Tim Ferriss - 5-Bullet Friday — August 4, 2023

Hi All!

Here is your weekly dose of 5-Bullet Friday, a list of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along if the spirit moves you.

This edition is brought to you by LMNT. Be sure to see their offer in the P.S.

Article I’m reading

“The four-hour workday” by Oliver Burkeman. Hat tip to Cal Newport for this one. I love Oliver’s perspective and writing style. From the essay: “Something I’ve long understood about myself is that whenever I get stressed about the number of things on my plate, or anxious about the challenges of a specific project, it’s an excellent idea to do the opposite of what comes naturally to me.” For a perfect pairing, also take a look at Parkinson’s Law, a satirical but practical concept I explored a lot in The 4-Hour Workweek.

List of questions I’m perusing

“Questions” by Alexey Guzey. The English is a little rough in places, but I found some of these questions to be excellent reminders and many others to be outstanding brain food.

Portable cold plunge I’m enjoying

​The Cold Pod. For anti-inflammation and mood elevation, cold is the simplest solution I’ve found. I desperately wanted to cold plunge while at an Airbnb, but what to do that doesn’t leave a chest freezer behind? I found this inflatable Cold Pod on Amazon, and it works surprisingly well. Yes, you need to refill with ice, but it’s been a godsend. Pro tip: the less water you use, the less ice you need to lower the temperature.

Short campaign I’m launching

​Returning ancestral lands to the Indigenous Kogi people and many more. One of the most direct ways you can contribute to the psychedelic ecosystem is by helping Indigenous peoples reclaim and protect their ancestral territories. Without the deep knowledge of these peoples and the biodiversity of their sacred lands, “psychedelics” as we know them would not exist.
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Mycologist Paul Stamets and I are kickstarting a very specific land purchase. We will each commit $50,000 (so $100,000 combined) as a “challenge grant.” This means that our $100K will be activated and donated if others contribute at least $100,000 by the end of the day on Wednesday, August 9th (11:59 p.m. ET).
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The overall goal is $320,000, which will allow the Amazon Conservation Team to purchase 193 acres of land in two distinct regions of Colombia, which are ready to be returned to Indigenous hands. The historic and current import of these lands is remarkable.
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The first priority region is the Northwest Amazon, home to many vibrant yagé cultures. These biodiverse rainforests are the cradle of ayahuasca, where American ethnobotanist Dr. Richard Evans Schultes was first taught about this revered plant by the region's Indigenous peoples in 1941. With the funds we are raising, ACT will be able to purchase and return a 33-acre property that will help expand the existing 44-acre Mamakunapa Iuai Alpa Civil Society Reserve. This reserve is stewarded by ASOMI (the Association of Indigenous Women of Traditional Medicine), a group of Inga, Kamëntsá, Siona, Kofán, and Koreguaje women. Their mission is to revitalize Indigenous knowledge and practices of medicinal plants, traditional garden-keeping, and ecological stewardship.

In Northeastern Colombia, where the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains meet the Caribbean coast, ACT is also supporting the purchase and protection of sacred sites with the Kogi. These people are widely regarded as one of the most deeply spiritual in the Western Hemisphere. The Kogi are the descendants of the pre-Columbian Tayronas. The Tayronas are believed by some to have consumed psilocybin mushrooms for their divination. With part of the $320,000 raised, an additional two other properties, totaling 160 acres, will be purchased there. Once returned to the Kogi, ACT will then support them as they develop environmental management plans and work to eventually integrate or expand these lands into their formal Indigenous reserve.
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Unfortunately, both of these areas of natural and spiritual importance in Colombia are threatened by deforestation, roadbuilding, and mining. We need to act now.
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​To learn more, help activate Paul’s and my $100,000, and help return ancestral territories to Indigenous hands, please click here. If you are interested in making a larger donation (e.g., $5,000 or more) via bank transfer, please email info@amazonteam.org or call ACT at (703) 522-4684.

Thank you for considering this. I have worked with ACT before and have seen what they can do. Please share this far and wide.

Quote I’m pondering

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”​
— Frank Lloyd Wright​
(Click here to share on Twitter.)
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You can complement this edition of 5-Bullet Friday with my interview with mycologist Paul Stamets, my conversation with Giuliana Furci on the wonders of mycology, and my discussion with the co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team, Dr. Mark Plotkin, on all things ethnobotany.
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And, as always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know. Just send a tweet to @tferriss and put #5BulletFriday at the end so I can find it.
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Have a wonderful weekend, all.
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Much love to you and yours,
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Tim

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P.P.S.

​COCKPUNCH 3D Character Files! I am excited to make the 3D files (Blender format) from the project available to you all! I can’t wait to see what you create with them. Tag me at @cockpunch on Twitter and share your comments and work. My team will be retweeting some of our favorites. You are welcome to include your favorite Blender tutorials and your step-by-step instructions for others in the community. 🙏