“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed. Proficiency and results come only to those who have learned the paradoxical art of doing and not doing, or combining relaxation with activity.” – Aldous Huxley “From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is … Read more Stalling: Why Letting Go is the Key to Regaining Lift
I have a love-hate relationship with thinking. Sometimes, I get in these kinds of flow states where I follow my train of thought – connecting the dots along the way – to an exciting, unexpected destination. When I follow my thoughts in this way, I find it euphoric. I often derive my best writing doing … Read more Stuck in the Clouds: An Aviator’s Guide to Pointless Overthinking
The seeds of doubt were planted at a young age. I can’t tell you exactly when, but I know it started in childhood. I was lead to believe I wasn’t capable, that I would struggle in this life. In particular, concerns surrounded my abilities in English. At first, my parents worried that I had a … Read more Why I Write
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman (Source: The Living Wisdom of Howard Thurman: A Visionary for Our Time) I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, ‘what do you mean the ONLY … Read more The Only Thing The World Needs From You
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes you shouldn’t peel onions…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) Asking why we are the way we are is like peeling an onion. Under the first layer there might be an important insight. But after that it’s just more onion. You have to be very careful not to keep peeling in a desperate attempt to find some cosmic truth that doesn’t exist. – click to tweet
2) The best way to increase focus is to eliminate distractions. The second best way to increase focus is to compartmentalise your life – to be clear about what you’re suppose to be doing and when. This gives us the best chance to engage in deep work – to harness those coveted flow states.
3) 5 ways to overcome morning overwhelm:
Develop an internal voice that says I can.
Slow things down by meditating.
Lock your phone in a draw.
Remind yourself why you’re doing what you are.
Tackle the most pressing task first.
2 Quotes:
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
— Edward J. Stieglitz
“It is not that we have a short time to live. It is that we waste a lot of it. . . . People are frugal in guarding their personal property, but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.”
— Seneca
1 Joke
If you’re American when you go in the bathroom… and American when you come out, what are you in the bathroom?
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes the point of having a destination is so you can have a journey…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1:
Life get’s the easier the higher we fly. The air is thinner so we meet less resistance. There’s a reason we want to climb higher. That’s fine.
Just don’t be fooled into thinking that the level above you will solve all your problems. It never will. And don’t forget to look down and remember where you came from.
To be grateful for the current view out of your window.
2:
Remove “I have to” from your vocabulary. There are very few things you actually have to do. Use the words “I get to” instead.
I get to take the kids to school. I get to work out today. I get to cook dinner.
It’s a small shift that makes a massive difference.
3:
The point of having a destination is to give you direction. But also release you from the future, so you can concentrate on the present. So you can enjoy the journey.
If you pay close attention to the steps you’re taking today, the destination will take care of itself.
2 Quotes:
1:
“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
― Socrates
2:
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes you should take the autopilot out when you experience turbulence…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “If we want to stop being a passenger and become a pilot we need to disconnect the autopilot and direct our attention to the present. This is what it means to fly manually. We deliberately focus on the present. We sink into our body and pay attention to what we’re feeling. But here’s the trick. We only use effort to maintain focus – to observe. After the fact, we must let go. If we try to control or fight or judge the turbulence, we’ll only make it worse. Instead, we should simply ride it out. Eventually, we will find the clear air beyond.” – click to tweet
2) “When a pilot anticipates severe turbulence they will turn on the seatbelt signs and make a PA telling everybody to take a seat. When we experience inner turbulence one of the most dangerous things we can do is carry on with our normal service. This is when people get hurt. Sometimes it’s best to take a seat and wait for the turbulence to pass.” – click to tweet
3) Repeat after me: “To remain present. To treat each moment as my last. To savour this one life I have. To really see what/who is around me. To respond to all things with compassion and love – including myself. To be grateful for all that I have – to express that gratitude to all that I love.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“My deepest belief is that to live as if we’re dying can set us free. Dying people teach you to pay attention and to forgive and not to sweat the small things.”
― Anne Lamott
“I say raise your expectations. Elongate your process. Lay on your deathbed with a to do list a mile long and smile at the infinite opportunity granted to you. Create ridiculous standards for yourself and then savor the inevitable failure. Learn from it. Live it. Let the ground crack and rocks crumble around you because that’s how something amazing grows, through the cracks.”
