Hey, there!
I am back with another list of things I read, tested, experienced and loved during the last month! I have already shared some of them with the #MakeFacebookGreatAgain on my profile, and below you will find them all plus so much more! I am currently back in Amsterdam, already preparing for my final exams for two courses, so everything is on fast-forward right now for me, but I hope some of the recommendations you will see below will make you stop for a minute, write them down on your phone or agenda and explore them whenever you want to relax or learn something new.
BOOKS
Elena Ferrante – Neapolitan tetralogy
I know everybody has been talking about these books, but it has been awhile since I got so entangled in a series. The character construction is marvelous and the way Ferrante is ending the books with cliffhangers is the best proof of her amazing narrative powers!
Click here to see the post about what I have planned to read in the upcoming period! Also, I would love to thank again everybody who commented, sent me private messages and DMed me on Instagram about their current reads, it was so fun and inspirational! Let’s do this more often 😉
MUSIC
Eckhart Tolle’s Music to Quiet the Mind
This is an amazing Spotify playlist recommended by Arianna Huffington in her book “Thrive”. It is truly calming and peaceful and it is also an instant mood-changer.
Another great playlist on Spotify, I discovered this while I was humming some songs from my childhood and I was surprised how serene my mind felt after few minutes of listening to Enya. Give it a try and let me know if it has the same effect on you.
The Script – We rocked the world – My newest cure for low energy days.
VIDEOS
3 ways to plan for the (very) long term
Introducing solutions for short termism, Ari Wallach talks about transgenerational thinking and other two clever ideas, which form a mentality more of us could benefit from. Have a look at the video, it’s less than 15 minutes! Here is one of my favourite quotes from this talk:
[Future] is not a thing that washes over us. It’s something that we actually have total control over.
I always love curiosity and learning more about things we take for granted, so this video is a great example for such way of thinking. Also, the artistry behind the video illustration is absolutely stunning. Definitely worth 2 minutes of your life.
Beauty and the Beast Explained: Tale as Old as Time
I love the Screen Prism Youtube channel and I am always looking forward to seeing what they post. I particularly remember this video after it blew my mind with its chromatic analysis.
PODCASTS
This new find is one which absolutely thrilled me as I am always keen on discovering new ideas and seeing this differently. Their special episode on Esperanto was so full of information and amazing trivia that I had to share it!
APPS
I recently learned about this app, which allows you to scan documents, business cards and whiteboards and send them to your email or Drive as a photo or as a PDF, and I thought that it was super handy. Let me know if you use it and if you know more apps like this! The link above is for IOS, but the app is also available for Android and Microsoft.
ARTICLES & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Your Brain Can Only Take So Much Focus – Srini Pillay
After attending an event with Srini Pillay organized by The School of Life Amsterdam, I was left reassured that unfocusing is indeed beneficial and that more people should try it. The fact that the message got across on Facebook and was shared by few people was a confirmation that we need to unplug from time to time and that we’re realizing this just now.
Food for the future human Martians
Although I don’t think I will live long enough to casually go on a vacation to Mars, I do believe in backup plans. And while this should not mean we should continue to carelessly destroy our planet, my belief is that we should always have a Plan B, no matter what. That is why I considered important to share how a new research project managed to grow healthy crops on Martian-like soil.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover this section on more news websites as I believe we need optimism and news which also trigger hope in us in order to survive our hectic lives. Click on the hyperlink above for all the links 🙂
The evolution of Women in Stock Photos
We have come so far in the past years regarding appropriate female representation, yet we still have a lot more to work on. This NYTimes article presents the evolution of women in the most bought stock photos in the past ten years, and it will definitely leave a mark on you.
(RO only) Atelierul Merci – a story by Oana Botezatu – a great read about social entrepreneurship!
(RO only) How to write better. Advice for bloggers, students and beginner writers – an amazing and resourceful article via Inoza
That was all for September, I hope you noted some new ideas and I will see you soon with some very exciting news and series of articles 😉
Have a great October!
Laura
4 Comments
Oh, I love Elena Ferrante! And I love all the mystery that surrounds her person. Nobody knows who she is (well, besides her publishers). She said in an interview: ‘I believe that books, once written, have no need of their authors’. In this world of self-exposure and publicity, she is a rare bird :).
I agree and I also love the idea of detaching your name from your work. I think that is when the true value of the work can be seen – when people will simply judge it by its qualities and not by the author.
As always, thank you for reading and for taking the time to leave a comment!
Laura
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