Mike Sturm talks about the Wabi-sabi Way

Buddhism and Taoism expert Mike Sturm joins the show to uncover how to develop a deep personal relationship with yourself – the Wabi-Sabi way. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers you access to your own licensed professional therapist – all from the comfort of wherever you are. You can arrange weekly video chats or phone calls, text with your carefully curated counsellor, and do so at an affordable price. And anything you share is confidential. I’ve been using BetterHelp for a while and I am highly impressed. It’s been a huge help for me and I know it can be the same for you. Start living a happier life today with BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting https://betterhelp.com/timecrafting (betterhelp.com/timecrafting). Give BetterHelp a try today.This episode is sponsored by Sit Down, Startup, a new weekly podcast from Zendesk. Getting your business off the ground is hard. Find out why customer experience is at the heart of success. The startup’s team chats with Zendesk leaders, founders, and CEOs in a coffee-shop style conversation about starting up when the world is upside down. Catch weekly fresh new episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Head over to Sit Down, Startup https://www.zendesk.co.uk/campaign/sitdownstartup/ (here). Mike Sturm has taught philosophy at college level for several years and researched Buddhism and Taoism extensively. He writes about self-improvement and productivity from the perspective of spirituality and first principles. In this reflective conversation, we focus in particular on ‘Wabi-Sabi’, an ancient Japanese philosophy that centres on appreciating​​ the beauty in imperfection and accepting the more natural cycle of life. Join us as we explore some of the key insights from his book The Wabi-sabi Way: Simple Principles to Bring Calm, Meaning & Authenticity to Your Daily Life. We discuss personal authenticity, reviewing habits, the power of validation and embracing imperfection – and Captain America.  Talking Points What is Wabi-sabi? (02:06) The Western challenges with meditation and stillness (11:07) The notion of time (17:41) Ease vs. easy (24:27) Where to get started with the Wabi-sabi mindset (27:45) The practice of impermanence (34:00) Simple steps to live the Wabi-sabi way (41:42) Quote "Accepting where you’ve been is the only way of getting to where you want to go." Helpful Links https://www.amazon.com/Wabi-sabi-Way-Principles-Meaning-Authenticity/dp/1641528265/ (‘The Wabi-sabi Way’ by Mike Sturm) https://choosemuse.com/ (Muse Headband) http://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/chuang-tzu.htm (“The Dexterous Butcher” by Chuang Tzu) https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Day-Circle-History-Meaning/dp/0226981657/ (‘The Seven Day Circle’ by Eviatar Zerubavel) https://productivityist.com/podcast354/ (Episode 354: How To Decide with Annie Duke) https://www.amazon.com/How-Decide-Simple-Making-Choices-ebook/dp/B07TRJB3S3 (‘How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices’ by Annie Duke) https://productivityist.com/podcast243/ (Episode 243: The Art of Noticing with Rob Walker) https://productivityist.com/podcast203/ (Episode 203: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen)  https://productivityist.com/podcast360/ (Episode 360: A World Without Email with Cal Newport) https://productivityist.com/podcast286/ (Episode 286: Doing Project 333 with Courtney Carver) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyxvMxE8Hyg (Captain America video essay) https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Assistance-introduction-Handler-Epilogue/dp/B0032G3F0G/ (‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ by by Alex Haley and Malcolm X) https://mikesturm.medium.com/ (Mike’s Medium) https://twitter.com/APerfectSturm (Mike’s Twitter) https://mikesturm.net/ (MikeSturm.net) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? https://www.scribd.com/g/9a8d8 (Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.) Podcast...