— Mark Manson
1 Joke
My wife offered me a plum the other day, but then she dropped it.
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that takes no pride in itself…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “A plant can’t grow if you water the leaves. It’s the roots you must nurture. The deeper your roots the more stability you have, the more able you are to weather life’s storms. Our roots don’t just help us reach for the sky, they prevent us from getting swept away.” – click to tweet
2) “Most people fixate on why they are the way they are, instead of asking what kind of person they are and what they should do about it. This is a massive self-awareness hack: ask what not why. What is solutions focused. Why keeps us trapped in unproductive thoughts about the past.” – click to tweet
3) “Is pride a good thing? Is it good to be proud of your country or your job or your kids? What if you simply loved them? Perhaps pride is the reason you’re angry? Your pride has been hurt because someone didn’t say thank you. If you do something out of love what does it matter? Pride is ego. Love is egoless.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck.”
― Paul Virilio
“If distraction costs us time, then time management is pain management.”
— Nir Eyal
1 Joke
My bike fell over after a long ride the other day.
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only weekly newsletter that constantly loses its train of thought..
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “To gain physical strength we must carry more weight. It’s resistance that builds strength. To gain mental strength we must carry less weight. It’s resistance that weakens us.” – click to tweet
2) “Don’t make your life about the final destination. Don’t hang your pilot’s hat on having to get there. The point of having a destination is to give you direction. But also release you from the future so you can concentrate on the present – so you can enjoy the journey itself! If you pay close attention to the steps you’re taking today, the destination will take care of itself.” – click to tweet
3) “Knowledge is no longer power. All of us have access to an unlimited amount of it. The most successful will be those who are able to maintain their focus in spite of the limitless information available. Attention is the new super power.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“The surest way to lose sight of who you are is to constantly compare yourself to others.”
– Tom Krause
“We have solved the problem of not having enough information by creating the problem of having too much information.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that promises to deliver what you can only do for yourself.
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “Which came first, the thought or the feeling, is a bit like asking whether it was the chicken or the egg. In either case they perpetuate one another. Negative feeling creates negative thought creates negative feeling creates negative thought… Thoughts themselves are often a form of distraction we pursue to escape our pain.
To escape the emotional rabbit hole it’s useful to ask what basic emotion it is you’re avoiding. Then practise letting it go. Once you’ve done that, you can examine the thought from a more objective place to determine whether it’s grounded in reality or not.” – click to tweet
2) “If you’re feeling overwhelmed try zooming the lens out and consider the bigger 10-year picture. Use that to remind yourself there is no need to rush. Then, keep zooming out to the end of existence itself and remind yourself that nothing fucking matters. Then come back to what you were doing.” – click to tweet
3) “Being successful on the wrong path should scare you far more than any amount of failure on the right one.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“Never attach yourself to person, a place, a company, an organization or a project. Attach yourself to a mission, a calling, a purpose only. That’s how you keep your power and your peace.”
― Elon Musk
“When letting go, it’s not helpful to “think” about the technique. It’s better, simply, just to do it. Eventually it will be seen that all thoughts are resistance. They are all images that the mind has made to prevent us from experiencing what actually is. When we have been letting go for a while and have begun experiencing what is really going on, we will laugh at our thoughts. Thoughts are fakes, absurd make-beliefs that obscure the truth. Pursuing thoughts can keep us occupied endlessly. We will discover one day that we are right where we started. Thoughts are like gold fish in a bowl; the real Self is like the water. The real Self is the space between the thoughts, or more exactly, the field of silent awareness underneath all thoughts.”
— David R. Hawkins (from “Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender”)
1 Joke:
My wife got annoyed at me for failing to clean the coffee machine.
