THE ROOT 9: 38.1

A while back, I watched a YouTube interview with Tim Cook on the story of how Steve Jobs recruited him to Apple. The quote above, reflecting on their working relationship, was a small tidbit from the interview that struck me.

I have really enjoyed that, as a part of this newsletter, I’ve been able to be more intentional, aware, and consistent with taking notes when I find even a small tidbit interesting from a podcast or article. It always makes me ‘on alert’ for the message behind something 🙂

My first reflection on this was that there’s a subtle form of courage we often fail to recognize: the courage required to be okay with changing your mind. Sometimes, even if we realize a suggestion from another person would make our idea demonstrably stronger, our ego can get in the way of us being open to change. We resist it because we fear it will be viewed as a sign of weakness or indecisiveness.

I love how this flips that script. It frames intellectual flexibility and the act of being persuaded as the primary metric of success in the partnership. The goal in their conversations wasn't to dominate or walk away with a "win." It was to evolve the original thought.

It is a powerful piece of motivation on how to further invest into the relationships and interactions we have with the people we trust - those who will not view willingness to change course as a failure. When we are brave enough to be convinced, our collective work can become stronger than an individual contribution.

Intention for the Week: Prioritize evolution over winning.

15-Minute Resets

Okay, I promise this is the last time I mention the new work routine I’m trying to cultivate: packing a gym bag the night before, driving to the Bay Club by the office, and getting ready there instead of at home.

One of the key reasons I wanted to do this was to finally integrate a sauna into my routine. (partly fueled by the long term goal that, many years from now, our home gym will have a sauna and ice bath combo)

I know there’s a lot of hype around saunas right now, but it’s actually something that has been a talking point in my life for quite some time. My mom has been an avid sauna lover since I was little - she can last thirty minutes in there, which is crazy to me.

I have noticed a strong positive uptick in my body and sleep scores on the days I have time to add in a 10-15 minute session post workout. It’s helped me clear my head right before going into the office, regulate my nervous system after taking my preworkout, and minimize my caffeine dependency throughout the day. I’ve been drinking one less coffee per day since starting this habit.

To bring in a bit more rigor than just my personal story, here is a quick summary I appreciated from a recent Forbes article on the science-backed benefits of a sauna (linked here)

The heat is a powerful, passive form of movement and recovery. If you have access to one, give yourself the gift of a 15 minute nervous system reset this week.

I’m not taking credit for this observation, but Chandler noted that once October hits, the auto recommendation from streaming services for an annual rewatch of the entire Twilight saga is basically clockwork.

I have to say, the Twilight soundtracks (across all the movies) are some of the best of all time. (Yes, there is a full Spotify playlist that collects them all.)

But one of my favorite songs, both from the soundtrack and generally, is “Meet Me on the Equinox” by Death Cab For Cutie. It’s ominous, romantic, and sucks you in. It was written with the intention of being the beginning and ending track of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and it executes that perfectly.

This song was never on any of the band’s studio albums, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people were first introduced to Death Cab For Cutie by this track. It’s gothic, the melodies are heavy and layered - something I think rings true across their discography.

Likely you have heard it before and forgotten about it. Whether I am reintroducing you to it or you’re hearing it for the first time, it’s the perfect soundtrack for this time of year when the sun sets earlier and the rain and snow start to settle in.