Monday Seven No. 035

On luck and the ten perfections

Yashar Nejati

May 24, 2021

Welcome to the latest edition of Monday Seven — actionable ideas and frameworks for those of us who seek more out of life and work.

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Hi friends,

I have a theory that luck wanders in the garden of chaos, and that if you hang around patiently with keen awareness, you’ll eventually bump into each other.

I’ve experienced this a few times. Like when I was brought into the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem on a holy Friday. Or when I found myself in Austin during SXSW and a gust of wind blew an all-access pass that landed directly at my feet.

I think Luck = (Entropy x Patience) + Awareness

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get a second dose of the vaccine once everyone in line for a first dose got theirs. This means that today has been mostly spent wrapped in a blanket on the couch while the vaccine does its thing. I just took a Tylenol with coffee to give me some relief and borrowed energy to share a few interesting things with you.

Let’s get into it before either drug wears off.

No. 035

The Ten Perfections by Jack Kornfield —

Meditation teacher and Buddhist practitioner Jack Kornfield gives a talk on the Pāramitā, a Buddhist term often translated as "perfection". This is the most impactful talk I’ve listened to in a long time. It’s well worth your time.

Book I’m reading —

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This is the first fiction book I’ve picked up in over a year. Which reminds me, I should read more fiction. From the author:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

The coolest thing I’ve seen on the internet —

Speaking of futuristic sci-fi, last week Google released Project Starline. You really need to watch the video to see the magic.

I’m elated to start seeing the humans I love in person again. But this sort of technology makes me optimistic about the future when in person may not always be possible.

Coffee —

The crew at Revolver Coffee in Vancouver is arguably one of the best curators of coffee in the world. Revolver is run by George Giannakos, who is inarguably one of the nicest guys in town. George and crew have been running Coffee Chronicles which our household happily subscribes to. I’ve learned more about coffee in the past three weeks than I have in 15 years of drinking it. They ship all over North America and you should probably get in for the June Chronicles. From Revolver:

A 24 day chronicle featuring 24 different coffees from 24 different roasters from around the globe. June Chronicles include roasters from Canada, USA, Europe, and Hong Kong.
Each day's coffee is 25g and portioned in a bio-degradable coffee bag, intended to be a surprise and tasted ‘blind’, with a daily reveal online. All the coffees will be roasted what most would consider 'Light', and the taste profile will be wide-ranging in origins, varieties, and processing methods. We won't spoil the fun by telling you all the roasters and coffees inside now, but trust us, if you enjoy Revolver and our selection, you'll be happy.

A writer I’m admiring —

Bookbear Express by Ava (@noampomsky). One of my favorites is Effort. From Ava:

I think people make the best things when they love the process, when they willingly shoulder the inherent uncertainty and pain that comes with it. It’s almost like a form of prayer: you offer up what you can even though the reward is uncertain. You do it out of love.

Music of the week —

J. Cole’s new album The Off-Season (Apple, Spotify)

Quote of the week —

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. — James Baldwin

Thanks for reading. Whether you enjoyed this newsletter or not, I’d really appreciate it if you leave a comment below and let me know what you think.