John Nicholas

"It's almost always better to learn from peers who are 2 years ahead of you than mentors who are 20 years ahead of you. Life evolves and most insights get outdated." - James Clear

@Ashwinreads That’s beautiful, thanks for sharing Ashwin. Been curious to do a retreat, but always find other things to do with time off, holidays etc. Maybe time to change that.

it’s been 3 months since i went on my jhana retreat. some observations that have changed my wellbeing: > exercising before you meditate is such an incredible hack. i don’t know why i didn’t think of this before but once you’ve got the endorphins swirling in your brain you can predict with a relatively high certainty that your sit is going to be so incredibly calm and peaceful and joyful. there were times i felt it shouldn’t be allowed to feel this happy. > life will kick you in the teeth and you won’t meditate. it happens. i think journaling really helped me climb back on the mountain of practice but it was hard and when you’ve got work and a million other commitments the last thing you’ll want to do is meditate. that’s cool. maybe journal how you feel instead and that’ll open the door to sit for even 5-10 minutes. writing my emotions and internal experience really helped me navigate the tension between thinking it was a waste of time to sit and actually just doing it. > i’ve come to see how rich and full and delightful and sometimes sad my inner world is. giving myself space to be curious about my experience has made me see how destructive expectations can be. almost like prison bars on your awareness. the more i can say i dont know the more i free myself. > it’s so much better if you can find a partner to jhana with. my gf and i went on the retreat together and having an accountability partner who’s practising will in turn make you practice. there should be a couples jhana retreat. would also solve so many communication issues. > i can say it’s been the best, most worthwhile investment of my life so far. most retreats happen and you forget what you learn or it becomes like a distant memory of how you felt once before. not so with this.

@DylanoA4 Stunning. Also love this by David Whyte. “FRIENDSHIP is a mirror to presence and a testament to forgiveness.”

C. S. Lewis, my favourite definition of friendship ever

@Ashwinreads What a writer, what a book.

ambition can show you the general direction, but your life's work is not a series of stepping stones. there is no path.

@Ashwinreads Yup same thing here

one thing they don’t tell you about reading spiritual books from people who are the real deal, like merton, ramana maharshi, st augustine ect is that your ambition takes a serious nosedive.

@DylanoA4 Just finished The Border Trilogy. So many quotable lines.

@Ashwinreads Happy someone finally did this write-up. Captures my feelings.

some observations about nyc vs london nyc's energy is unreal. from the moment i set foot in manhattan i felt an instant jolt of adrenaline running through my veins, like the city injected me with a triple shot of espresso. i was restless. ambition was everywhere i looked. millions and millions of people determined to make their mark in the world changes something in the air. like the city is screaming at you to go after it. what i loved most was the skyscrapers. not just because they looked nice but because they symbolized aspiration. because they're so intimately close to the streets where we walked i felt success was within touching distance. if only i dared to dream big and hustle. this is why new york is the city that never sleeps. it's constantly in motion. pursuing the future. there's no historical legacy weighing it down. no tall poppy syndrome cutting at the stems of ambition. it's too new world. too optimistic. and when you're in it you feel like you're part of the new world too. london's energy is more subdued. instead of ambition, there's a fixation on it's history and tradition. i see the buildings and it's grandeur through the prism of class and heritage. with it's prestige you get a sense of reverence, of continuity, but success feels out of reach for the common man because london is about maintaining and celebrating the past. ambition is there, but you keep it more tight lipped. you don't want to be seen dreaming dreams above your station. nyc celebrates dreams. you'll find people who spur you on, motivate you and slap you on the back to keep it moving. nyc's energy is focused on the future. the truth is i dream in london, but not as i dreamed when i was in new york.

@niko_schr @p_millerd Thanks Niko! Happy to chat Paul. @DSaience also great at this - self-illustrated his book on AI.

@p_millerd @john__nic

anyone do simple sketching of scenes? looking for someone for my book

Great article. Thanks for sharing Greg. “It is in times of security that the spirit should be preparing itself for difficult times; while fortune is bestowing favors on it, is then the time for it to be strengthened against her rebuffs.” Happy to see RECM doing well again. Know they went through some tough times.

@john__nic Interesting read by @pietviljoen on Stoicism. mailchi.mp/recm/regarding…

Solid rule to live by - want the things you already have.

@tobi_emonts Prob around 15'C. Water was good, around 18'C. Chilly by Cape Town standards ;)

@john__nic What’s the outside temp?

Laps in the mist this morning.

@niko_schr Epic! Well done Niko. Great time.

3:16:53 Completed my 2nd Marathon today taking about 8mins of my PB. Super happy with negativ splitting 42k including ballin out a 4:20 km at 42. In complete control the entire time. Felt like Im actually racing it vs just running it. A LOT of traffic in the first 10k and an unplanned bio break at KM20 probably cost me a sub3:15, but its all part of the game. Most importantly: the adoptions I made to my training over the winter worked. I’m already hyped to double down on my ‘Road to Berlin’. Will share a longer breakdown soon - but now its time for pizza and beer 😀

@wyndomb 😂

@john__nic This is the effect of too many gym sessions, John 😃

Writing is like walking into the fog on the mountain. You sort of know where your destination is, but the path is blurry. The only way to know the right path is by keep writing. Writing helps you to see the cliffs, bears, dead-ends, and your destination. Keep writing ✍️

On the value of self-development and self-care. We are working towards resilience. We are working towards that inner fortress.

@willbdbritt Thanks Brittany!

@john__nic Damn - that's quite the feat congratulations John!

This has been a long time in the making. Yesterday I ran my first sub 90-minute half marathon in 13 years. I’ve had two ACL ops in the meantime (good ol’ rugby) and weigh a lot more than I used to as a skinny 20y. old. Since rehabbing my knee, I’ve attempted 15+ half marathons. On this attempt I finally cracked my PB. Very chuffed. Here’s what made a difference this time: 1. Followed a proper training program for once. Instead of doing junk miles I trained according to a plan incl. intervals, fartleks etc. Some days it sucked but the visible progress made it worth it. You can get quality programs on Strava and Garmin. 2. Carbon-plated shoes definitely helped. Not gonna lie. Embrace the tech. 3. Marathon experience. I’ve done two marathons in the last two years. Makes a 21k feel much more manageable. You get better at judging how much you have left in the tank. Pictured here with my #1 training partner 🐶

@AlexandraAllen_ Thanks Ally! Very pleased with this result. Haha yes Lily's the best. Gets so pumped when I put on my running shoes.

@john__nic Amazing, John! Congrats!! Running is tough. I admire your dedication. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 P.S. Shoutout to your training partner 🐶

@niko_schr Thanks Niko! Haha yes not easy pulling 100kg up those hills.

@john__nic congrats john. sub 90 is huge, especially for us skinny guys :-)

Thanks Natasha! Good luck for Sunday! That's exciting. So these are running shoes with a thin carbon plate inserted in the sole, giving you more bounce/energy back from the road surface. They don't last long (probably 250km max) but they're a great option for races. Here are some of the best options out there. I run with the Adidas Adios Pros. runnersworld.com/uk/gear/shoes/…

@john__nic Congrats 🎉. I’m running a 10 K on Sunday. What are carbon plated shoes?