Happy Sunday,Smoke rolls out as I lift the BBQ lid left-handed. The oversized flipper still feels awkward in my right hand, but I gotta do something. I hear spitting flames and taste char before I see what I’m smelling. Two salmon fillets, once beautifully marinated, now tragically overcooked. “Yikes,” I said out loud to no one. 😬 I step back. The grill is hot, and so am I. I’ve burned steak, chicken, sausages, and now, salmon. (Not like crispy burnt, but burnt enough, you know?) I feel annoyed. I’ve been rushing the process on high heat. But BBQing, like many things in life (writing this newsletter), doesn’t work that way. You can’t just crank up the dial and wing it. You have to pay attention and be patient. Watch, listen, adjust. I take a breath, shake my head, and twist the knobs down to low. I won’t try to force it anymore. The next pair of salmon fillets come off the grill less charred. Not perfect, but progress. Here’s the lesson: Practice doesn’t make things easier, but it makes them more familiar. There’s joy in the journey, in the process. So, next time you notice you’re rushing, stop. Slow down, pay attention, enjoy the moment. One slightly less burnt piece of meat at a time. The journey will be more delicious for it.
July notables:🏕️ Canada Day camping – No cell service, no fire ban, and a river flowing behind the campsite. What more could you want? We roasted hotdogs, gulped the fresh air, and fell asleep on the ground – simple pleasures in simple things. 🚲 E-biking to Banff – Cruising through the Rockies on two wheels feels exhilarating. Even better with a battery boosting you up the hills. Stopped at Vermillion Lakes for prepacked sandwiches. Dipped our feet in the water. Bliss on a hot, sunny Saturday. 🥳 Birthday BBQ – Popped in to say hello for a friend’s birthday. Stayed for six games of Spike Ball and six hours of quality conversation with good people. We lost the ball over the fence. I jumped over to get it because none of us wanted to ask the neighbours. Worth it just to know I still could.
3 lessons learned in JulyI. Summer is a sequence of single moments. We like to think of summer as a season. But when you think about it, summer is a bunch of small moments all stacked together. BBQs, camping trips, e-bike adventures, and so on. I’ve learned to appreciate the summer by focusing on the moments – the little things I’ll remember. Appreciate the small joys, and you’ll string together something you won’t forget. II. It doesn’t take much to get away and feel alive. You don’t need to fly across the world to feel the thrill of being alive. Really, all you need is a change of scenery and a willingness to break from routine. A weekend of camping, a walk through the neighbourhood, a drive down an unfamiliar road. I’ve learned that when I view everyday surroundings with curiosity, it doesn’t take much to feel the wonder. Adventure is a state of mind, not a destination. III. When the goal is deep work, fight to avoid the shallows. In the age of constant connectivity, deep work can be hard to come by. It’s too easy to stay the shallows of pings and dings. The busy work never ends. I’ve learned the secret to deep work: destroy distractions. Set boundaries, silence notifications, and launch your phone into outer space. Protect your time for depth. It’s where the magic happens.
3 interesting things
I’ll leave you with a quote 🤔
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” — Elon Musk Until next time, remember to live and let go, Scotty
If you enjoyed the newsletter, be a friend and share this link with the world. |