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes dad jokes are no joke…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “Aim for 70% perfect. Then hit publish and move on with your life. Anything more than 70% and you enter into a diminishing rate of return. The effort stops justifying the reward. Also – the main point – if you aim for 100% perfect you’ll never get there.” – click to tweet
2) “If you can’t find peace now, what makes you believe you’ll find it at your destination? Is where you’re standing now not what once was your destination?” – click to tweet
3) “The most important emotional distinction you can make is the difference between guilt & shame. Guilt is useful emotion that can facilitate genuine change. Shame is a destructive emotion that makes you more likely to repeat past behaviour. Guilt says I did something bad. Shame says I am something bad.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.” “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt.” “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?” “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
― Margery Williamfrom “The Velveteen Rabbit”
“For me, and for many of us, our first waking thought of the day is “I didn’t get enough sleep.” The next one is “I don’t have enough time.” Whether true or not, that thought of not enough occurs to us automatically before we even think to question or examine it. We spend most of the hours and the days of our lives hearing, explaining, complaining, or worrying about what we don’t have enough of.…Before we even sit up in bed, before our feet touch the floor, we’re already inadequate, already behind, already losing, already lacking something. And by the time we go to bed at night, our minds are racing with a litany of what we didn’t get, or didn’t get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to that reverie of lack.…This internal condition of scarcity, this mind-set of scarcity, lives at the very heart of our jealousies, our greed, our prejudice, and our arguments with life.”
— Lynne Twist. From her book “The Soul of Money.”
1 Joke Article:
I’ve always believed that children should grow up believing their father is a bit of an idiot. That way they’ll learn not to take themselves so seriously. As it turns out, unbeknownst to me, that’s the whole point of telling dad jokes. No joke! Have a read of this: https://www.upworthy.com/dad-jokes-may-help-with-child-development
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes life is too short to be long…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “There’s a trade off when it comes to the things we value. The more things we give a shit about, the less likely we are to get burnt when we lose any one of them. Diversifying your value portfolio is wise. However over-diversification can spread you thin. You won’t get a significant return on any one of them. You don’t want your life to be defined by one thing, but you don’t want it to be defined by too many things either. Deeply meaningful commitments require sacrifice. We need to understand the things we care about the most and then double down on them.” – click to tweet
3) “Just like a child needs an environment where they are free to make a mess to discover who they are, a writer needs the same. The ability to make a mess to discover who they are – what it is they really want to write about.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving for excellence. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth. Perfectionism is a defensive move. It’s the belief that if we do things perfectly and look perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame. Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around, thinking it will protect us, when in fact it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from being seen.”
― Brené Brown(from “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead”)
“The fastest way to see your ideas become reality is by giving them to other people.”
― Conor Neill
1 Joke:
I was cycling with my wife the other day when a branch fell off a tree and hit me on the head.
I turned to my wife and said, “Did you see that? I can’t be-leaf it!”
She replied, “It’s lucky you didn’t crash. That was a sticky situation…”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes you should imagine you’re about to die…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “Live your life as if it will end just a few moments later. Let that decide what you say and do. Let that decide how you live and love. Do that and you’ll see what it really means to fly.” – click to tweet
2) “Imagine a football team that tries to avoid losing at all costs. One that only ever defends. How can they possibly win? The answer is they can’t. You have to risk being scored against in order to score yourself. You have to play to win, not to avoid losing. To do that you must combine action with acceptance. You must be willing to sacrifice your desire for control – of knowing what the outcome will be – and then go ahead and take a shot anyway.” – click to tweet
3) “Giving up is very different to letting go. When we give up it’s because we fail to see the the meaning in it. It’s like saying, “I will never look like Brad Pitt so why bother exercising.” Whereas letting go means accepting what you cannot control/change. It’s about accepting those love handles and then picking up the dumbbells anyway. Letting go is a courageous act that requires requires stepping into the unknown. It’s insecurity. That’s exactly what defines faith. ” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
“Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness.”
― Alejandro Jodorowsky
1 Joke:
The other day my 2 year old asked me, “Daddy, can you put my t-shirt on?”
I replied, “Well, I can try.”
So, I took his t-shirt and placed it over my head.
