Working to live

Greetings

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

I am constantly reflecting on why I do what I do and how it fits into life - podcast, blog, writing, and this Substack newsletter. What do you like about this newsletter? What would you like to see more of? Drop me a mail or share your thoughts on Substack Chat, a new feature that I have now activated.

Anyway, here are the ‘seven’ random things I thought are worth sharing:

1. I was editor for the South African men’s business and lifestyle magazine, Destiny Man, from 2010 to 2014. When I left at the end of 2014, many thought I was crazy to leave what some considered a cushy job. In response, I wrote a blog post I Quit My Job For My Children. Since then, I have spent a great deal of time and thought on how to design the ideal (for me) lifestyle I want to be able to live. I have spent countless hours creating what Dan Koe calls The One-Person Business Model (How To Monetise Yourself). It is a decent roadmap for transitioning. I do believe it is about finding balance and working to live, as opposed to living to work.

2. I have using the app Forest for a few years now, which is based on the Pomodoro technique. Still learning to do this effectively, in particular focusing on a single task at a time. How To Use The Pomodoro Technique for Better Focus.

3. Skunk Anansie is one of my favourite bands, in particular their album Post Orgasmic Chill. And I have been fascinated by the lead singer Skin, whose biography It Takes Blood And Guts I really enjoyed. She has a radio show on Absolute Radio and shares the full conversations as a podcast, Skin Tings. I just finished listening to a series she did on The Blackness of Rock, contextualising the genre.

4. This is one of the best takes on the discussion on what some have labelled “cancel culture” as well as whose opinions we seem to value most when it comes to many things.

   Brendan May @bmay

   One of the most sensible takes on ‘cancel culture’ I’ve seen. Sensible, honest, smart. I’m posting the video directly as Times Radio tweeted it with a clickbait and somewhat misleading headline that unintentionally confirmed his point. More of this please.

5. My relationship with the cold is complicated. While I prefer winter to a hot summer, because in winter you can layer, and there’s only so much you can take off in summer, I can take a hot shower even in the most tropical of climates. Halfway through The Wim Hof Method, I am now a couple of weeks into switching to cold water at the end of my shower, and at the point where I look forward to how I feel afterwards. The longer term health benefits are still to show themselves.

   

6. The emcee Nas will forever have a place in hip hop lore for his classic debut album Illmatic. I love that he continues to put out music - seemingly because he can as opposed to because he needs to. To celebrate 20 years of his compilation album The Lost Tapes, Level takes us behind the scenes with The Making of Nas’ ‘The Lost Tapes’ Album, 20 Years Later.

7. Paul Robeson was an African-American singer and actor known for his activism. What I didn’t know was that he had a strong link to and relationship with China, which is unpacked in Black King of Songs.

That’s it for today. If you enjoy receiving the Zebra Culture By Kojo Baffoe newsletter but are not subscribed, please do subscribe.

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I welcome comments, thoughts, etc. A big thank you to those of you who have sent me messages.

And if you would like a copy of my book Listen To Your Footsteps, it is widely available online and in bookshops (primarily in South Africa but also on Barnes & Noble and Amazon) both in digital and physical form.

Easy

Kojo