Discovering Kindness In The Storm

Isn’t Burning Man that event where al gore types hang out and get high while waiting for the hope and change or free stuff from Obama? In think I will pass.

Tim – such a small world, I just realized why you look so familiar, I think I met you this past summer at a fourth of july party in southampton – could this be correct?

I tried to contact you, but realized you don’t give out your contact due to sheer volume of emails lol (congrats, didn’t realize this was you)!! A friend recently sent me your blog as it is something I would be very interested in (and am now a fan of yours too).

Hope you’re well!

Amanda

When I started reading this post, I thought it was going to be an exciting story about a sandstorm. After going through it though, and realizing how you actually went through the sandstorm, but chose to focus on the more important details, I changed my mind. I’m not much for poetry either, but the prose above is a lot easier to understand than most “traditional” poetry. Thanks for posting it though, got me to slow down a bit, and re-assess my goals for the day.

Thanks for the poem, Tim. I’m not usually one for poetry (I’m like you – it just doesn’t click with me), but that’s powerful stuff.

Ever consider poetry writing as an intense skill learning experiment?

Welcome back Tim. All the buddies I’ve spoken with have done more than convince me that I need to take a place at the fire for Burning Man next year.

Two poems have changed my life in awesome ways. I have you to thank for one.

1. I have one poem framed in my office. It’s The Road Not Taken.

2. I have one poem framed in my house. It is Slow Dance. You introduced me to it. We included a poem on the back of our wedding program when I got married last month. It was Slow Dance.

For a guy who doesn’t get poetry, you’re on to something.

Many thanks,

Scott

When we cut thru the high degree of pretention and we are forced to drop our pride, when we experience the depths of sadness, injury, or fear, the visceral impact of kindness saves our sanity, if not our lives. I have shared your poem with family and friends as we should all be so fortunate as to benefit from its wisdom.

Thanks Tim, that was very touching. Stumbled.

Hey Tim, thank you for being who you are. just want to tell you how much pleasure your posts have given us all.

I’m re-reading your book and trying hard to incorporate those many little tips into my life. Glad to have picked it up to read.

Thanks

Someone has already posted it, but Invictus by Henley has always been the only poem I’ve ever bothered reading more than once, let alone memorizing.

Good stuff – thanks Tim

Very sweet 😀 We could all use a little empathy and kindness.

Tim,

While I didn’t make it to burning man this year, several friends did – one a great yoga teacher. And I can’t help but thinking that our paths to greatness and power must take us through insignificance and powerlessness. It seems that no one can be trusted even with their own power until they’ve been on journeys of powerlessness. Of course power comes in many forms, most are just cleverly disguised manipulations, but there is good power too. I would say that kindness or gentleness is the greatest expression of “good power” and I’m grateful you shared this. Kind of you.

Best,

Eric

My idea of poetry is listening to Garrison Keilor’s prairie home companion; which I find witty, hopeful, insightful. Comparing to that style, I didn’t like this poem, (too rambling and obtuse for me, but I am a simple man). Your burning man acquantaince must be anything but simple if this is her version of an elegant solution for finding solace 🙂

Wonderful poem Tim, thanks for sharing. It is, however, bizarre to me that there can be such conflicting stances on various important life issues, which go hand it hand but are not also considered – for example the meat promotion on this site. I hope that maybe these quotes also speak to you like this poem has….

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.

—Charles Darwin

Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.

—Albert Schweitzer

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

—Albert Einstein

As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap the joy of love.

—Pythagoras

It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.

—Albert Einstein

A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.

—Leo Tolstoy

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.

—Elie Wiesel

Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures

– The Dalai Lama

I suppose its a case of practicing what you preach. Preach kindness, practice kindness. Your work has had a profound affect on my life and for that I am grateful to you, but your meat promotion elsewhere here, I’m afraid both violates good science (the science for a vegetarian diet outweights all evidence for an omnivorous diet ten fold), and human morality.

All of us cherish our beliefs. They are, to a degree, self-defining. When someone comes along who challenges our belief system as insufficiently well-based – or who, like Socrates, merely asks embarrassing questions that we haven’t thought of, or demonstrates that we’ve swept key underlying assumptions under the rug – it becomes much more than a search for knowledge. It feels like a personal assault.

—Carl Sagan

Be the change you wish to see in the world

– Gandi

Auschwitz begins whenever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they are only animals

– Theodor Adorno

Any religion or philosophy which is not based on a respect for life is not a true religion or philosophy

– Albert Schweitzer

May you find a more peaceful path.

All the best

Ste

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

~Gandhi

Hey Ste!

Your grammar is fine. No apologies needed.

Your communication is clear. Thanks for your statements RE meat.

I feel much the same; have tried to figure out where shrimp and crab fit into that thinkology.

My idea of poetry is listening to Garrison Keilor’s prairie home companion; which I find witty, hopeful, insightful. Comparing to that style, I didn’t like this poem, (too rambling and obtuse for me, but I am a simple man). Your burning man acquantaince must be anything but simple if this is her version of an elegant solution for finding solace

Hi Tim,

The poem speaks for most of us. This really had me thinking and brought me back to my senses.

I’ll remember your poem if I loose track and forget the tender gravity of kindness.

Kudos!

Nice poem, i had an idea on the parkour “free running” you should try doing the Ninja Warrior competition the Japanese one not the American one…would be a cool to see Tim Ferriss in subtitles for the next Ninja Warrior!!

Hi!

Ever since I found out that you are a fellow burner I have been wondering if you have considered gifting a talk or seminar at burning man? There are a few camps that have little classes or events like that and I think your work is so motivating you could really inspire a lot of people like you already do in the default world. I have had some of the most inspirational moments in my life at burning man and so I really enjoyed this post. See you at home this August!

I like the poem that you shared in your blog. It sounds very nice. It is an inspiring poem, which motivate the people for doing Act of kindness.

Kindness is the door to unconditional love, self compassion and creativity!!!! Thanks for sharing Tim

What a read! It’s a strong poetry and I am tearful early in the morning.