Juggling Dynamite

Ten years ago, with then little kids and a busy day job, I wrote my first book between 3 and 6am.  I found that early uninterrupted hours were critical to developing my own thinking. While I enjoy consuming the work of others, I have always found it necessary to block off quiet time to reflect and compose my own thoughts first.  As they say in Yoga, Savasana is the hardest pose because it requires the choice and discipline to shut out other distractions and just be in our own mind.

Today my regular habit is to rise at 5am, so I can write early before letting the world in.   Exercise comes after work, then it’s dinner with the family, and bed by 9pm.  Hard on the nightlife? You could argue that.  But there is only so much wick to burn. If we want to be healthy and present for family, work and creative pursuits, something has go to give.  Apparently, lots of people feel this way.

See: Why 4am is the most productive hour.

Earlier in June, Hollywood A-lister Joseph Gordon-Levitt announced he has partnered up with notorious whistleblower Edward Snowden for a new video project exploring the role of technology in shaping up our democracy.

While the news might’ve slipped your attention, Snowden and Gordon-Levitt have finally completed their collaboration and the video is now available online.

In the short clip, Snowden touches upon a number of topics pertaining to the numerous ways in which technology impacts the current state of democracy – both negative and positive.

Here is a direct video link.

Record low bond yields have intensified the pressure on pension funds already struggling to provide for retirees who are living longer. This squeeze has widened the pension deficit for hundreds of funds globally, prompting fears of a slow-moving but painful social crisis. The FT’s John Authers and Robin Wigglesworth explain.  Here is a direct audio link.