Hola, hola! Welcome to Casa Cinco, a weekly newsletter curating connection.

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This week I’m talking about mindfulness at work, a powerful weekly guide to building meaningful relationships, and what employees want that employers overlook. Happy reading!

Here’s to connecting,

Andy

MIND THE GRIND

I started meditating back in 2018 after coming across Headspace and experiencing the power of Andy’s voice on the quality of my sleep.

I don’t really know what kept me going at the beginning. Maybe it was the $70 annual membership fee I wanted to amortize; maybe it was curiosity of how far I could go; maybe it was the social currency it provided an otherwise standard corporate girly. Point is, I kept at it.  

Little by little, consistency paid off (as it usually does). These 5-20 minutes a day were benefitting me beyond sleep - I was becoming kinder to myself. Less reactive. Meditation was providing me with perspective and enhancing my equanimity.

Meditation was reconnecting me to myself, long hidden behind unread emails and fake deadlines. Why isn’t this more widely talked about?

Not to be preachy, but it isn’t just me and monks in Nepal experiencing the benefits (at very different levels, I’ll admit). In the past few months, I’ve come across widely acclaimed businessmen like Ray Dalio and Brad Jacobs openly attributing part of their endurance in business (i.e. the grind) to years of meditation practice.

This is the reason the Mind the Grind tiles at the WeWork entrance called my attention. It’s meant as a savvy warning sign, resembling our beloved Mind the Gap (writing this out feels like explaining a joke, but it’s for any of you who don’t live in London). A rhetorical catch phrase, implying a rite of passage - if you’re not willing to grind, don’t bother coming in. 

And yet, I loved the idea of tying it to mindfulness instead. To interpret it in a way meant to make people aware and careful of the grind. Be mindful of the grind. Don’t lose yourself in it.

If Ray and Brad had 20+ minutes of their day while building, and managing, their own businesses, so do you and I. In the end, it may be a big part of the reason the grind ends up paying off.

The inspiration for you is: If you’re curious about meditation, give it a try. For any of you looking for a person do to it with - see email snapshot below and pray for “Meditation Buddy” coming to Headspace soon. Would Ray and Brad be my buddies?

If you are not interested, no problem. Think of what a mindful activity is for you and make it a habit. Reading? Writing? No, drowning in margaritas doesn’t count. Neither does scrolling through Instagram.

Mind the grind = be mindful not to lose yourself in it. Check-in, reconnect to yourself, and keep at it.

WEEKLY CURATION

PEOPLE

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Buildbetter: your weekly guide to understanding and building meaningful relationships, straight to your inbox

• 🗣️Loneliness is a signal, not an end-point. Use it as fuel to talk to strangers, meet coworkers, and leverage technology for connection

• 😁The Happiness Lab: How to fight perfectionism

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• ✒️Ensuring technology doesn’t overpower human connection, whether you’re selling office supplies, mattresses, or pet food

• 🍽️ Experience nourishment through food, company, and guided conversation with & the Table

• 🐶Creature Comforts in London: Establishing a connection to your pet through reliability and relationships. Has anyone become a member?

PLACES

• 👔Americans: more digitally linked but less personally connected at work

• 🏢Purpose, connection, belonging - work can make us feel connected. Here's how 

• 💌A sense of belonging, being valued by managers, and trusting teammates: what employees want that employers overlook

CONNECT WITH CASA CINCO

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We’ll talk soon. Thank you for joining me at Casa Cinco.

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