The Goldfish, the Cats & the Journey Into Deep Work
Imagine explaining the internet to a goldfish with gills.
“What is all this?” asks the goldfish, swimming peacefully through its bowl. “It is a giant ocean of ideas,” we say. “People use computers and phones to explore it, build things, learn things, and sometimes discover something about themselves along the way.”
And perhaps that is the strange beauty of deep work. You sit down with your computer, your phone nearby, your ideas in front of you, and for a while the outside world becomes quieter.
๐ A Little Story About Cat Families
Somewhere nearby, a family of cats is having its own deep-work session. One cat is watching the window. One is investigating a mysterious wire. One is sleeping magnificently in the middle of everything. And the smallest kitten is simply following the others around.
None of them is worried about becoming somebody else. They are simply being cats.
Maybe people can learn something from them: focus on what is in front of you, explore with curiosity, and don't forget to rest.
Sometimes finding yourself doesn't happen by searching harder.
Sometimes it happens after you spend enough quiet time doing something meaningful
that you suddenly realize:
“This is what I was trying to understand.”
And then there is that wonderfully strange body ball of destiny — the exercise ball you finally sit on after hours at the computer. You straighten your back, breathe, move a little, and remember that the person doing all this thinking also has a body that deserves attention.
Deep work is not about disappearing from life.
It is about becoming present enough to create something,
explore something, learn something — and then come back to the rest of life
refreshed.
Explore • Focus • Create • Rest • Begin Again