On the Road Again, A Project of One's Own, Running Away In Your Own Company, and More

Friday, June 23, 2023

Happy Friday everyone!

Here are 10 things I found interesting from the last week or so.

Been on the road traveling all last week, so this week's newsletter has no set destination. Anyway, here’s a picture of a Waffle House we visited Somewhere in Oklahoma.

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On the Road Again 

This last week has been go go go. San Diego, CA to Flagstaff, AZ to Amarillo, TX to Somewhere in Oklahoma to Fort Smith, AR, to Memphis and Nashville, TN, and now on to Charleston, SC. America is big, beautiful, and big. That said, this whole trip I haven't been able to stop thinking of George Carlin's Life is Worth Losing stand-up comedy show from 2005. If you have 11 minutes to spare and need a good laugh for the day, here you go.   

A Cup of Copper Cow Coffee 

One of my favorite discoveries from this trip came when I least expected it. Coffee in hotel rooms hardly ever does the job, let alone just one cup. But in one of our hotel rooms, we lucked out finding Copper Cow Coffee. They have these pre-filled single-serve coffee filters that can serve pour-over 100% Vietnamese Origin Coffee in 90 seconds. Debbie Wei Mullen founded the company in 2017 and has built it into a multi-million dollar business. If you have 90 seconds and are curious to learn more about her story, check out this video—your coffee will be ready to go by the time you're finished! 

Tennessee is a Must-See 

Another big-time highlight from this trip so far has been visiting Tennessee. Man, what a place. In Memphis, we stopped by Graceland, BB King's Blues Club, and the National Civil Rights Museum. In Nashville, we checked out Hattie B's, Kid Rock on Broadway, and the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge that leads to the Tennessee Titan's Nissan Stadium. All in all, highly highly recommend The Volunteer State. 

Part Johnny, Part Cash 

In Tennessee, I picked up a copy of Johnny Cash's autobiography. Part truth, part fiction, part gypsy, part homebody, part simple, part complex—at times, it seems the country music superstar was part Johnny, part Cash. The enigmatic icon offers a great reminder at the beginning of the book: "Gotta never be complacent. Never take anything for granted. Don't forget, great prices have been paid and will be paid again if you get too smug, too egotistical, and self-assured." 

McCarthy's #1 Priority 

The American writer Cormac McCarthy passed last week. Although just about every list of recommended books has his name on it, I have yet to have the chance to read any of his dozen novels. However, I did find an interview with him and Oprah where he explained how his #1 priority led to his success as well as him not being able to afford toothpaste while living in Tennessee.    

A Project of One's Own

While on the road, I found a great essay through Existential Espresso: Paul Graham's 'A Project of One's Own.' According to Graham, if you have ever thought about doing your own project, there are two requirements: "1) that you're doing it voluntarily, rather than merely because someone told you to, and 2) that you're doing it by yourself." To read the rest of his thoughts, check out the essay here. 

Your #1 Investment 

In line with McCarthy's words on dedication and Graham's words on projects, I wanted to tie together another element: Warren Buffet's words on your #1 investment. He said two things, "The best thing you can do is to be exceptionally good at something. People are going to give you some of what they produce in exchange for what you deliver," and "Whatever abilities you have can't be taken away from you. They can't be inflated away from you. The best investment by far is anything that develops yourself, and it's not taxed at all." In other words, voluntarily dedicate yourself to a project of your own. Become so good they can't ignore you or take it away from you. It is your #1 tax-free investment. 

Cultivating The Asset

Building off of McCarthy, Graham, and Buffet, I finally got around to reading a few of Seneca's letters. As far as Stoics go, I'm still unsure if he's better than Marcus Aurelius, but I do enjoy his writing. In Letter XV he writes, "Cultivate an asset which the passing of time itself improves." The asset he speaks of—your mind—is your #1 asset. It's your number #1 investment. It's the #1 project of your own to cultivate.  

Running Away In Your Own Company  

One of the great mechanisms of escapism is travel. Hitting the road, checking out, and nodding off are ways to procrastinate cultivating your asset. Having the excuse that you're always busy running around presents a great trap. Seneca writes in Letter XXVIII, "How can novelty of surroundings abroad and becoming acquainted with foreign scenes or cities be of any help? All that dashing about turns out to be quite futile. And if you want to know why all this running away cannot help you, the answer is simply this: you are running away in your own company. You have to lay aside the load on your spirit. Until you do that, nowhere will satisfy you." He later adds, "Once you have rid yourself of the affliction there, though, every change of scene will become a pleasure." Something to consider when planning your next escape from your project—wherever you escape to, you'll be there waiting. 

PHAT JAZZ AGAIN

On a final note, as mentioned last week, PHAT JAZZ played at Governor's Ball in New York City—congrats again! And now, this week, he released a new song which means it's time to put it through the only rigorous test that matters in order to answer one simple question: Is it a banger? 

Enjoy the weekend and see you next Friday. 

—Garrett