June 2021
Just like that the first half of the year is gone. I won’t say that was fast because the fastness or slowness of a period is often a matter of perspective. I’ve spent some time thinking about how I want the second half of the year to go.
June was different. I kept a closer track on my spending. June is a new book month, so I revisited a few books and articles I’ve previously read. I also watch lots of YouTube videos on Nigerian history, mostly from this channel.
I wrote more – newsletters – at work because I was covering for a colleague who left. At first it was a lot, but after a while I adjusted to it.
I listened to a lot of Celine Dion’s music. One fascinating thing I noticed was that she doesn’t write her songs, she only sings them.
Highlights of the Month
- I made it to day 365 on Duolingo ?️
- My house search has come to an end!
- The Twitter ban in Nigeria meant I spent less time on Twitter, but it also made life stressful in general with reliance on VPNs.
Helpful stuff I came across
? The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career – Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha
I think the first time I read this book was in 2013 or 2015. Since then, I’ve re-read it multiple times. It’s an evergreen guide on how to be proactive about your career and navigate your career decisions.
“Great opportunities almost never fit your schedule” is still one of my favorite quotes from the book.
? Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters – Tim keller
In January, when I read this book for the first time, I commented that it is a book I’d read over and over again. Well, it didn’t take too long before I came back
“What many people call “psychological problems” are simple issues of idolatry. Perfectionism, workaholism, chronic indecisiveness, the need to control the lives of others—all of these stem from making good things into idols that then drive us into the ground as we try to appease them. Idols dominate our lives.”
? Jordan, Russell, Kareem, even the King of Pop — the astonishing mentors who shaped Kobe Bryant
A beautiful piece on the people who influenced Kobe Bryant.
“Your curiosity is your greatest gift. Use it to expand your scope. Ordinary people won’t understand your insatiable thirst for excellence. They won’t bother to keep striving because it’s too onerous, too difficult.”
It’s most likely too long for most people but it’s an exhaustive piece on the state of technology in Africa.
+ The failed promise of Kenya’s smart city
If there are guidelines on how to consume food for our bodies, what about for our minds?
I wrote this last year and I still find it helpful.
Favorite Quote ?
You have to be willing to look like an idiot in the short term to look like a genius in the long term.
– Shane Parrish
Thank you for reading!
See you on the last Saturday or Sunday in July 2021 – so help me God!
Did you come across anything helpful or something that got to you? Please share with me. Also If you have any feedback please reply via email
Have an unbelievable July!