The Art of Living

Welcome to the first edition of The Art of Living.

Every week, I draw on the cleverest minds both past and present to share tips on:

Finding meaning in the modern world
Staying calm amidst chaos
Slow and purposeful productivity

Today, I'll tell you about the inspiration for the title of this newsletter: a young Jewish girl who perished at the hands of the Nazis in 1945, aged just 15.

Yes, this newsletter is influenced by the one and only Anne Frank, who wrote with the wisdom of an ancient Greek philosopher, and with the style and character of a celebrated wordsmith.

Anne Frank's bed, desk and diary in the secret annexe. — *Anne Frank's room, shared desk, and diary in the Secret Annexe.*

Here's where I got the newsletter title:

One Tuesday night in August 1943, Anne sat down to write in her diary.

Instead of starting “Dear diary…”, she addressed her notebook as the friend she wishes she had - an imaginary girl named Kitty.

Anne goes on to describe a scenario familiar to all of us - not wanting to get out of bed.

Why would you get out from under the covers knowing that you can’t enjoy a simple morning walk, or even open the window more than a sliver without risking imprisonment and death?

Well, Anne didn’t just find a reason to get up, she did so with purpose and dignity - two things that the Nazis were determined to strip from her people.

“When I get up in the morning, another very disagreeable moment, I leap out of bed, think to myself ‘You’ll be slipping back under the covers soon’, walk to the window, take down the black-out screen, sniff at the crack until I feel a bit of fresh air, and I’m awake. I strip the bed as fast as I can so I won’t be tempted to get back in.”

This strategy for overcoming the urge to stay in bed captures the essence of what would later become Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is based on the idea that your thoughts and actions have a direct impact on your emotions.

Amazingly, Anne grasped this at a young age before psychologists started thinking about CBT, which is made even more impressive given the circumstances she found herself in.

“Do you know what Mother calls this sort of thing? The art of living. Isn’t that a funny expression?”

The art of living. What a wonderful expression. To face difficulty with poise. To win the little recurring battles that we all face every day. To appreciate the beauty in the mundane.

Anne Frank was unique, and her story is as captivating as it is devastating (Anne died in a concentration camp just weeks before it was liberated by British troops).

But there are even more stories out there of people who have practiced the art of living.

This newsletter is your weekly dose of inspiration, be it a tip for staying calm amidst chaos, a better way of handling thoughts, or a method for organising your work to achieve clarity.

If Anne Frank, in her dire circumstance, can get out of bed in the morning and produce phrases like “Work, love, courage and hope, make me good and help me cope!”, then I think we can strive for the same.

Until next time,

John