An announcement first: I’m holding a live group Q&A session on Friday, May 12, at 11 AM Pacific for everyone who ordered 2 copies of Awaken Your Genius. If you’d like to join, you can order 2 copies now at this link and forward your receipt to genius2@ozanvarol.com. If you already ordered one copy, you can grab one more copy to get your invitation (books make for great gifts!).
I’ll answer every single (reasonable) question asked. If you can’t attend live, you can submit questions ahead of time. The event will also be recorded.
Onto the regularly scheduled programming . . .
From time to time, instead of my usual email with one big idea you can read in 3 minutes or less, I share with you the best of what I’m reading, watching, and exploring. Enjoy!
Books
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. This novel takes you on a journey—more like an acid trip—through immortality, perfumers, Greek gods, Mardi Gras, and everything in between. Robbins has been compared to Douglas Adams for his eclectic writing. (Brace yourself for sentences like this one: “The sky was a velvety black paw pressing on the snowy landscape with a feline delicacy, stars flying like sparks from its fur.”). A wonderfully weird read.
A short video I loved
Why perfect is boring. If you find yourself struggling with perfectionism—or hiding your messiness from the world—watch this short video by my good friend Zoe Graman. For more of where that came from, follow her on Instagram.
Shows
Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 5. (Netflix) I rarely binge-watch shows, but I binge-watched this last season of Drive to Survive during long flights back from keynotes. It’s spectacular—even if you’re not into car racing.
The Staircase. (HBO Max) A murder mystery inspired by the true-crime documentary of the same name. Expect deception, hidden motives, and shocking revelations. Toni Collette and Colin Firth are brilliant.
Films
Close. (Apple TV+ | Amazon Prime) Stunning, yet heartbreaking, Belgian film that got a 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival. It’s about two teenage boys who begin to drift apart after the nature of their relationship is questioned by classmates. Be prepared to cry yourself dehydrated.
Stutz. (Netflix) A love letter to therapy—in the form of a documentary depicting the relationship between the actor Jonah Hill and his therapist, Phil Stutz. It starts slow—and I was about to give up on it—until I reached about the 15-minute mark when Hill asked Stutz, “Was it a terrible idea for a patient to make a movie about his therapist?” After that moment of vulnerability, things get interesting.
Anaïs in Love. (Hulu | Amazon Prime) If this film were any more French, it would be a croissant, as one review put it. The opening shot tells you everything you need to know—a charming French millennial named Anaïs “who is always in a hurry because she’s always late, she’s always late because she’s always present, and she’s always present because she can’t stomach the idea of being anywhere else.” It’s one of those rare films that stayed with me for a long time.
A supplement I’m using
Most people suffer from nutrient deficiency. And most multivitamins intended to correct that deficiency are made with cheap, synthetic ingredients. That’s where a supplement, called Bio-Avail Multi, from my friend and renowned clinician Chris Kresser comes in. It features food-based, naturally occurring nutrients your body can easily absorb. Chris is offering a special offer to my audience: If you get Bio-Avail Multi at this link, you’ll get a free one-year supply of Vitamin D3/K2 with your order. (This isn’t an affiliate link, and I don’t make any money from it. I’m just a fan of Chris’s work.).
Bold