Kyle Kowalski - The Art of Living Intentionally

Hello Friends. Welcome from beautiful Northampton, Massachusetts! I hope you’re gearing up for a fun and restful weekend.

After a rejuvenating Think Week in Asheville, I’m working remotely and visiting my in-laws in Massachusetts. The Pioneer Valley is truly a gem of the northeast, offering excellent food, quaint cafes, and a creative atmosphere that always leaves me feeling inspired. It’s one of my favorite places to spend time.

During my time away, I conducted my first quarterly review, ate my way through downtown Asheville, browsed dozens of art galleries, explored the stunning Frederick Law Olmstead-designed North Carolina Arboretum, and indulged in an invigorating combination of sauna and cold plunge. I also studied the fascinating and important intersection of somatics and change and spent time envisioning the impact AI will have on coaching. It was the perfect balance of rest, play, and work.

I have a bizarre story to share from my trip—I kept seeing tigers everywhere. It all started at this incredible Indian restaurant called Chai Pani, where I was savoring the delicious butter chicken when I noticed that my waiter’s t-shirt had two tigers standing on their hind legs facing each other with their claws extended towards the other. The next morning, I was browsing a funky bookstore when I stumbled upon The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. Later that day, I was exploring the River Arts District when I saw a large painting from local artist Daniel McClendon featuring a vibrant tiger. Over the weekend, I was hanging out at a cafe and the song Deceptacon by Le Tigre blared from the speakers. When I saw yet another tiger, on a sticker at a café checkout, I bought it.

My repeated sightings of tigers during my trip to Asheville led me down a rabbit hole to understand the symbolism behind this majestic creature. As it turns out, the tiger is considered a symbol of power, bravery, and good fortune in many cultures, including Chinese culture where it is one of the 12 zodiac animals. After seeing all of these tigers over the course of a few days, I couldn't help but feel like the universe was sending me a message. As a result, I've adopted the tiger as an symbolic touchstone to remind me to tap into my inner strength, face my fears with courage, and embrace the good fortune that life has to offer.

In other news, I have a new podcast episode to share. Episode 006 is my conversation with Kyle Kowalski, the founder of Sloww.co, where he creates “the web’s deepest guide to the world’s wisdom.” Prior to becoming a solopreneur, Kyle had a decade-long career in marketing, culminating as a marketing executive for Lee Jeans, a global apparel brand.

Following an existential crisis and an intense search for meaning, he decided to quit his job to dedicate himself to finding and creating his life purpose: synthesizing lifelong learning that catalyzes human development. Currently, Kyle is working on developing a series of resources to introduce and guide others to the art of living intentionally.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Crisis Can Catalyze Significant Life Transformation

• How Observation and Reflection Assist in “Connecting The Dots”

• Discovering Purpose and Meaning

• Concepts of Intentional Living

• Curiosity and Fostering A Questioning Mindset

• Surrendering Control and Appreciating The Mystery of Life

• Perspectives on Free Will, Nature and Nurture

I'm excited for you to hear our conversation and gain insights into living a more intentional life filled with purpose and meaning.

You can learn more about Kyle and his journey by subscribing to his Sloww Sunday newsletter and by following him on Twitter at KyKow & SlowwCo.

Listen below, or on Apple, Spotify, or Simplecast. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Kyle.

---

🤔 For Contemplation

Speaking of reflection and connecting the dots, if you haven't had a chance to check out my recent post on completing a quarterly review, I highly recommend giving it a read. It includes the template I used, and I hope it can be a valuable tool for you as well.

And for those of you with busy schedules, but would like to reflect on the past quarter, here are some questions to consider:

• What were my major memories and milestones this quarter? 

• What am I most proud of personally or professionally? 

• What lessons or skills did I learn this quarter? 

• What behaviors or activities do I want to start, stop or continue? 

• What would I like to focus on and accomplish over the next three months?

Good luck and happy reflecting! 

---

🌱 Seeds of Change

Here are five things I’ve been pondering over the last few weeks. If any resonate, feel free to share them with those in your life.

🔺The Missing Piece Meets the Big O

As a huge Shel Silverstein fan (I even have his "Hug O' War" illustration tattooed on my left tricep), I was thrilled to discover Maria Popova's heartwarming recap of his tale, "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O," on The Marginalian. In Popova’s words, the story is “a minimalist, maximally wonderful allegory at the heart of which is the emboldening message that true love doesn’t complete us, even though at first it might appear to do that, but lets us grow and helps us become more fully ourselves.” If you're looking for a charming and uplifting read this weekend, I highly recommend this visual recap of Silverstein’s classic. Read on The Marginalian (10 minutes)

💫 John Gardner on Meaning

During my Think Week, I revisited “Personal Renewal”, a timeless talk by John Gardner, an American author, scholar, and statesman. Originally delivered to the partners of McKinsey & Company in 1990, this speech was shared with me on Twitter back in fall 2019, when I announced my decision to leave Primary Venture Partners and pursue coaching full-time. Gardner's entire talk is packed with wisdom, especially for anyone facing a period of transition and seeking self-renewal. While the entire discourse is excellent, this one passage about meaning truly resonated with me on a deep level:

"Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure is of less account."

Read on PBS.org (12 minutes)

🚌 Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

Cancer has been my greatest fear for as long as I can remember. My grandmother passed away from breast cancer in her early fifties, and I lost a college friend to the disease before he turned thirty. Since then, I've avoided the topic at all costs, or I've tried to push the fear aside whenever it surfaced. Recently, a friend, who is a cancer survivor, recommended Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. In this inspiring and vivid memoir, Jaouad chronicles her battle with leukemia at just 22 years old and her journey toward healing. The deeper I went into the book, I felt my fear slowly loosening its grip on me. It's fascinating what can happen when we begin to accept and confront our biggest fears. Jaouad’s memoir is one of the best written and most moving books I've read in years, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful source of inspiration. Purchase on Bookshop.org

😀 The Science of Happiness

This time last year, my good friend Sunil Arora recommended From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks, a New York Times bestseller that serves as a guide to “finding success, happiness, and purpose in the second half of life.” Brooks shares how “the second half of life is governed by different rules…and he reveals a path to beat the striver's curse” by “accepting the gifts of the second half of life.” It was one of the best books I read last year. During my Think Week, I stumbled upon a great podcast interview between Brooks and Dr. Peter Attia of The Drive, which provided an excellent recap of the book for those who enjoy podcasts. Listen on Spotify (1 hour, 47 minutes)

⏭️ Mid-Career Changers: Advice to Your Younger Self

Last week, I was tagged on Twitter in a post by Sarah Haider that's worth sharing with all of you. In her tweet, Sarah posed a question asking for valuable advice for those in midlife who are considering a career change. Whether you're feeling stuck in your current role or simply want to explore new opportunities, the thread offers a treasure trove of tips and insights to help you make the transition. Read the thread here.