The Daily Cultivation - Tuesday, November 11, 2025
What caught my eye in how we learn, live, and grow — and why it matters.
Welcome to The Daily Cultivation — where learning meets living, one idea and one observation at a time. Think of it as a quick, curated pause in your feed: what caught my attention, what it made me think about, and why it matters. It’s part reflection, part commentary, and part conversation — all about how we’re learning, leading, and growing in real life.
Always best to open with cute kids
I’m a late follower of Cooking With Carter but I’m a fan. He’s adorable, articulate, and passionate about cooking — and his confidence in the kitchen is infectious. Watching him slice, stir, and taste his way through a recipe reminds me how much joy comes from doing something simply because it lights you up. His parents hover just enough to keep him safe, but mostly they let him try, and that freedom — that trust — is where the magic happens. We could all stand to sing “Big Red Combine Harvester” in our own kitchens once in a while: to approach what we love with less precision and more play.
#Couple Goals…And Sound On
Moving from cooking in the kitchen to dancing in the kitchen. Turns out Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick love to boogie while getting dinner ready. And honestly? Same. I love the reminder that growth doesn’t always look like productivity. Sometimes it’s a sway between moments, a willingness to turn routine into joy. We spend so much time chasing improvement that we forget life gets richer when we loosen our grip and let delight lead for a while. And now I’m wondering what the All Night Long/Big Red Combine Harvester mash-up sounds like…?
The Kind of Reinvention No One Posts About
This story isn’t about choosing reinvention — it’s about being forced into it. These folks aren’t chasing growth or change; they’re adapting under duress. This is what it looks like when change isn’t a choice, but a demand. It reminds us that behind every story of resilience is a reckoning with exhaustion, pride, and the quiet will to keep going. But, what’s on the other side of this kind of reinvention is a stripped-down understanding of what actually matters, what you can live without, and what’s worth rebuilding when the dust settles.
The Only Person You Need to Outgrow Is Yesterday You.
A former colleague always used to ask me, “Is this within the locus of your control?” That really helped to frame what was an area I could exert energy to change and where that energy would simply be lost. We live in a culture that makes comparison almost irresistible — every scroll, every feed, every filtered moment is an invitation to measure our worth against someone else’s. But as this piece reminds us, growth doesn’t happen in the mirror of other people’s lives; it happens in the quiet work of tending our own.
Turns Out, Doing Good Is the Cheat Code.
On the flip side of focusing on what you control, this Cornell study validates that fulfillment comes from cultivating purpose. When we shift from self-focus to contribution — to using what we have to make something better for others — we experience clarity, motivation, and emotional balance. Doing something small, consistent, and outward-facing that reminds us we matter. Plus, there’s the added benefit of just feeling good about doing something nice for others. Go on - hold that door open, let that person merge in front of you, pick up something that someone has dropped…it is all up to you, but the benefits are the same.
Still here? You’re my kind of curious.
The Daily Cultivation drops regularly with quick hits of what’s worth thinking about (and sharing). Paid subscribers get the good stuff — a thread for real conversation, shared interests, commentary/reactions, and a say in what we explore next. Come hang out — hit subscribe, and let’s grow this thing together.