Reflections on a Train
I started reading the Marginalian, a blog by the writer and poet Maria Popova, a couple of years ago. Right after, my partner, probably tired of hearing me talking about the world, equality, and daydreaming, said to me: “Here, read this book,” Tools of Titans," by #TimFerris. The Bible looks smaller than this book! But I took the challenge on!
I read this book and its hundreds of interviews with successful people around the world. Successful according to financial, celebrity, and art status in societal terms. It was a fascinating read; it took me a few months, not because of the book's length, but because I tried to read every interview at least twice with these amazing, interesting, smart people—every single interview.
Anyway, lots of learning and tips have helped shape the later years of my life. Among those cool hip interviews, there was an interview with Maria Popova, an artist, a writer, a poet, and a WOMAN with big dreams (those interviews/stories are the ones I love the most!).
I paused my reading and went online and looked up www.themarginalian.org, and oh my, was I blown away. For someone who loves words, poetry, teachings with sense, and so on, this was a corner in the internet far from the abusive, competitive, comparative, undermining, show-off, self-serving social media platforms we are blasted with every day.
I found a place where I could read TRUE, vulnerable, and interesting stories. I could read a journey about an entrepreneur, a woman, or a human. This little corner has helped me return to myself on some difficult days when I wanted to give up or sometimes run to the closest island.
I know what you may be thinking: does she get a commission for this blog (haha!)? Well, I don't. Maria doesn't know I even exist. A random girl from Bogota whose life has thrown more tests than she thought she could bear, but here she is, in Canada, on a train, alive and, most importantly, loving her life EVERY SECOND OF IT!
I want to share the REAL cool things online. I have so many things to share from so many people and corners online and offline. From people who see life how I see it, from people who are as curious as I am about TRUE happiness, TRUE love, the real deal of what we do, why we do it; work, fight, take on vices, long for, and so on.
Anyways, I need to write more to get to the point, but this is being written on a train. And after reading Maria's Blog, I cannot stop! I am on my way to MTL to see some great friends, so I am excited and inspired; I am hopeful today. And I came across this blog from Maria Popova on the 16th anniversary of her business and lifestyle. She shares what she has learned in all these years, and boy, you will be blown away.
This blog IS SO RELEVANT. It is relevant to today's business world, tech-oriented world, women’s roles, and everything in between. It's a blog about being human in the middle of life. And that is what I have found so challenging lately. From my own story and the people I have interacted with lately. Friends who are lost. Mean people, people who do have no moral compass. People who assume, people who fear, people who are not aligned with themselves. This blog says exactly what I want to say, but I have yet to have time to write.
All this blathering to say, I hope you read this blog. Why do I care if you read it or not? Because I believe we need more of these thoughts: positive, assertive, humble, vulnerable, and raw, to help us stay aligned on this crazy ride. I have had so many experiences lately that have made me reflect on every single aspect of my life, and reading this was a nice and refreshing reminder.
She talks about her 16 life lessons after starting her newsletter.
My four fav from her blog (paraphrasing):
Be generous. Be generous with your time and your resources by giving credit and, especially, with your words. It’s so much easier to be a critic than a celebrator. Always remember there is a human being on the other end of every exchange and behind every cultural artifact being critiqued. To understand and be understood are among life’s greatest gifts; every interaction is an opportunity to exchange them.
Don’t be afraid to be an idealist. (That is me!!) There is much to be said for our responsibility as creators and consumers of that constant dynamic interaction we call culture — which side of the fault line between catering and creating are we to stand on? The commercial enterprise is conditioning us to believe that the road to success is paved by catering to existing demands.
Build pockets of stillness into your life. Meditate. Go for walks. Ride your bike going nowhere in particular. There is a creative purpose to daydreaming, even to boredom. The best ideas come to us when we stop actively trying to coax the muse into manifesting and let the fragments of experience float around our unconscious mind in order to click into new combinations. Without this essential stage of unconscious processing,
Do nothing for prestige or status or money or approval alone. As Paul Graham observed, “prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.” Those extrinsic motivators are fine and can feel life-affirming at the moment, but they ultimately don’t make it thrilling to get up in the morning and gratifying to go to sleep at night — and, in fact, they can often distract and detract from the things that do offer those deeper rewards.
They are such good reminders.
They are such great lessons.
https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/10/23/16-learnings/
I apply lots of them, but it is hard sometimes, I know. My life can be crazy sometimes.
Thanks to Maria Popova for being open and raw, opening up to us 16 years ago. Thank you for demonstrating that there is no shortcut or limit to success (however you define it) if you work hard and are honest, passionate, dedicated, and GENEROUS. She doesn’t know how much she inspires me as I keep shaping myself and don’t mind sharing my vulnerability. Only brave people do!
While you may read this blog, I'll be smiling while having a coffee in a French neighbourhood in MTL, one of my favs: Plateau Mont-Royal. I'll be laughing with a friend over café au lait and feeling like the luckiest, most “successful” (in my own terms) woman in the world. With these good reminders, I will taste my fresh, delicious croissant.
Thank you for reading my first attempt at blogging.
Too bad? Do I suck? Let me know!
Sincerely,
Camila
