After the release of Productive Anywhere, a couple of readers asked me about my favorite place to get things done. Over the last few years, dozens of spots have been my home and my workplace, but which of them did I prefer? As with many tough questions, it’s probably better to start at the opposing […]
All posts filed under ‘Beyond Rules’
The Bell
The Buddhist monks around Thich Nhat Hanh have a custom in their Plum Village Monastery in Southern France. Every once in a while, a bell is struck ((Or: “Invited” as they prefer to call it, because of the inherent violence in the verb “to strike”.)) in order to remind everybody to stop whatever they were […]
In Competition With No-One
When nominated for the Best Male Artist award by MTV, Nick Cave wrote: I have always been of the opinion that my music is unique and individual and exists beyond the realms inhabited by those who would reduce things to mere measuring. I am in competition with no-one. My relationship with my muse is a […]
Two Kinds of Freedom
Here’s the kind of freedom I’m not interested in: It’s the freedom to choose between other people’s options. Some examples: The freedom to buy one brand of shampoo or another. The freedom of flextime, choosing to enter a job either at 8am or 9am. The freedom of fashion, showing good taste by choosing Apple over […]
Towards Data Sovereignty
As our lives extend into the digital realm, personal sovereignty becomes a question of more than just our minds and bodies. It becomes a question of data and the web, and a question of how to control it. Considering the current Google+ hype, I would like to start a discussion about self-ownership and personal sovereignty […]