#584 The Inside of an Apple

Continuing our series of +1s on wisdom gleaned from my Zen in the Art of Spartan Training, today we’re going to talk about the inside of an Apple.

But, first, a little more quick context.

In addition to the “rig” that tests your grip strength and the spear throw that tests your, well, spear-throwing ability (hah), Spartan Races challenge your athleticism by testing your ability to traverse various walls. It’s kinda like side-ways rock climbing.

Now, I’m pretty good at these obstacles but a) I’m committed to dominating them; and, b) I thought having some of these wall traverse things set up in our backyard would make some nice functional art while serving as both a symbol of our commitment to Optimizing our Energy AND as a stimulus to move our bodies throughout the day.

So…

My mom’s awesome husband Tom (aka Grandpa) is super handy in building stuff. He’s also super thoughtful and generous with his time and All In on supporting our All In campaign.

After many trips to Home Depot and a delivery of some plywood from Ojai Lumber, we’re ready to go.

Grandpa’s the Boss. Emerson and I are his assistants. Our job? Paint the plywood. 🤓

Emerson’s all in. So am I. I’m enjoying the process of painting something for the first time in my adult life. 🤓

Now…

Our wall will have a front and a back. No one will ever see the “back” or inside of our structure but, of course, we want to do it right so we’re painting BOTH sides. (Matte black for curious souls.)

As I’m having fun with my Zen in the Art of Painting Plywood practice, I’m all about making sure the back of the plywood looks awesome.

Then I think of the inside of an Apple.

Specifically, the inside of an Apple iPhone or Mac computer or, well, any of their products.

We all admire Apple for their impeccably beautiful designs. Everything from the packaging to the product itself “imputes” (as Steve Jobs would say) AWESOME. The brand experience is astonishingly coherent.

But get this: Even though it’s essentially impossible for anyone without Apple tools to look inside an iPhone or Mac, did you know that the INSIDES are, apparently, as beautiful as the outside?

Yep.

For all practical purposes, the insides are INVISIBLE. And, yet, they’re designed with the same commitment to excellence as the rest of the product.

(Hmmmm… I wonder if that has anything to do with why they’re THE most valuable company in the world. Currently worth nearly a TRILLION dollars.)

Today’s +1. Two questions.

How do YOUR “insides” look?

And… How can you put a little more love into the (apparently!) invisible details of your life today?

Remember: That stuff that nobody will ever see? Ultimately, that’s the foundation of what EVERYONE will see.

Let’s Optimize.

+1. +1. +1.

P.S. We turned our Spartan walls into a big, beautiful, virtue chalkboard. Here’s Emerson adding some love.