Marlow's Musings 10/27/24

Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.

Audio narration by David Marlow

“The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor: he took my measure anew every time he saw me, whilst all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.”

―George Bernard Shaw from, Man and Superman

It was an opportunity of a lifetime. As THE featured keynote speaker, I’d been invited to speak at AT&T’s Global Business-to-Business conference. The CIOs of the biggest companies in the world were attending.

A flight to New York City and a limousine ride were only weeks away.

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Then it hit me.

Months before, my doctor gave me some bad news. Some, who’s kidding who, he gave me an encyclopedia set of bad news.

Hypertension and the highest triglyceride number he’d ever seen, to name a few.

I made some changes, like eliminating sweetened sodas and upping my exercise.

Three months and minus forty pounds later, my numbers were in the normal range.

This brings me back to the speech in NY.

“I haven’t tried on my suit in a while,” I mention casually to my wife.

It was like a circus tent, and with the speech two weeks away, we headed out to buy a new suit.

“It fits perfectly.”

The tailor was amazed; the suit fit perfectly right off the rack.

“The only thing you need is to hem the pants, and I can have that done for you in a couple of days. You’re lucky; significant tailoring is taking nearly three weeks.”

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We change in ways we often miss.

In one part of this story, I was changing in ways I hadn’t noticed and needed to stop that change.

On the other, I had improved in some ways and wasn’t that person any longer.

It is good to check in every so often.

Or, as Shaw admonishes, measure every time.

Word of the Week

Omphaloskepsis (n.)

/om·​pha·​lo·​skep·​sis/ äm(p)-fə-lō-ˈskep-səs

1. To reflect, look, view

2. Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation

The Omphalopsychites (1882) were a body of monks who believed the deep contemplation of the navel, induced communion with God.

In my personal coaching and business consulting both I teach getting the noise down in life to give you time to ponder your navel. Time to pause, reflect, and view your situation, feelings, and possibilities.

Unironically I’ve used the expression of pondering your navel without ever having heard this word or known there was philosophical school of thought supporting it.

In case you missed it…

This week’s Ikigai Thought for Today…What Do You Want?

Ikigai Thought for Today: What Do You Want?

I riff on the idea from Lao Tsu , “If you do not change direction, you may wind up where you are heading,” sharing remarkably effective method for having a fulfilling life.

Ikiquest+

This week’s Coffee Contemplation: An Age of Choosing

I share the story of my maternal grandmother’s fondness for going barefoot and how it links to the idea of '“less but better.”

This was the most reshared Coffee Contemplation ever. Many people have told me it was the best thing they’ve read in a long time.

Ikiquest+ subscribers can listen to it in audio narration or read the transcription.

Coffee Contemplation: An Age of Choosing

If you aren’t yet an Ikiquest+ Subscriber, give it a try for free by clicking the box here.

Interesting Thing

In my family, we love watching cooking competitions where chefs have to think on their feet with random ingredients to create amazing dishes.

For anyone who shares that interest, The Flavor Thesaurus is an invaluable resource. This unique guide maps out 99 distinct flavors in a wheel format, then explores their potential combinations, from classic pairings to unexpected matches.

Whether you're planning dinner or just curious about flavor science, you'll discover intriguing combinations like goat cheese and beet. It introduces other unlikely but delicious matchings such as blueberry and mushroom, dill with coconut, rhubarb brightened by saffron, or cauliflower complemented by walnuts.

With nearly a thousand entries and 200 recipes, it's not just a practical cooking companion - it's an engaging read that will keep you exploring new flavor possibilities for years to come.

Comment of the Week:

Again this week there were so many wonderful comments. I encourage you to read them all. And please know if you generously share your thoughts in the comments I always read each and every one and respond.

The comment I want to share is from Peter about the Coffee Contemplation.

Here is his thought…

Oh David, my coffee and homemade carrot cupcake was more satisfying while reading your contemplation. I wrote this is my journal: I am amazed at what we have at our fingertips; we can access data & information in seconds that years ago would take months to collect. Have our choices improved? Or are they more urgent, or demanding of speed? Our age of knowledge might be butting heads with the age of choice.

I still admire one of my long-past heroes: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He led his team with the mantra “Less is more.” I believe that helps make a better life. Is anyone with me?

There are a few things of value. Focus on those things, grow those things, and make those things better.

Less…but better.

Quote I’m Pondering

This thought is from Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing.

“Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.”

This is a perfect reminder of the urgency of Ikigai.

Final Thoughts

Two things have driven success in my career and for my clients. Making time to ponder possibilities and realistically measuring or evaluating the current situation.

When was the last time you pondered your navel, considered possibilities, or connected with the divine?

Take a realistic look at life as it is and consider how it might be. You’ll be amazed at the result.

Quest Well.