With my head stuck inside I said, “As you can see, it doesn’t fit me very well.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that takes a holiday without telling anyone…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “A good writer is a good listener. What you need to listen to is your subconscious. You allow what comes forward to dicate the terms. You’re not suppose to write with your head. Writing – good truthful writing – must come from the heart. It must comes from the gut. To do that you need to let go, listen and then type.” – click to tweet
2) “If you don’t own the story of your past, the story will own you. Here’s an exercise you might consider: Recall several defining, difficult moments from your life and write them out in painful detail. Try you best to understand why you took the actions you did. Try to forgive your past self as you do. Then, take a long hard look at what happened and ask yourself what you would do if the story repeated itself. With all the wisdom you now posses ask yourself how would you act if you got a second chance. Let that knowledge sink in. Use it to orientate yourself in the present. Wear it on your sleeve along with your heart. What will happen is this. An opportunity will present itself. The story will come full circle. You will have a chance to rewrite the ending.” – click to tweet
3) “The more time spent living a life on autopilot the less able we are to live a life of purpose on our own terms. We become scared of taking the autopilot out for fear of the inevitable turbulence we will experience. Yet, it’s in the turbulence with the autopilot out where we really learn to fly.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Shame derives its power from being unspeakable… If we cultivate enough awareness about shame to name it and speak to it, we’ve basically cut it off at the knees. Shame hates having words wrapped around it. If we speak shame, it begins to wither. Just the way exposure to light was deadly for the gremlins, language and story bring light to shame and destroy it.”
― Brené Brown. (from “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead”)
1 Joke:
A farmer and a butcher are having a conversation.
The farmer says to the butcher, “I don’t slaughter my calves until they have matured… You could say, I’m raising the steaks!”
The butcher pauses before replying, “That meat joke… It was well done!”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes our need for meaning prevents us from finding it.
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “The most meaningful moments in life have no words. When we attempt to attach meaning to those moments we lose it. Like prescribing some profundity to a spectacular sunset. When there are no words it’s best to keep it that way.” – click to tweet
2) “Productivity gets a bad rep nowadays. I believe the word is misunderstood. Increased productivity means an increased output for a given input. It doesn’t mean more work. It doesn’t mean you have to work harder. It means you get more bang for your buck. This is what you want to do to find that all elusive life balance: Have a system in place that allows you to maximise your most productive hours. Also set hard limits and have the discipline – yes discipline – to stop working outside of them.” – click to tweet
3) “There’s a lesson most pilot’s learn the hard way in training. The tendency to over control their aircraft, especially during severe turbulence. The desire to fight the turbulence – to counteract every single bump – makes the ride worse. Do that and you’re more likely, not less, to deviate from your desired track and level. The trick to flying is to let go. You must allow the aircraft to ride out the bumps and then gently bring the bird back to your desired track, level and speed. The same lesson applies to our mental state. The more you fight the turbulence the worse it gets.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“Because children grow up, we think a child’s purpose is to grow up. But a child’s purpose is to be a child. Nature doesn’t disdain what lives only for a day. It pours the whole of itself into the each moment. We don’t value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life’s bounty is in its flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it’s been sung? The dance when it’s been danced? It’s only we humans who want to own the future, too. We persuade ourselves that the universe is modestly employed in unfolding our destination. We note the haphazard chaos of history by the day, by the hour, but there is something wrong with the picture. Where is the unity, the meaning, of nature’s highest creation? Surely those millions of little streams of accident and wilfulness have their correction in the vast underground river which, without a doubt, is carrying us to the place where we’re expected! But there is no such place, that’s why it’s called utopia. The death of a child has no more meaning than the death of armies, of nations. Was the child happy while he lived? That is a proper question, the only question. If we can’t arrange our own happiness, it’s a conceit beyond vulgarity to arrange the happiness of those who come after us.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will do just fine.
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “To remain present – to treat each moment as my last – to savour this one life I have. To really see what’s around me. To respond to all things with compassion and love – including myself. To be grateful for all that I have – to express that gratitude to all that I love.” – click to tweet
2) “Should I not attempt to form an argument? Knowing that what I’m saying is wrong in some way, shape, or form (or perhaps entirely)? Should I not have an opinion – as poorly formed as it might be? Should I not put that opinion out there even if it is laughed at, stamped on, or completely torn apart? Should we not do the same with any piece of art? As imperfect as it is? That’s one of the primary reasons for putting my opinion out there: to help me find the blindspots in my thinking. Which are both gigantic and numerous. I’m not just trying to challenge you with my writing; I’m trying to challenge myself.” – click to tweet
3) “Be humble enough to consider the other side and admit when/where you have it wrong. If you need help understanding something ask questions. If you’re struggling to see it from the other side, become curious, not judgemental. We all have our beliefs. We all cling to them out of security. We’re all ignorant to a large degree. Be sensitive to that.” – click to tweet
2 Quotes:
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
― George Orwell
“In order to be able to think, you have to risk being offensive.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that believes the inherent meaningless of existence is a blank canvas you’re meant to paint meaning on to… And the only newsletter to suggest you should paint it fucking red!
