Buddhism and Taoism expert Mike Sturm joins the show to uncover how to develop a deep personal relationship with yourself – the Wabi-Sabi way.

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?

The Western challenges with meditation and stillness

The notion of time

Ease vs. easy

Where to get started with the Wabi-sabi mindset

The practice of impermanence

Simple steps to live the Wabi-sabi way

Quote

"Accepting where you’ve been is the only way of getting to where you want to go."

Helpful Links

‘The Wabi-sabi Way’ by Mike Sturm

Muse Headband

“The Dexterous Butcher” by Chuang Tzu

‘The Seven Day Circle’ by Eviatar Zerubavel

Episode 354: How To Decide with Annie Duke

‘How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices’ by Annie Duke

Episode 243: The Art of Noticing with Rob Walker

Episode 203: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen

Episode 360: A World Without Email with Cal Newport

Episode 286: Doing Project 333 with Courtney Carver

Captain America video essay

‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

Mike’s Medium

Mike’s Twitter

MikeSturm.net

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

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