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Hi All!
Here is your weekly dose of 5-Bullet Friday, a list of things I’m exploring. And before my friends text me, I’m doing great! Just exploring some unusual terrain while writing. Every “holy sh*t” bullet ends in redemption, so stick with ’em.
Writing is always running a gauntlet for me. Many of these remind you: sometimes you just need to keep running forward.
This edition is brought to you by The Way, the meditation app I use most often. Be sure to see their offer in the P.S.
What I’m watching again
“IN-SHADOW - A Modern Odyssey - Animated Short Film.” I watch this at least once a year. It’s a gripping short animation. I think anyone who spends time on a computer or phone needs to watch it. The intensity is followed by redemption, and the artwork and art direction are spectacular throughout. It is written, directed, and produced by Lubomir Arsov (@lubomirarsov). For more, here is the official website. And thanks to Joe P. for the great recommendation long ago. Perhaps it’s time to cut the puppet strings that make you dance. This one helps me keep social media apps off of my phone.
Song I’m enjoying to welcome the weekend
“Le Festin.” I love cooking to this with my lady. Even if you’re plowing through this email, listen to a minute of this before the next bullet. Trust me.
Song I’m revisiting
“Hi Ren” by Ren. This is f*cking incredible. I remember when I first watched it, enraptured. It’s a wild cocktail of talent, craziness, philosophy, meaning, and relief. The lyrics are pure genius. Watch the whole thing—trust me. If you want to dig deeper, you can find the song’s origin story here. Thanks again to Ivy Ankles for sending this to me.
Short book I’m listening to
Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami. I’m loving this, and I’m only allowed to listen while driving or taking baths. It’s a reward. Put another way, I can’t use it to postpone writing. It’s a gem, but skip forward if a chapter doesn’t grab you.
Here are a few excerpts from the official description:
An insightful look into the mind of a master storyteller—and a unique look at the craft of writing from the beloved and best-selling author of 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
“Murakami is like a magician who explains what he’s doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers.” —New York Times Book Review
“What I want to say is that in a certain sense, while the novelist is creating a novel, he is simultaneously being created by the novel as well.” —Haruki Murakami
Quotes I’m pondering
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
— Anaïs Nin
“Yes. Adlerian psychology is a psychology of courage. Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack courage. One might say you are lacking in the courage to be happy.”
— The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
You can complement this edition of 5-Bullet Friday with my brand-new interview with legendary music mogul, executive producer, and investor Guy Oseary. Guy has been Madonna’s manager for 36 years now, but his investing track record is equally impressive: he invested in OpenAI and Anthropic in early 2023, part of a Sound Ventures run that includes 86 exits and 26 IPOs.
And, as always, please give me feedback on X. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know. Just send a tweet to @tferriss and put #5BulletFriday at the end so I can find it.
Have a wonderful weekend, all.
Much love to you and yours,
Tim
I’ve explored a lot of meditation practices over the years. My current hands-down favorite, and the easiest way to get back in the habit, is The Way, taught by Zen Master Henry Shukman. Using the app for just 10–20 minutes a day has reduced my anxiety more than I would have thought possible with any app. Try it for a week, and I think you’ll notice something similar. Here are 30 days for free.
The Way leads you down a single, long-term path that covers all the key areas of a deep and fulfilling meditation practice. It’s an easy and calming way to find more ease and calm. There’s no overwhelming menu of stuff or meditation du jour, just Henry taking you on a logical progression of lessons, one manageable bite at a time. You’ll be learning skills you can actually take into your daily life. Henry’s sessions will become something you look forward to. He’s appeared on my podcast twice and is always a listener favorite. I recently chose to invest in The Way, given all the above, and I’ve been working with Henry and his team to make the app as good as humanly possible. I’ve probably sent a hundred notes on the product, and they’ve been improving it each and every week.
Now, subscribers to 5-Bullet Friday can try 30 days for free, no credit card required. Just go to TheWayApp.com/Tim. Try it for a week, and I think you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised.
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