Liber librum aperit.
The English translation of this Latin expression is one book opens another.
Imagine that?
Iām in the midst of a social media fast.
Iām 12 days down.
So far Iām doing good. Iām spending more time reading.
More time thinking on my own. Writing. Vibing. Dreaming.
Itās weird I keep having these moments where I want to tweet something, or X it. (whatever people call this nowadays)
But I canāt. I told myself I wouldnāt use social media. Just need to last until Easter.
But maybe, Iāll fast past then. (say that one ten times fast).
Whatās better for you, Coffee or Social Media?
I donāt have an answer yet. But Iāll try.
Liber Librum Aperit!
The idea of āone book opens anotherā screams to me the idea of The Journey to 1,000.. my mission of reading 1,000 books in my lifetime.
What else feels so fundamentally timeless as the act of reading does?
Reading has this way of freezing time. To breathe in someone elseās thought process, while fundamentally building up your own thoughts on the same exact topic - at the same time.
Reading is a hypnotic process, it alters our understanding of the world around us and does so in real-time.
Iām in the middle of the most books Iāve read in a long time. 6 to be exact.
Which one should I share with you first?
The one closest to me is āWooden: A Coachās Lifeā. This is a book about the legendary UCLA menās basketball coach John Wooden. I got this one from the library, itās the type of book that makes you order a basketball. (whoās trying to hoop?)
Itās the type of book giving me this desire to inspire. To inspire those who havenāt given up yet, before they even begin to perspire.
I gave up basketball too early. I was younger.
Iām older now. Iāll keep going. The passion has always been there.
The most timeless lesson one receives from ample reading is that the ability of pushing through adversity builds character (no matter how early or how late in life).
What are your values?
Iāve been thinking about values a lot.
Wisdom is the first one that comes to mind.
āself-reflection becomes an imperative necessity, and for this wisdom is needed."
Wisdom to me is the ability to distinguish when one needs a timeout. When I say a timeout, I recognize this as something that makes me āpause timeā. A timeout, is an analogy for being patient with oneself, taking that extra breath when you need it.
I think of the time Iāve put towards writing one physical page everyday. The days I take the time to write an extra page, this can also be pivotal for me to work through that which is troubling me.. while also finding it deep within what is inspiring to me.
Writing is a delicate balance.. placed within a state of reflection & action.
Dance with the two (reflection and action), life begins to steady.
One book opens another. How about that?
I went to the local YMCA for a tour. It was packed. It felt like the space could be utilized a bit better. I checked it out, because Iām hungry to find a place to hoop.
Iām learning about the invention of basketball. I just finished reading James Naismithās (The Inventor of Basketball) book āBasketball: Origins and Developmentā.
This was a book that makes me curious. What if I read this at an earlier age, would I appreciate it as much as I do while I read it?
Isnāt that the beauty of books (and life)? Is that no matter what the situation brings us, we will be placed within a different mindset with each occurrence. With each visitation of an idea.
We must take agency over these moments where an idea really grips us, not getting bogged down by mass advertising... social media feeds, etc.. Pay attention to yourself.
Study the unknown. Your Every Waking Experience.
Autobiographies are starting to become my favorite form of reading.
Iām lately finding myself enjoying spiritual autobiographies. The religious experience of all times runs correlate to one another. The only thing that changes is the methodology in which one uses to feel closely aligned with the ādivineā.
Establishing these methodologies, is typically done with the latest technologies. What about recovering the ways that worked well in the past? What do we have to learn from our ancestors?
How can we use the wisdom of the past to feel that we can truly make the most of our time here on earth?
By starting to write our autobiography today. Write to yourself. You donāt even need to share it with others.
Write to yourself. Learn your voice.
Share it with the world when youāre ready. Then learn together. No matter the weather.
Whatās better than seeing people find their way to the things they value?
As an artist, educator and soon-to-be psychologist, this is ultimately my goal in helping others discover their values in their lives.
So naturally, Iāve been taking the time to really think about what it is that I value as a person. Hereās what I came up withā¦.
WHOTF?
It is coincidental, yet somewhat purposeful that the acronym for my values is something as silly as this.
So what does WHOTF stand for? These are my values that I want to place attention to the rest of my life.
Wisdom. Health. Optimism. Teamwork. Family.
Wisdom. The never-ending pursuit. The everyday you wake up, you tend to it type pursuit. The idea that you grasp a better understanding, yet utter lack of comprehension for the amazing world we inhabit. Perpetuate a daily excitement for learning.
Health. Spiritually, Somatically and Mentally. How do we tend to ourselves, ensuring that we donāt overcompensate for one portion of our health, while neglecting another part. Health is a multifaceted process. You can be JACKED & yet still be unhappy. At what intersection of Spiritual, Somatic (Physical) and Mental Health do we prosper the most? My guess is somewhere right in the middle. How do we get there?
Optimism. In every endeavor. Viewing each day, each moment as a fresh opportunity to tap into the unknown and live extraordinarily. To view the world with a rose colored lenses no matter the present condition is. To see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Teamwork. This is the prerequisite of Trust. Teamwork is the act of building trust unconsciously. Trust is the byproduct of great teamwork & the acknowledgment of such an act. Treat everyone as a teammate.
Family. I was torn between Freedom & Family for the F. I've opted for Family. We are all members of the same family: the human race. What does it mean to treat our friends, co-workers, patients/clients, etc.. as family members? If we choose to value family, how does this influence our present/past/future relationship with our family?
Ideally, the things you value in life are those towards which you place consistent attention and action towards in life. Start living the life of your dreams, before someone else continues to write your script!! We are all repsective filmmakers/documentarians as it applies to our daily lives, we just also happen to play the main role in our film.
So my friend, what are your values that you want to design your life after?
Cheers to lifelong learning,
Adam Bartley
Iāll leave you with one banger. ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø