When you have the opportunity to ask some of the most interesting people in the world about their lives, sometimes the most fascinating answers come from the simplest questions. The Thrive Questionnaire is an ongoing series that gives an intimate look inside the lives of some of the world’s most successful people.
Wendi Murdoch is a businesswoman, tech investor, movie producer, and co-founder of Artsy, a platform for discovering, learning about, and collecting art, and well-known as the largest startup in the fine art industry.
In her Thrive Questionnaire, she opens up about the book that taught her resilience, how she stays active when traveling, and why she swears by her therapeutic walks in the park.
TG: What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
WM: I have a cup of warm water and meditate before starting the day.
TG: What gives you energy?
WM: Staying active and working out regularly. When I am traveling, I use the new exercise app “OBE” (Our Body Electric) to keep me active.
TG: What’s your secret life hack?
WM: Transcendental meditation. I learned from a great teacher and close friend, Bob Roth. This has truly changed my life.
TG: Name a book that changed your life.
WM: Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning really resonated with me. The prisoners in that book seemed powerless, but had the freedom of choice in regards to how they reacted to imprisonment. Those who realized they had something to live for were the most resilient in their resolve and attitude. This book taught me that we should not feel victimized by our circumstances, but should strive to be the champions of our reactions to trying life events.
TG: Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
WM: I have a rule that I do not have my phone in the same room at night, which helps me relax and increase the quality of my sleep. On the weekends, I try to detach from my phone as often as possible.
TG: How do you deal with email?
WM: I usually reply immediately to short emails. Longer detailed messages, I will leave unread, and respond later, once I have had time to read through fully.
TG: You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
WM: I love to take walks in the park, which is nearby in my neighborhood. It can be very therapeutic to simply get some fresh air.
TG: When was the last time you felt burned out and why?
WM: Last December when I was trying to complete everything before the end of the year. I always try to finish up the year with a bow, which can be a bit overwhelming since everything seems to need attention.
TG: Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace.
WM: “Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you react to it.”
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