I am guilty of spending too much time playing back conversations in my mind, thinking about how it should have gone.
Typically, when I have an important conversation I don’t spend enough time preparing. I think this is normal? Yet a tweet from Shaan Puri resonated with me because I think his prep work is abnormal (and probably why he is such a good host). Shaan shared how he prepared for a recent podcast interview with Gary Vee.
This prep work could be used for important conversations like asking for a raise or giving a performance review:
What do I want this conversation to feel like? This: ___, NOT This:___
Possible conversation openers (I think this is very important and likely overlooked)
Questions or points I want to make sure we discuss
Ideal outcome
Kinda cheesy, takes an extra 5 minutes but I’ve tried this a few times and it makes me go into a conversation more confident and the outcomes seem much better.
Speaking of Gary Vee, his content usually does not resonate with me. This graphic did:
Without further ado….
Why Claudia?
I initially connected with Claudia through being a fan of the Recomendo newsletter she co-authors. Each Sunday morning you get 6 recommendations from the editorial team in your inbox - sound familiar? Furthermore, she was kind enough to feature me in her other newsletter project, What’s In My Now? As you’ll see below she is very introspective and interesting, which made for a great profile!
Consciousness explorer and psychic dreamer who uses art and poetry to integrate her visions. Also, a dog mom to a Chocolate Lab named Pablo, and happily married to an attorney who keeps her grounded and tethered to earth while her head stays in the clouds.
Claudia’s Recommendations
Written in her own words…
Well-Being
Making the mundane sacred
I was raised in organized religion(s), and as an adult I struggle with the concept of rituals that are handed down by someone else. My intention is to make every day sacred and meaningful and that means infusing imagination into my spiritual practices. Showering becomes a daily baptism. Thanking a friend can be worship. Spending time in the Sun with my dog is a prayer.
My favorite vice when I am emotionally-drained, fatigued or hormonal is to get into bed shamelessly early (after smoking a joint) and rewatch my favorite comfort episodes of The Office, Parks and Rec and Bob’s Burgers.
When I think back to the shows that have stayed with me long after watching, Reservation Dogs stands out as a clear winner. I’m not Native American, but I was born to Mexican Immigrants and the way this show depicts family, friendship, identity, poverty and spirituality with humor and authenticity is so perfect. I cried and laughed and felt love and gratitude for my own human struggles and experience.
This past Christmas I gave out 30 Second Dance Party Buttons to my friends. I press the button at random times throughout my workday to dance with my dog. It’s become Pavlov's experiment. He hears the music, runs for a toy to put in his mouth and starts spinning and jumping with me. My friend who is a mother to twin toddlers says that this button has made diaper changes an exciting activity for them.
Pictures can never capture the majestic awesomeness of Carlsbad Caverns — one of the largest cave chambers in North America. When I first descended on foot, deep into the Earth, and saw the cathedral-like cave formations and the well-lit and showcased stalactites and stalagmites, I felt like a kid at Disneyland. It is the most magical, natural wonder I’ve ever seen. (Fun fact: Walt Disney was inspired by Carlsbad Caverns when creating the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.)
I made two recent purchases that have changed my life. This rolling cart for my art supplies and this art caddy for my coloring pens. I then challenged myself to create Daily Art as an integration practice for dreams and subconscious imagery and it’s added a new dimension to my waking life. These portable organizers make it easy to move around the house and having my art supplies within eyesight and reach inspires me to play and create.
Open
Train your subconscious
If you are someone that doesn’t remember your dreams, you can still train yourself to notice your waking life dreams. I keep a digital note on my phone to log all my intuitions, synchronicities, inner imagery and stray thoughts that pop up out of nowhere during my day — even song lyrics that get stuck in my head. These are dreams too. If you develop a daily habit of doing this, your subconscious will get louder and clearer — and you’ll probably start remembering your dreams!
Plug
Every Sunday, I along with Wired Co-founder Kevin Kelly and Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing send out a list of 6 things we find useful or cool. Sign up at Recomendo.com.
P.S. from Rambull — I sit on zoom all day for work. One of my pet peeves is when I have a meeting with 6 people and no one is on camera. Yes, I am that guy that always has his webcam on and is a bit too self-righteous about it. Therefore, I finally caved and got a webcam light. It does make a difference.
Longtime recommendo fan stoked to check out rambull
Some interesting findings on the camera on/off situation: https://www.edutopia.org/article/camera-oncamera-dilemma/