7 Point Saturday On a Sunday

I’ve been dragging my feet. It’s been a week. Nearly got the best of me. I think I am some where around 60+ days in shelter at home. I think I leave my house, like really leave it, to go get sustainable stuff once every two weeks. Other than that, it’s been leaving the house for running around the neighborhood or obscure trails for hikes in nature. You’d think this would be prime time for me to get posts up. But, it’s been the opposite. I live off of input. When that input is so much of the same input, I lose my drive. I’m working on a relaunch. IBtP, the podcast, and the whole thing. Hang with me, it’s time to change.

Here’s the list of this week. Partly influenced by what’s in my mind as usual. You will notice a little tweak feature. Next to the list number I put the average readers time to read through the article. I imagine this will let you pick what you want to read with a little more purpose and intentionality. Hope you like the tweak. Enjoy!

1. (2 min) Fear. Everyone has had it at one point or another. It’s a mind killer. And, it’s made up. We create fear and give it legs. We give it to much control, we’re done. It’s also extremely contagious. You can see fear unfold in a crowd if you’re aware enough. A social contagion if you will. “We are more than our fear.” Here’s the idea of it and how to get it under control if it strikes you: https://ideas.ted.com/fear-is-contagious-heres-a-simple-way-to-protect-yourself-against-it/?utm_source=Heleo+Newsletters&utm_campaign=3708bc6687-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_lift_2020_5_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_85eb2ca8d0-3708bc6687-217416749&mc_cid=3708bc6687&mc_eid=090cce7857
2. (5 min) Purge Emotional Writing. Never heard of it either? Well check it out. When it comes to Fear above, it’s a great exercise in moving on from it. Purging negative energy and letting physically go of it has a profound impact towards the positive. Think about it this way. Everything we come into contact with has a negative and positive. It’s science. Electrons have positive and negative energies. Kind of the same concept. You be the judge: https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/writing-exercise-to-release-emotions/?utm_campaign=Intelligent%20Tuesday%20-%205%2F5%2F2020%20%28RiC5Ew%29&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_source=Klaviyo&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJzaGF3bjU3NjdAc2JjZ2xvYmFsLm5ldCIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIm5GRWUzUiJ9
3. (7 min) Optimism might feel like its impossible right now for most people in our current climate. But, being optimistic doesn’t mean just sweeping all that might be negative under the rug and ignoring it. Optimism at its core is just being hopeful. Hope that one day, you will move past the negative or feeling of loss you are currently experiencing. At the very least, optimism is disrupting the cycle you may be in that is harmful. We’re all doing the best we can. Here’s the idea: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/smarter-living/coronavirus-how-to-stay-optimistic-.html?utm_campaign=Intelligent%20Tuesday%20-%205%2F5%2F2020%20%28RiC5Ew%29&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_source=Klaviyo&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJzaGF3bjU3NjdAc2JjZ2xvYmFsLm5ldCIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIm5GRWUzUiJ9
4. (7 min) Paradox mindset. I’ve heard of all kinds of mindsets. The ones I’ve been mostly into is the fixed and growth mindset philosophy. A paradox mindset is new to me. The idea is approaching things with both a “both/and” thought process over a “either/or” one. Check it out and maybe it can help you adapt to your current new norms: https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/overwhelmed-adopt-a-paradox-mindset-14026
5. (6 min) Pirate queen. I know, big pivot I just made from the first four posts above. I wanted to snap you out of it for a minute. And, what doesn’t sound cooler than a pirate queen? Rad. Enter Grace O’Malley! Here you go, indulge your curiosity: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/grace-o-malley-the-fearless-16th-century-irish-pirate-queen-who-stood-up-to-the-english
6. (7 min) In the harshness of being stuck at home and seeing what might be the same things on repeat broken up by something literally growing from nothing, is good juju. I hear a lot of my peers talking about succulent gardens lately. I have house plants. But those aren’t the same as growing something from a tiny seed. Growing something from a seed I’ve not had the pleasure of experiencing. I might have to after reading this one: https://www.grubstreet.com/2020/05/the-quarantine-garden.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
7. (9 min) Hot Wheels. I never got into Hot Wheels but for a minute as a kid growing up. I had one that was my favorite that I still have in the comic collectibles closet somewhere. It’s a Mach 5. The Mach 5 was the car Speed Racer drove in the comic series of the same name. Loved that Hot Wheels car. I am still a comics guy and LEGOs guy. Still, a fun piece to read to break up your day with. Get on the track for a ride (See what I did there?): https://www.sbnation.com/2020/4/30/21238452/hot-wheels-collecting-hobby-history-most-expensive-cars

There’s your 7 for the weekend. Albeit late, but there they are. I’ll be back on time next weekend. Look for those changes I was speaking about above, coming to your eyes soon. Thanks always, for reading and indulging. Have a great week ahead!

✌🏻 Shawn