The Better Blueprint

A secret they don’t teach in temples!

“I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.” -Troy

It offers an important reminder:

The most beautiful things in life are made beautiful by their impermanence.

The vibrant sunset, the smile from an old friend, the high from a hard workout, the perfect silence during a walk, the smell after a summer rainstorm, the laugh of a baby...all of these things are special precisely because they don't last.

You spend most of your life playing a game. Everything you do is in anticipation of some future. When that future comes, you simply reset to think about the next future:

• "I can’t wait until I’m 16 so I can drive."

• "I can’t wait until I’m 18 so I can leave home and go to college."

• "I can’t wait until I’m 25 so I can have my own place."

• "I can’t wait until I’m 35 so I can buy that house."

• "I can’t wait until I’m 45 so I can run that company."

It’s natural, but it’s a dangerous game—one that you will lose, eventually.

Time is your most precious asset and the present is all that’s guaranteed.

Spend it wisely, with those you love, in ways you’ll never regret.

"Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now."

Remember that.

The Donkey Mindset

One day, an old donkey falls into a deep well.

​The farmer tries to figure out what to do, but decides, given the age of the animal and the danger of the deep open well, that the best course of action is to fill the well and close it off.

​He begins to shovel dirt into the well. After several hours of work, the farmer is nearly done filling the well, when suddenly, to his amazement, the old donkey leaps out from the dirt-filled well and trots off into the pasture.

The farmer realizes: Rather than resigning itself to its fate with each shovel of dirt that hit its back, the donkey had shaken the dirt off and stepped up on top of it.

​As the farmer had continued to shovel dirt into the well, the clever donkey used the dirt to get closer to its escape.

We can all embrace the Donkey Mindset:

There are going to be many moments when life tries to beat you down. When nothing seems to work. When the world is shoveling dirt on top of you.

You can either resign yourself to your fate, or, you can shake that dirt off and use it to your advantage.

You can use the dirt.

Your greatest struggle can be your greatest asset.

A Great Quote

You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?" – Rumi​

Book Review: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass is a masterful blend of Indigenous wisdom, scientific inquiry, and poetic storytelling. As a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer weaves together a tapestry of knowledge that bridges the ancient and the modern, offering readers a transformative lens through which to view the natural world.

The book invites us to reimagine our relationship with nature—not as separate observers but as active participants in a reciprocal, life-giving dance. Kimmerer’s stories of sweetgrass, strawberries, and maple trees are not just biological accounts but intimate tales that evoke a sense of kinship and gratitude. Her narrative flows gently, much like the rivers she describes, grounding us in the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

One of the most striking elements of the book is Kimmerer’s emphasis on the practice of gratitude. She speaks of the Honorable Harvest, a set of principles that guide how we take from the earth with reverence and responsibility. This ethos of reciprocity reminds us that every gift from nature calls for a return—whether through care, stewardship, or simple acknowledgment of its value.

Kimmerer’s prose is deeply reflective, offering a quiet yet powerful challenge to the exploitative norms of modern society. She presents the act of tending to the land as an act of healing—not only for the earth but also for ourselves. The book gently nudges us to slow down, to notice the intricacies of moss underfoot or the way sunlight filters through leaves, teaching us that these small, sacred moments are life’s true wealth.

For anyone seeking to live in harmony with the earth or to find solace in the wisdom of its rhythms, Braiding Sweetgrass is both a guide and a companion. It leaves you not only inspired but transformed, with a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life.

In a world often focused on consumption and haste, Kimmerer’s words are a tender reminder of the beauty in stillness, gratitude, and care. This book is not just a read—it is an experience, a call to live with more reverence, and an invitation to weave our own lives into the greater braid of existence.

About : Welcome to our fortnightly newsletter, where in each edition, you'll find two sections dedicated to personal growth, a meticulously curated quote to inspire, and a review of a life-changing book. Plus, we'll occasionally delve deeper into habits and self-improvement frameworks.