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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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January 6th, 2022 | by Kyle Brennan
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1. "Style" is the stuff you get wrong.
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Everything you think of as "cool" is actually just something you're "not supposed to." Jimi Hendrix's style wasn't famous for his technical proficiency; it was how he created in ways that no one had tried.
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Roger is phonetic meaning "received." Some people infuse ROGER with a bit more intention, defining it as "Received, order given, expect results" When used that way, it is so much more than an acknowledgment. It's an accelerant.
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3. If you have a blocked nose try this:
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- Exhale until your lungs are empty
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- Pinch your nose with your thumb and forefinger (do not breathe in yet)
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- Bob your head like you're at a rock concert 15x.
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- Your nose will be clear. And yes, you will look ridiculous, so please hide from the public.
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What I'm Reading
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Wow, what a story.
Paul Kalanithi was on his way to becoming a successful neurosurgeon when he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. He and his wife were about to have their first child.
In this heart-wrenching memoir, Paul chronicles his last few months alive as he struggles with the weight of his own mortality. So many things were left undone, unsaid, unwritten, and unrealized.
After wiping the pages clean of my tears, I closed this book with a new appreciation not just for Paul's life and his family's, but also for the surgeons and doctors who sacrifice so much of their free time, money, and well-being for the care of others.
Paul's writing is phenomenal, and you can sense his deep love of poetry and literature through his beautiful words. He left the world a better place with his writing and with his contributions.
Rating: 5 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Video I'm Watching Over and Over Again
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How this is not the most viewed video on YouTube is a mystery to me. I just found out about this thanks to David Senra of the Founders podcast (please check that out too) and I've already watched it twice, and taken detailed notes.
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In one hour, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Bill Gurley condenses all you need to know about finding your passion and excelling in what you love with examples from history's best.
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Challenge I'm Joining
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If you've ever seen the incredible Netflix documentary, I Am Not Your Guru, you know the power that Tony Robbins has to transform lives.
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This year, he and his wife announced (via Instagram) that they are launching a five day seminar from January 24-28th totally free of charge. The goal of the seminar is to provide a patten for success - a blueprint - to avoid our negative patterns and develop successful ones.
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Latest Blog Post on Medium
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With reading, you acquire direct knowledge from people who have already been through it. Great minds provide you with all of the tools and guidance you need.
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Today's Medium Post
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Over the last 5 years, I’ve read 225 books. And it took me reading those 225 books to realize: 90% of books shouldn’t be books at all — they should be blog posts.
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With that in mind, I reflect this weekend on which books had the biggest impact on me. And next year, I will re-read each of them
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Latest Podcast Episode
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss Christmas in the '90s, the complexity of Nietzsche, the adventures of Teddy Roosevelt, and a year-end review.
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Books discussed in this episode:
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Quote of the Week
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“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.’”
— Kurt Vonnegut
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Reminder to share this newsletter with friends and family! Subscribe link here
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What's on My Reading List?
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Kyle's Published Work
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
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