Happy TWOsday! Here's a 3-2-1 for ya!
3 medias to check out, 2 quotes, and 1 question to think about!
That’s right, it’s TWOsday!
Palindrome dates have long been celebrated… they’re popular for weddings, though of as good luck, things like that.
Today’s date is specifically unique because it’s a palindrome when it’s written in the United States format of month, day, year, and the format most other countries follow of day, month, year. Palindromes all over the world! Super cool.
Wanna know what else is crazy?! I just glanced at the clock and it’s 2:22! Woah! Here’s proof because I wouldn’t believe me if I read this either!
22 was also a favorite number of my friend group growing up, so personally noteworthy as well ; )
Anyway, I hope you’re having a special day! Because another palindrome like this won’t come around for another 400 years!
And here are some more number-related things for you today: 3 medias to check out, 2 quotes, and 1 question to think about!
3 Medias to Check Out
Media #1: The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast with Cal Newport
I just finished listening to this podcast episode yesterday and reallyyyy enjoyed it! It’s refreshing to hear someone discuss the value of “slow productivity” and how concentrated work over time can pay off tremendously over time.
In today’s day, I see a big emphasis on getting as much done in as little time as possible, so it was really awesome to hear the benefits of working at the complete other end of the spectrum.
I’ve also always been the type that makes really slow progress over time in almost everything I do. Like, most things I do takes work, and nothing seems to come super easy to me when first starting out. Except maybe geometry back in 9th grade… I loved that class. Anyway, seeing that slow grind as a positive as opposed to the negative I’ve previously seen it as is so nice! This is not to say that I think everything comes easy to everyone else! I know it’s not like that… I just mean that there are some people out there who can pick up a basketball and nail a shot without any prior practice. Or someone who can pick up a textbook and understand the concepts fully after one read. Things like that. That’s just not been my experience and good for you if it has been!
Cal also discusses his efforts in making the work connections that he wanted and how we went above and beyond what people typically do to get the roles they want. For example, he tells a story about when he was trying to write a book but he didn’t have an editor yet and no one would entertain hiring him. So, he found other books that were similar to his, went to the author’s Acknowledgements section, found the editor of that book, and then figured out a way to contact them directly, and eventually found his editor. Awesome strategy!
A quote from Cal from the episode:
“If you’re going to live a deep life, the ultimate original commitment is, ‘I’m going to commit to discipline in the sense of things I am going to do on a regular basis, because they matter, even if I don’t feel like it.’ And that is the biggest binary zero-to-one flip that happens in crafting a life.”
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love this! Building non-negotiable habits is IT!
Media #2: The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit (And When To Stick) by Seth Godin
This is a super enjoyable and quick read, only 80 pages, with short little chapter blurbs. It’s full of advice on when to try harder and stick with things, and when to quit or redirect.
The book opens with:
I feel like giving up.
Almost every day, in fact. Not all day, of course, but there are moments.
My bet is you have those moments, too. If you’re the kind of high-achieving, goal-oriented person who finds herself reading a book like this, you’re probably used to running into obstacles…
Most of the time, we deal with the obstacles by persevering. Sometimes we get discouraged and turn to inspirational writing, like stuff from Vince Lombardi: ‘Quitters never win and winners never quit.’ Bad advice. Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.
…
Quit the wrong stuff.
Stick with the right stuff.
Have the guts to do one or the other.
SUPER relatable.
Sometimes I do feel like quitting. This book, and it’s explanation of “the dip” and when and how to get through it was super powerful.
The concept of “the dip” is “the long slog between starting and mastery. A long slog that’s actually a shortcut, because it gets you where you want to go faster than any other path.” It’s a challenge that can be worth it, IF you’re on the right path for you.
If you’ve every questioned this for yourself, I recommend checking out this book!
Media #3: The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast with Boyd Varty
Confession: I listen to ONE podcast regularly and it’s Tim Ferriss, so that might explain why you’re getting two episodes from him today!
Have you ever listened to someone tell a story and they’re just SO GOOD AT IT?! Like, everyone listening is on the edge of their seats, waiting to consume more of whatever that individual is talking about?! Yeah, that’s Boyd Varty.
This guy grew up on a nature preserve and is a wildlife and literacy activist. He’s spent the last ten years “refining the art of using wilderness as a place for deep introspection and personal transformation.”
I’m only about halfway through this one but this guy’s storytelling skills are just incredible! And his South African accent is beautiful to listen to as well! I also just added his book The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life to my Amazon cart so will be reading that soon too!
Give this episode a listen for some awesome stories!
2 Impactful Quotes
Quote #1:
“There is a kind of time travel in letters, isn’t there? I imagine you laughing at my small joke; I imagine you groaning; I imagine you throwing my words away. Do I have you still? Do I address empty air and the flies that will eat this carcass? You could leave me for five years, you could return never–-and I have to write the rest of this not knowing.”
From This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Admittedly, this was not the best book I ever read, but some of the quotes were super thought provoking… like this one.
Maybe we don’t write as many actual letters anymore, but I imagine a similar feeling could be applied to emails or texts. You write your thoughts, feelings, ideas, projects, vulnerable messages, confessions and, while you’re writing, you never actually know if the other person will read it fully, how they’ll feel about it, or what happens to your words otherwise. Woah.
Quote #2:
“How shall I live?
I want to feel both the beauty and the pain of the age we are living in. I want to survive my life without becoming numb. I want to speak and comprehend words of wounding without having these words become the landscape where I dwell. I want to possess a light touch that can elevate darkness to the realm of stars.
This vascular malformation could bleed and burst. Or I can simply go on living, appreciating my condition as a vulnerable human being in a vulnerable world, guided by the songs of birds. What is time, sacred time, but the acceleration of consciousness? There are so many ways to change the sentences we have been given.
We cannot do it alone. We do it alone.”
— Terry Tempest Williams
This quote screamed BALALNCE to me. Wanting to feel passion without letting yourself be overcome by it. Wanting to be able to move through life without becoming numb to it. Wanting to be able to speak your mind without those words being held against you forever. It sure can be tough to navigate life!
Did you read this quote differently from the way I did?! Please share!
1 Question to Think About
What are your top 3 values, and why?
Okay okay okay, this question might seem lame, but hear me out.
If we can nail down what our top personal values are right now, and keep them in mind for as long as they resonate with us, then they can serve as guidance for us in making decisions that speak to what we want and find most important.
Personal Values are the things that are important to us, the characteristics and behaviors that motivate us and guide our decisions.
These may be a simplistic examples, but I imagine they shows what I’m talking about.
If you decide that you value your health, then it’s an easier decision not to drink alcohol in excess every night. And, it becomes easier to say no to offerings of alcohol.
If you decide that you value authenticity, then it may be easier to speak your mind out loud instead of keeping your opinions to yourself.
If you decide that you value security, then you can make investments into literal home security as well as emergency savings accounts that can cover your needs for a whole year.
These are just example, but I imagine you can see how the connection of values to our actions can be incredibly impactful.
Give this exercise a try and see if it supports you in making choices that speak to what YOU value most!
I’d love to hear your thoughts or comments about ANY of these shares! Please comment here or email me your thoughts at sara@nutritionforlifeproject.com!
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Thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Sara