Maria Popova. One of the finest bloggers that you would find in the contemporary world.
Maria in her weekly newsletter,the marginalian, offers : the week's most mind-broadening and heart-lifting reflections spanning art, science, poetry, philosophy, and other tendrils of our search for truth, beauty, meaning, and creative vitality. Maria writes about the interaction of both Art and Science, quoting vividly as much from Leo Tolstoy as much as from Richard Feynman- and in the process tries to uncover the underlying Truth that defines both ends of the Spectrum.
Recently Maria completed 16 years of her blogging : look here : 16 Life lessons.
Here is my one-line summary of each year:
1. Its infinitely more rewarding to understand than to be right
2. Do nothing for prestige or status or money or approval alone- extrinsic motivators dont make it thrilling to get up in the morning and gratifying to go to sleep in the night
3. Be generous - with your time and resources and giving credit, especially with your words.
4. Build pockets of stillness into your life.Meditate . Go for long walks. Sleep well.
5. When people tell you who they are...believe them. when people try to tell you who you are, don't believe them.
6. Presence is far more intricate and rewarding art than productivity
7. Expect anything worthwhile to take a long time
8. Seek out what magnifies your spirit - people, ideas and books that magnify your spirit.
9. Don't be afraid to be an idealist
10. Don't just resist cynicism- fight it actively
11. Map is not the territory. Question your models by testing against reality
12. There are infinitely many kinds of beautiful lives.
13. In any bond, forgive, forgive, forgive
14. Choose Joy
15. Outgrow yourself
16. Unself!
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