Hi Reader,

Happy Thursday! :)

If you’re new to the newsletter, welcome. It’s wonderful to have you.

If you’ve stuck with me for a while, thank you. You’re amazing and I’m thankful.

I’m writing this issue from Phoenix, Arizona. I flew here a few days ago to attend the Creators Expo conference. It’s the first content creator conference I’m attending in my life… and it’s been overwhelming (in a good way). I’ll share an in-depth review of what happened in next week’s issue.

For this week, we will tackle a topic that is close to my heart, and hopefully yours: compassion.

Let’s begin!

​

CM Long Reads

[Article] A Deep Dive Into Compassion: What Is It & How Do You Cultivate It? (20 min)

About a year ago, I got a little obsessed with the idea of "compassion." It's one of my favorite words in English now. It means, "to suffer together" in Latin. But, it differs from empathy in that compassion is not just about noticing suffering, but also feeling motivated to relieve it when we notice it. I truly believe the world would be a better place if everyone was 10% more compassionate. So I put this deep dive together to do a small part in making that dream come true.

[Book] The Fifth Revolution: Reinventing Workplace Happiness Through Compassion: (a few hours?)

True story: I discovered this book The Fifth Revolution while peeing at someone's house. They had a stack of books inside their restroom (yes really!). I picked this one out of curiosity, and could not stop reading it. The author -- Dr. Joseph, who is a cancer scientist and now an entrepreneur -- describes a nine-pillar framework to cultivate compassion, specifically at the workplace. On a different note, I got the chance to interview the author for my deep dive article, and I've included the entire interview transcript at the end of it if you're interested.

​

CM Short Bites

[Short Note] How To Get Over Jealousy & Comparison: (2 min) When was the last time you felt jealous? Why? And more importantly, how did you get over it? These are questions I am really curious about. Earlier, I used to get jealous quite a bit watching other content creators. Now, it's better but I'm still not immune to it. This is a short note where I've shared some ideas on how to overcome that jealousy for myself. Hit reply and let me know what you think.

[Short Note] How to take evergreen notes: (2 min) If you've been thinking lately, "I really wish I could take better notes", this short note is a good starting point. Andy Matuschak is one of the best "tools for thought" thinkers out there. He's built his entire website to feel like you're traveling inside his mind. Take a look, but don't get lost!

[Website] Accidentally Wes Anderson: (2 min) This is the random but interesting piece for this week. I met the co-creator of Accidentally Wes Anderson, Wally Koval, at the Creators Expo conference. I didn't know who he was before, but I'm a fan now! His website consists of thousands of beautiful, vibrant (Wes Anderson-style) pictures along with an accompanying story for each picture. Are you a photographer? Or looking to travel soon? This is the place to check out.

​

Story of the week

I went to a Mormon Church for the first time in my life last weekend with a Mormon family in Phoenix, Arizona.

Before meeting Dan and his family, all I knew about the Mormon tradition came from reading Educated by Tara Westover. If you’ve read it, you probably remember that Tara’s family was unique: They were Mormons who didn’t believe in education, hospitals, or the government.

So you could say I was a little… biased against the religion.

But, spending the weekend with this wonderful Mormon family and visiting their Church changed my perspective completely.

Talking about the family itself: The parents treated their three kids (ages 6, 4, and 2) with kindness, love, and patience, even when they were behaving poorly. They told their kids multiple times a day, “I love you.” And the mom shared with me how she took a step back from her career to spend more time with her kids and ensure they got a well-rounded education.

Talking about the Church: everyone I met there was welcoming. Since I clearly stood out (given my race), many people came up to me just to say hello and welcome me into their church. Dan even got the kids to sing me a welcome song which made me so happy (and embarrassed!).

Dan also shared with me how Mormon Churches all over the world are maintained by members voluntarily, with no compensation. Everyone takes up a role: teaching singing classes, managing finances, organizing events, etc. And through the act of faith, about 16 million Mormons around the world come together to build this tight-knit community.

Keeping aside my own hesitations with religion and its perils, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the power of faith and what it does to bring people together.

If you get a chance to experience a new religion, either by visiting a Church or Mosque or Temple nearby, I recommend it. If you approach it from a place of curiosity, it’ll give you a new lens to look through life with.

​

​

That’s it for now, Reader.

By the way, I’m soon planning to start a reward program for members who have been passionate supporters of mine, by engaging with my content and actively spreading the word.

If you’re so far enjoying my newsletters, consider forwarding it to friend (and be rewarded for it soon). :)

Finally, when was the last time you were compassionate to someone? Or someone was compassionate to you? Hit reply and share the story. I’d love to hear.

See you soon.

​

Yours truly,

Soundarya Balasubramani 💚

​

My Top 5 Tools

Below are the top 5 tools I use and love.

​Notion: Build anything from a to-do list to a relational database. A true all-in-one tool.

​Readwise: Aggregate all of your highlights from Kindle, articles, & podcasts into one place. 6-months free trial.

​Unagi e-Scooter: Scoot around blissfully like a badass at 20 mph. First month free.

​Privacy: Never get charged again for forgetting to cancel a subscription. Create virtual credit cards.

​Roam Research: Build a second brain to capture your best ideas. Connect all of them automatically.

Some links above are affiliate links, which just means I get some reward for recommending a cool product to cool people like you.

​

Quote of the week: Wisdom without compassion is ruthlessness and compassion without wisdom is folly.

- Fred Kofman

​

​

​