Recomendo

May 22 · Issue #307 · View online

A weekly newsletter that gives you 6 brief personal recommendations of cool stuff. For a searchable archive of past issues check out https://archive.recomendo.com/.

For a limited time all new sign-ups will receive a free digital book!

Exit Scam podcast

I have only listened to the first episode of Exit Scam, an eight-episode podcast about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the founder of Canada’s biggest Bitcoin exchange. When Gerald Cotten died, the password to $215 million of cryptpcurrency was lost, and some people think he faked his own death. This is my favorite podcast since Serial. — MF

Positive adventures

The most positive and uplifting channel on YouTube might be YesTheory. A small band of travelers and filmmakers immerse themselves in strange places (staying with Amish family), challenging situations (total darkness for 5 days), and long periods cruising out of their comfort zone in order to grow and become better people. Their motto is “seek discomfort.” They do it with humor and integrity (for 7.5 million subscribers), so their adventures truly are encouraging and inspiring. — KK

Contactless payments

I’m traveling in England and no stores seem to want to use cash anymore. Everyone uses Apple Pay even for the smallest purchase. Contactless payment made by hovering your phone near a device is rapidly becoming common all around the world, US included. I was immensely surprised how easy it was to hook my credit card up to my iPhone to make payments. Took 30 seconds, and no new accounts, no bank, no wallet, just my usual credit card. Now it’s Apple Pay all the time for me. — KK

Time zones visualized

I do Zoom meetings with people all over the world, and I use Every Time Zone to find times that are convenient for all participants. It’s free, it’s browser-based, and it remembers my settings. I keep it in my menu bar. — MF

How to set boundaries with your to-do list

When writing out my daily to-do list I often remember this advice tweeted by Writer Jenée Desmond-Harris: “I started dividing my to-do list into 1) things I have to do, 2) things I want to do, and 3) things other people want me to do. Life changing! I often don’t get to 3 and I finally realized omg, is this what it means to have boundaries?!” — CD

5 quotables about life and nature and reality

Here are some of the recent beautiful quotes and metaphors and advice I’ve been collecting:

“The fragrance of flowers is their prayer.” — Bulgarian philosopher Peter Deunov
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” — Joseph Campbell, h/t Down The Rabbit Hole
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu, h/t Dense Discovery
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” — Dutch Theosophist Jacobus Johannes van der Leeuw
“When stumped by a life choice, choose “enlargement” over happiness.” — Oliver Burkeman, h/t The Mental Health Update

— CD

— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson

Recomendo is copyrighted by Cool Tools Lab, LLC. Commissions may be earned from the links above.

UNCLASSIFIEDS

Fuel your brain with Smartr Daily. The Web’s most valuable articles on productivity, wisdom, and smarter living - direct to your inbox, and on the app. Give it a try!

The Happiness Plan #1 bestseller shows you the secret to boosting your wellbeing in just 10 mins a day. Written by a psychiatrist drop out who started a global meditation campaign that got Google HQ meditating. It’s a perfect balm to the current global unrest.

Dirt is a daily newsletter about the cutting edge of digital pop culture. Every morning we send you an insightful short essay catching you up on topics like streaming, TikTok, video games, and web3, from a rotating group of critics.

Better Boards. Better Communities. partners with board members and Executive Directors to move your not-for-profit Board to higher impact. Free weekly blog and newsletter. Short courses for members and leaders start each month. Full money-back guarantee.

Staying informed about the world doesn’t have to be boring. International Intrigue is a global affairs newsletter created by former diplomats to help you enjoy understanding your world. Get the most important geopolitical news and analysis in a 5min daily briefing, sign up here.

The all-in-one platform for email marketing, transactional email, and email validation with single pricing and no recurring fee, bringing the best parts of Mailchimp, Zerobounce, and Amazon SES into one lower-cost platform. Use coupon code: RECOMENDO for a 50% discount.

Want to learn the secrets of successful creators? Join the 18,000 creative entrepreneurs who subscribe to the For The Interested newsletter to get proven tactics others have used to grow their audience and business. It’s short, actionable, and inspiring.

Recomendo Unclassified Ads work! Here’s how to reach over 54,000 subscribers.

Did you enjoy this issue? Send us a comment.