this masterpiece.
Watch I’ll Meet You There(SXSW, 2020) directed by Iram Parveen Bilal. A Muslim cop goes undercover at his estranged father’s mosque while his daughter hides her passion for a forbidden dance, uncovering a shocking family secret. “I’ve been fortunate to be that hyphen,” Bilal told me during an interview, about how she was able to write and overcome the pandemic.
I'm sorry, I know someone worked very hard on this. I thought that after two years my feelings would fade, but the Slack logo is four ducks all sniffing each other's butts and I'm tired of pretending it's not. pic.twitter.com/ui0Nf40flv
— Kelly Snyder (@KelOfKells) May 20, 2021