🪵Make like a tree...and get out of here!

Hey everyone, 

It’s been cool to see this community grow over the past couple months. So grateful for those who take the time to read ponderings on a weekly basis and offer feedback. 

If you’re new on The Log and have enjoyed your seat thus far, it would be wonderful to share this link with one friend who you think might enjoy it as well :)  

Thanks! 🪵

Roots 🌱 

Something from me

I started a book this week called ‘The Overstory’ by Richard Powers. The Overstory follows nine different families through different experiences using trees as the common thread between their relationships and their respective generations. And oddly enough, the chapters follow the form of a tree: Roots, Trunk, Crown, Seeds. ‘Triffic!

It’s been a while since I was so captivated by a book from the off. About twelve pages in, the author describes the life of a farmer as the following:

“Plagued by dreams of generation…” 🤯 It took me five minutes to read that one sentence. My intention in calling to your attention is to use the author’s parallel of the lives of trees & farmers as a comparison to how we as a society have come to interpret time. Or rather forego respect for time lost in the distraction of instant gratification.

Farmers and the communities more common to a less developed society placed greater emphasis on the passage of time. For the farmers in the first chapter of The Overstory, they understood that their time working the farm was not a complete project, but rather a moment in the timeline of the life of the farm itself. Something greater than themselves or the sum of their own work for it would be carried on by the next generation. Their long term goal was to steward rather than to reap.

It seems few people, organizations and societies think that way anymore. Shit, I certainly don’t think that way on a daily basis. And while I don’t think this is a gendered problem nor am I advocating for a regression to that standard, the contrast between the community effort of farming and today’s standard of breadwinning is stark. And we’re likely just at the beginning of this trend’s curve. With influencers & politics, AI & social media, the future of social fabric feels pretty unclear.

For guys specifically, a transition from farm owner & sentinel of the community, aware of generational impact to an individual who has to redefine themselves within a changing landscape is daunting. The anchors that previously provided social value and validation have veered away from community impact toward material gain. 

We were previously attuned to our immediate world: the people in our family, our farm and our neighbors. More recently we’ve become attuned to people on the other side of the world and holding a planet’s population at our fingertips. And it all feels a bit untethered and overwhelming.

The upshot would be that while we may not be at the bottom of this curve, the answers may exist within our generational past. Taking a note from the culture of farming, surely there exists a more sustainable balance of taking greater care of our immediate community and surroundings without forgetting the ripple effect of that behavior on the rest of the world.

Trunk 🪵 

How we grow

On seeing differences across the generations: 

I once was told that it’s important to maintain or cultivate friendships with people across different generations over the course of your life. I can’t remember where I heard it, but it stuck with me at the time because I felt as though I lacked connection to both a much older (Boomer) generation in the wake of my grandparent’s passing and no real ties to a younger (Gen Z/Alpha) person. 

Since then I’ve seen the value in creating ties in that there is so much learning to be shared that only time provides. It sounds so obvious, but we’d do well to place greater interest in oral traditions and the learnings across generations in that they instill the sense of empathy described here.

Branches 🌲 

Something from you

Thanks to those who filled out The Thinking Log Survey last week. The three topics Thinking Loggers are most interested in are:

• Loneliness

• Community

• Emotions

If comfortable, we’re always looking for ways to better tailor the contents of the Log and would appreciate anyone who has specific asks they want to learn more about or share a story of their own related to these topics. 

Feel free to respond to this email if you want to guest post on the Log or share something you’d like to learn more about!

Leaves 🍃 

Something to leave you with

The Dark Side of the Internet's Obsession With Anxiety

• Great podcast recommendation from Ethan in Washington, DC.

• “Just an interesting perspective on the subject! ‘Anxiety is not a trait, it’s a state.’” 

Dissecting Self-Diagnosis in the TikTok Era

• Thanks to Susanna in San Francisco, CA for sharing this one. If the podcast above gets you thinking, this live event happening later today would be a great place to apply the learning/thoughts. 

Daily Dose of Powder Daydreams

• That’s all 🙂

The goal of this blog is to learn a ton and to help others do the same.

Your feedback is always welcome, and if there’s a topic that you want to hear more about, please contact me or fill out this quick survey!

• Twitter: twitter.com/gregmilnarik

• Survey: forms.gle/Mbg5xaHmw8JKriFo8

If you enjoyed the read or found it thought provoking, I’d be grateful for you to share it with one other person who might as well by sharing the subscribe button below.

I’m stoked to have you here and talk soon!

Greg

Wind 🌬️ 

What I’m listening to

Couldn’t tell you anything about the artist but it absolutely goes 🔥🌬️ 

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