ADAPT #11 - listen as if you care

Yew!

I promise to provoke you in less than 5 min once a week :-)
Stay adaptable and on top of your game!

Let´s go!

Today:

• Awe: do you listen properly?

• Deal Flow: houses made out of grass

• Action: why is staring at a campfire so hypnotic?

• Personal: first aid skills are essential

• Travel: one of the youngest in the world

Read time: 4 min 12 sec

AWE

As you know from previous newsletters, three years ago in my endless pursuit of novelty, I decided to pick up a set of drumsticks and fulfil my childhood dream of becoming a drummer!

After playing on pads, electric kits and at music school, I finally bought my own kit and started building a band with my brother in law and a couple of mates:
The Essential Workers

It’s been an amazing ride!
I’ve learnt that drumsticks have different weights, thicknesses, tips, grips and are not as simple as they may seem.

Counting is not as easy as 1-2-3, rhythms are as complex as the spelling, and separating four limbs to do different things while talking feels literally impossible at the start.

I’ve learnt that playing Everlong or Killing in the Name with a band is mind-blowingly awesome…
But, but….the most important thing I’ve learnt and I am still learning?

TO LISTEN

Shit, it’s hard to listen….properly….with intent….like you mean it….like it matters….as if you care.

LISTEN AS IF YOU CARE….

Hit the rec button on your emotions and turn on the limbic system to feel, to consciously let sounds make sense.

We underinvest in listening and I suspect that if we only improve this a tiny bit, working with people and performing with our teams will feel just as insanely awesome as playing your fave song in a band.

Perhaps, as simple as it may seem, this coming week, try to listen like it matters, encourage those around you to do the same, and see what happens!

PS: Ask me how my band is going….seriously….!

For those of you in Melbourne, we’re playing next week!!
👇👇👇

DEAL FLOW

As I mentioned before, we have released too much CO2 into the atmosphere.

So there are plenty of companies trying to solve elements of this.

Some catch it only, some store it only, some catch it and store it, some catch it and turn it into products, some catch it and use it and catch it again and use it and so on.

This one today uses nature to catch it (grass) and turns it into a product (grass panels for construction that replace timber panels).

Once it’s in a house, it’s “captured” till you demolish the house and send it to landfill (and as it rots it releases the CO2).

So this is not a long term solution, nor will it capture all the CO2 we pump into the atmosphere.. but it will be a critical contributor.

Grass grows quicker than trees and the laminate product they make is as good as the timber ones and uses green resins to make it.
If you also use green energy, then you are on a winner.

Check them out: plantdmaterials.com 

- cool website too!!!!

ACTION

When was the last time you cooked with fire?

When was the last time you stared into the fire?

Apparently, can’t remember where I read it, the influx of photons that hits the retina when we look at a fire (or at a TV), is such that our brains in processing it are kinda hypnotised and calmed.

TAKE ACTION: Either buy a fire pit, chuck a grill on top and cook something, or go camping and do it, or use that outdoor fireplace to do it!

If you were to travel back in time 1,000,000 years - the only way you can communicate with your homo erectus ancestor would be with an offer of fire or food.

Connect back to your ancestors for a bit :-)

Think about that for a second…

sitting around the fire with your homo erectus great great great great great grandmother, food in one hand, poking stick in the other - smiling at each other, feeling as if nothing weird is going on - both perfectly familiar and at peace with the situation!

PERSONAL

This week my son was at a train station and a couple of kids from a larger group were wrestling (seemed playful) and one of them hit the side of his head and was knocked unconscious.

The kids (around 13) thought it was funny so they didn’t do anything.

My son realised that something was up so he went over to the boy to find him having a seizure.

Quickly he used first aid skills his mum taught him, called an ambulance and kept the kid safe.

We don’t know how the kid is, we are trying to find out, but nonetheless, the story reminded me of someone I know who focuses on teaching young kids first aid and the importance of everyone knowing how to help!

Follow them: @thekeepapp

TRAVEL

Go to Timor Leste!

It’s epic and it’s close (well, ish) but it’s full of beautiful people - check out a few of my pics from 2019.

Their story of independence is not dissimilar to many from around the world, the only difference is that it happened in recent memory with Timor being recognised as a country in 2002!

One of the youngest in the world!

Bonus? They have the greatest Portuguese tarts I have ever had!

My recommendations:

I’m still sharing with you the amazing crew at neu21.com who will help you make work not suck!

So if you need help in your organisation ping me, ping them!

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