The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.
The Power of Gratitude, Canadian Thanksgiving Edition
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Hello Reader, Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, a holiday that reminds us of the importance of gratitude. Not just in thought, but in practice. That’s why I wanted to share a book with you: Gratitude Tiger by Joel Zuckerman. It’s a book about a simple but profound idea—writing Letters of Gratitude. These aren’t your typical thank-you notes. They’re deeper, more personal acknowledgments of the people who’ve made an impact on your life. One of my favourite lines from the book is: “A Letter of Gratitude is thanking someone just for being themselves. Not for any specific deed or action.” It’s a beautiful reminder that gratitude isn’t about transactions—it’s about recognition. I’ll be sharing an episode of A Productive Conversation with Joel in early 2026 (yes – our episode queue is that far ahead!) but in the meantime, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book. It’s the kind of read that not only makes you want to write a letter—it makes you want to write dozens. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving today or not, it’s always the right time to give thanks. And as Joel points out, writing these letters is as much a gift to yourself as it is to others. Wishing you gratitude and grace this holiday, P.S. On this day of thanks, I want to express my gratitude to those of you who’ve already picked up my latest book, The Productivity Diet. Your support means the world to me. If you haven’t had the chance yet, you can get your copy here. |
The Lantern: A Weekly Guide to Navigating Time with Intention
The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 33 | October 11, 2025 Hello Reader, During a recent re-watch of the 1984 film Footloose, something Reverend Moore said about his daughter grabbed my attention. While having a conversation with his wife, he declared that his daughter had become “willful and obstinate.” He said it like a curse — as if conviction were rebellion. That moment always stood out to me. Maybe because I’ve heard those same words used to describe anyone who dares to hold their...
Hello Reader, We hear it all the time: “I’m just hustling hard right now.” Hustle has become a badge of honour — a signal that you’re making moves, pushing through, getting it done. But at what cost? What if hustle isn’t a measure of progress, but a mask for something else? In past seasons of my work, I’ve explored that question beneath the surface, recognizing how hustle often masks something deeper. Hustle can feel productive because it’s active. It’s motion. It’s doing. But not all motion...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 32 | October 4, 2025 Hello Reader, This week I took my son to his first concert: Laufey in Vancouver. Her latest album, A Matter of Time, feels like a meditation on growth — on learning to live with and within time rather than trying to outrun it. Each song moves with ease, both delicate and deliberate. But it was the last song she performed — Letter to My 13 Year Old Self, from her previous album Bewitched — that quietly unraveled me. It’s a song...