TSS #044 - June 16th, 2024
on a couple articles from therapy, a few thought-provoking tweets, and a parenting poem
Good afternoon and happy Sunday folks,
After writing, editing, scrapping, and rewriting an intro about cycles/seasonality… I’ve come to realize it’s another “too much verbiage to put in the intro of this newsletter” type post.
So! It will be stored in GDrive Purgatory, until it one day, maybe, becomes a blogpost.
*insert funny line that relates this to a recurring theme/cycle*
For high-level updates, it has been 75 days since the beginning of the nichely-notable 75-Medium Challenge.
Maybe it was the “medium” adjective of this challenge… or maybe all the yellow empty boxes left unchecked… but wrapping up this challenge didn’t give me the euphoric ‘top-of-the-mountain’ feeling I was... expecting(?)
I am not sure what it is. I think I am still processing/comprehending it. Or probably just being overly hard on myself (there are a lot of checked boxes too Anthony!)
Alas.
Since some folks are still completing the challenge and a few new folks have joined (shoutout Anya, Sindhu, Joey, and Noah!) I am going to refrain from sharing any reflections/learnings for now.
Until then, I calculated all “missed” days (days where I did not check all the boxes in the day) and have tacked them on to the end of the challenge as make-up.
Hopefully, by rounding out an ~official~ 75 days of daily challenges… I’ll feel more proud of myself/a greater sense of accomplishment.
Anyhoo! We have a great Study for you this afternoon.
Let’s dive in.
on articles from therapy
1. on how to change your beliefs with neuroplasticity
We rewire the brain when we learn and practice something over and over and over and step by step. This is the case for any skill. We think that gaining knowledge will lead to change in our brains, but often, you have to practice a skill.
Great article that gives an outline of neuroplasticity and its relation to CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The most interesting part to me was the purpose/use of “Qualifiers” and “Conditional Phrases” and how they can spark more positive thought chains.
2. you are what you focus on
“Attention is like a spotlight, and what it illuminates streams into your mind and shapes your brain. Attention is also like a vacuum cleaner, sucking its contents into the brain. Directing attention skillfully is therefore a fundamental way to shape the brain - and one’s life over time.”
— Rick Hanson
This article dives a little deeper into how you can make a change using neuroplasticity. I like the scientific context it provides as well as some “evidence-based” research.
The two takeaways for me:
1. Both “thinking about the thing” and “actually doing the thing” affect your brain. For good or for bad, growth occurs where you place your focus and attention.
2. It takes time to identify and change your beliefs — the best time to start is now!
a few tweets that made me think
on YOUR health being politicized
(plus a thought-provoking comment in-thread on “personal responsibility dorks”)
Shah Rukh Khan’s take on being successful
(if that rubbed you the wrong way, I appreciated this comment in-thread)
on optimism resembling mercy more than positivity
a poem on parenting
Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.— William Martin
I am not a parent, but I really like this poem and am sharing it here so that I may return to it once I am nearer to that stage of life.
This isn’t to say that your kids shouldn’t strive or work hard — but I think the ultimate goal would be that the decision to strive is intrinsically motivated (their choice) rather than extrinsically (the parents’ choice).
(I keep coming back to the line: “to find the wonder and marvel of an ordinary life.”
h/t to
quotes i’m pondering
“It’s only embarassing if you care what people think”
— Denise, Hot Rod (2007)
As always, if you’ve made it this far, thank you.
If you have any questions, comments, or ways I can improve this newsletter, please comment/reply!
Lastly, if you enjoyed or I made you think today — please consider letting me know by leaving a like. (This helps others find this newsletter…and it makes me smile :)
ML,
bigatoni
(P.S. — Below-the-fold club! Today you get two bonuses!
First, a video I watched earlier in the week that I am still thinking about… Now I am quite the carnivore and I very much enjoy my meats — but I wonder what it would take to change the current social norms to have a positive effect on the climate? It’s interesting because climate change is more of a psychological problem than a data/science problem — you can have all the facts (we do), but what’s going to convince people and actually move the needle is the marketing/stories.
I think this stuck with me because… I trust John(?) and after watching the video, the thought/question of “if I abstain from this, would my kids have a better future?” continues to bounce around my brain.
Second, a dumb, silly meme that has also continues to bounce around my brain.