Welcome to Macon Atlanta, where I explore big questions, bold ideas, and better living with inspiring Atlantans, along with periodic ‘Grab Bag’ reflections from what’s happening in my world.
Today I’m reflecting on the ‘why’ for this project and seeking your input as we go forward.
My next adventure
This week I shared that my next professional chapter is launching an investment firm, Marthasville Holdings LLC. Our first investment is three units of The Little Gym (kids gymnastics) in metro Atlanta, starting with The Little Gym of Dunwoody opening for business this fall.
A handful of folks reached out and asked “how does this fit in with your writing and Macon Atlanta?” - essentially, “what are you doing and why?”
The goal of the project
The goal with this newsletter is to explore this paradox: In the modern age with all our technology and resources, anything should be possible. And yet, in many ways it seems like we aren’t thriving as a people, and things are at risk of getting worse.
And so the question I’m living into and want to ask in a number of different ways, is how should we be trying to live as individuals and society? What does the good life look like and how do we get there?
I want to draw wisdom and inspiration from people asking big questions and taking bold steps. To me, this all comes under the umbrellas of ‘formation’ - how can we be formed into individuals and communities who are enjoying a better way of living?
I’m hoping that you’ll come on this journey with me, and we’ll go somewhere good together.
With that, I have two inquiries for you:
What would you like us to focus on?
Who should I talk with?
-
1) What would you like us to focus on?
Could you respond to me directly or hop in the comments to call out which of these resonate?
Better ways of living: what are commonplace habits in our modern culture that aren’t serving us, and how could we replace them with depth and intentionality that would help us flourish?
Spiritual seeking: how can the pursuit of a relationship with a higher power benefit us, and what is the (healthy) role of religion in the AI era?
Education: how do we raise our kids? What kind of models should we be moving towards, and what is the role of technology in helping us get there?
Aging well & dying with dignity: how do we navigate the ‘silver tsunami’ gracefully as individuals and as a society?
Unifying cultural forces: how do we not only reverse trends of lonelines, but actually increase feelings of solidarity and community? More specifically:
Reparations: how should we navigate both the financial element and heart postures required to reckon with America’s original sins (if we should at all)?
Strengthening our democracy: how do we ensure that our institutions work and that people can trust them? (e.g., social security solvency, immigration)
Bodily health & wellness: how do we nurture the gifts of our bodies? Specifically:
Psychedelics: what’s their role in both spiritual seeking and mental wellbeing?
Food ecosystems: what is our food doing to our bodies and the planet planet?
Lifespan extension: what should we be trying, and why?
-
2) Who should I talk with?
I’m curious who you know in Atlanta that is moving in any of these areas in a compelling way that I should chop it up with over coffee and we can all learn from their insights together?
I would love an intro. I’m grateful for you.
—
I recorded a trailer episode about the ‘why’ behind 100 Atlanta Coffees which you can listen to here:
—
Ps, I put all of those questions into Chat-GPT and asked for a collage and here’s what I got (it really ran with the psychedlics, huh?)
