I stepped off the train into a beautiful sunny day in Amsterdam and breathed in the crisp air. There may be no better place in the Fall.
Let’s ignore COVID for a moment, since that seems to be what most Amsterdam residents are doing: the streets are bustling, the outdoor markets and coffee shop terraces are full. Life seems normal here.
Every time I visit this place, I fall in love. The charming boats gently drifting down the canals perfectly represent the tranquil pace of life here. The unique tilt of Amsterdam’s houses leaning to and fro, endows them with personality and imbues the skyline with fantasy. The city is a mecca of serendipity - you may have casual run-ins with friends and strangers you never knew you needed to see.
We hopped on our bikes and rode directly onto the (free and clean) ferry crossing from Amsterdam Central to Nord. Ten minutes ride bustling city streets opened into vast green fields full of geese, sheep, and horses grazing beneath a clear blue sky. We rode thirty minutes more, past peaceful suburban villages, and arrived at our destination: a park full of small beaches and deep forests. There were families barbecuing, enjoying what might be the last warm weekend of the year.
We rested peacefully on the beachside engulfed in conversation – almost everything about this city inspires fresh, new thinking – almost everything.
The sun was fading over the horizon, so we decided to ride back before nightfall. Dead iPhone, no access to Google Maps, and a few wrong turns later, we found ourselves circling in the public housing projects. The quaint houses turned to uniform brick buildings; white faces turned brown. I couldn’t help but notice this abrupt change – the steep drop off in the quality of life. We searched for an outlet back down to the ferry, but it was hard to find – as though this place was designed to keep its residents boxed in.
If you visit Amsterdam, you’ll see that it is a diverse city, one that seems to welcome all people. But this ride was a stark reminder that like many other places in the western world, it is built on a working-class foundation comprised mostly of immigrants and people of color. Even the cultural gems of our civilization are carefully designed to keep the invisible classes invisible.
We did find our way back to the ferry, we were able to get out. But for so many others relegated to the sidelines, that opportunity is nil. I’m not wearing my virtue warrior cap. I know I benefit greatly from my privilege. I’m also not saying I know what to do about it, nor am I saying it’s an easy problem to solve.
But I am aware and it’s become impossible to ignore.
This Week’s Podcast:
The New Leadership Paradigm with Jesse Israel, Founder of the Big Quiet & Medi Club (Oct 2019)
Since I’ve been traveling a bit and missed my window to edit and write show notes, there’s no new episode this week.
I recorded this interview with Jesse Israel last year, so it pre-dates the Look Up! Weekly, but it is even more relevant today. Since we recorded, Jesse’s company, the Big Quiet, has taken off like a rocket ship! He has led meditations across the US in packed stadiums for Oprah’s WW tour, and his company stepped up majorly during quarantine to offer free guided meditations.
This episode gets personal. Jesse shares his entrepreneurial struggles and battling depression even when everyone around him believed he was “killing it.” This is an important reminder for all of us in the age of comparison culture. On a more positive note, I learned about Jesse’s super ability to build inclusive and diverse communities.
What I’m Reading
Ideas
Create Your Own Community with Friends, Ariel Norling
Startups
Is Direct to Avatar the Next Direct to Consumer, Cathy Hackl & Ryan Gill
Markets
Why I Dissented, Neel Kashkari, President of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank
Storm Coming, by John Cochrane
China needs first mover advantage in digital currency race: PBOC magazine
Crypto
Stop Burning Tokens, Buy Back and Make Instead, Joel Monegro, Placeholder VC
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