Greetings Readers,
Thank you for reading and listening this week! As a reminder, our first meetup for our Perennial Habits course is this Monday (3 Jun) at 3:00 pm EST (Register here). We will discuss the art of making meaningful change and have an open discussion on the topic. I hope to see you there!
This edition of the weekend review includes a short contemplation from Montaigne’s essays and links to this week’s videos and meditations. In case you missed it, I released a Saturday edition of In Search of Wisdom titled Montaigne: Three Lessons on the Art of Living. Until next week, be wise and be well!
🛋️ The Weekend Review
The weekend review consolidates the week’s meditations, videos, and podcasts. It allows us to revisit, review, and reflect on the art of living. Each installment also includes a short contemplation (from a notable work) with guided reflection questions to consider.
📿 On Living Well
This week’s contemplation comes from the philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1533—1592). For Montaigne, learning to live connects with learning to know ourselves. He believed that no knowledge is as hard to acquire as knowing how to live this life well and naturally.
In an essay On Solitude, he writes,
I have seen nothing more weird or miraculous than myself. Over time, we get used to strange things, but the more I probe myself and know myself, the more my oddity astonishes me and the less I understand who I am.
In one of my favorite passages, Montaigne notes,
When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep. When I am walking alone in a beautiful orchard, at times, my thoughts are occupied by what’s happening elsewhere; at other times, I bring them back to the walk, to the orchard, to the sweetness of that solitude, and to myself.
Montaigne suggests that we should bring our thoughts and reflections back to ourselves and our own well-being. “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to live to yourself.”
For more insights on the art of living, listen to Montaigne: Three Lessons on the Art of Living (on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts).
Contemplation Questions (Pick one or create your own!):
What does it mean to live to oneself?
How do you remember to live in the here and now?
📺 Latest Videos…
Here’s a clip from my conversation with Dr. Brian Russell (author of Astonished by the Word) on deep spiritual formation:
Here’s a clip from my conversation with Dr. Susan Sauve Meyer (author of How to Flourish) on Aristotle’s definition of practical wisdom:
📌 Latest Meditations…
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Thank you for reading/listening this week; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W.
P.S. If you’re interested in becoming a member but cannot afford it, feel free to request a complimentary membership or use this discount link.