Do you miss coffee shops?
The clatter, the din, the pshh-pshh of the espresso machine. The cacophony of music and typing and magnetic sense of connection with strangers. I miss the belonging. I miss the community.
One of my favourite coffee shops is inside the Centre for Social Innovation in downtown Toronto where 3 Bookers will remember I vowed to record a future chapter while cruising by in David Sedaris’ limo back in Chapter 18. Well, the podcast gods worked their magic and I was lucky to find myself there months later in the company of the wonderful Humble the Poet.
Truth be told, I’ve kept this chapter on ice for a while since it was recorded pre-masks, pre-lockdown. I kept thinking normalcy would return and then the pandemic dragged on and on and on and I grudgingly switched to virtual recordings. But now I need that coffee shop! So here is the last live and in-person recording of 3 Books I’ve got for you for a while. (Insert tear emoji here)
The Centre for Social Innovation Toronto
Do you know Humble the Poet?
He’s an electric and creative polymath, rapper, poet, spoken word artist, best selling author of Unlearn and Things No One Else Can Teach Us, Lollapalooza performer, former elementary school teacher, and a wildly popular blogger at humblethepoet.com with over 100,000 readers. Oh, and did I mention more than a million people follow him across social media @humblethepoet.
Perceptive, inquisitive, and putting out a vibe that captures hearts and minds, Humble defies easy stereotypes. I might even say he shatters them.
We dive deep into his activism and how he develops courage to brave the wilderness and be so unafraid to challenge mainstream consensus by shedding light on Indian farmers or the Colin Kaepernicks of the world far before doing so becomes en vogue. We discuss how mainstream media preys on our biology and why controversy hooks our attention. We chat about the counterintuitive value of obscurity and how to stand out in a global village of sameness. And, of course, we discuss Humble the Poet’s 3 most formative books.
I am grateful to share this conversation with this incredible human being while getting an aural dose of coffee shop community at the same time. Wherever you are right now, whatever you’re doing right now, I encourage you to flop down on the green couch beside the radiator. I’ll be in your left ear, Humble will be in your right ear, and let’s hang out.
Can I get you a cappuccino?
What You'll Learn:
Why should we explore and push the boundaries on unpopular stances?
How do we find the courage to stand up for injustice?
How should we pick causes to defend?
What are the tensions between science and religion?
How do we figure out what to trust?
Why is controversy not sustainable?
Why should there be no shame in liking short books?
What is the balance between authenticity and curation on social media?
What are the dangers of geolocation?
How do we stand out in a world of sameness?
How do we navigate the pull of followers on social media?
Why should we always ask before we post?
Notable quotes from HUMBLE THE POET:
"If the news ain’t boring, then it ain’t news.” - Humble The Poet #3bookspodcast
“Value your obscurity.” - Humble The Poet #3bookspodcast
Connect with Humble the poet:
Word of the chapter:
Resources Mentioned:
Humble’s first book [11:25]
Humble’s second book [27:30]
Humble’s third book [40:00]
Dilbert by Scott Adams
Loser Think by Scott Adams
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
The Alchemist Paolo Coelho
You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha
The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