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “What typically follows atheism is a confrontation with nihilism. It sits like a dark storm cloud gathering strength on the horizon. This is where we run the risk of throwing out the baby with the holy bathwater in the modern age. When we decide that we can do whatever we feel like – only whatever feels good. This, of course, makes everything harder. Over time, it only serves to reinforce the belief that our own lives are meaningless. This is the trap that nihilism sets.”
2) “When we ask what the meaning of life is, the instinct is to search the stars for some cosmic significance. In doing so, we unwittingly set the bar for what a meaningful life should be so high that only God Himself can reach it. If you don’t believe in God, that’s a big problem.”
3) Meaning is the lift we need to get out of bed in the morning. We generate it in one of two ways:
The first is by taking responsibility for our life. Our responsibilities are the weight we carry. If we neglect them they keep us grounded. By taking responsibility for our lives we lighten the load. In doing so we have more energy to tackle the things we really want to.
The second is by helping others. We want to help others intrinsically. But we’re also intrinsically selfish. The difference is, helping others gives us the lasting peace we crave. The kind of lasting peace we fail to find when only acting for ourselves. It’s the lift we need to sustain us over the long-haul.
2 Quotes:
“What I relate is the history of the next two centuries. I describe what is coming, what can no longer come differently: the advent of nihilism. . . For some time now, our whole European culture has been moving as toward a catastrophe, with a tortured tension that is a growing from decade to decade: relentlessly, violently, headlong, like a river that wants to reach the end, that no longer reflects, that is afraid to reflect.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
“Don’t aim at success—the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run—in the long run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.”
– Viktor Frankl
1 Joke Poem:
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that tells you to smash through your writer’s block in a fit of rage like the hulk!
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
1) “Cutting out distractions and inspiration are the same thing.”- click to tweet
2) “We cultivate meaning by helping others. Intrinsically this is what we want to do. Asking for help allows others to do exactly that. Letting people help you is perhaps the greatest gift you can give. The gift of meaning.”-click to tweet
3) 5 ways to smash your writer’s block to smithereens:
Charge through it. Show up at the same place, same time, every single day. Be ritualistic about it. (Even – especially – when you don’t feel like it. ) Eliminate all distractions and just write. Do nothing else. You’d be amazed how many people with writer’s block actually fail to show up and do any writing. Inspiration comes from doing the work, not the other way around.
Go around it. Don’t keep smacking your head against a brick wall. This is the definition of insanity. If you’re stuck on a particular topic, blog post or storyline, try writing about something else. This can be a different project or a different section of the same one. Often the best course of action is to go around the problem. Once the muse gets going you can tackle your original problem with renewed energy.
Karate chop multiple blocks at the same time. Similar to the last piece of advice. Don’t put all your psychological eggs in one basket. I think it’s best to have two or three projects going at the same time and to move between them. Not only does this help with the cross-fertilisation of ideas (that makes you a better writer), it stops from feeling defeated by any one of them.
Rise above it. Writer’s block is often born out of perfectionism. Being a perfectionist is another way of saying you’re self-conscious. When this happens the internal editor tends to step on the toes of your muse. You need to separate the two. A time for writing. A time for editing. Another idea is to think in terms of writing to one person instead of an audience. Not only does this help to make us feel less self conscious – it has the added benefit of making your writing feel more personal. People respond to honesty and vulnerably first and foremost.
Walk away from it. Ultimately writer’s block is an emotional problem. If you really are stuck it either means you’re taking your writing way too seriously or not taking other matters in your life seriously enough. In either case that means you need to walk away and put life first. Going for a slow mindful walk, sitting down to meditate, playing with our kids or even taking the day off is often all we need to gain that much needed perspective. That’s usually when the apple falls from the tree and smacks us over the head.
2 Quotes:
“All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.”
– Eckhart Tolle
“The responsibility of any creator is to do the work, not judge it. Your job is to fall in love with the process, not grade the outcome.”
– James Clear
1 Joke:
I entered ten puns in a contest to see which would win.
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my new and not-at-all improved (except for name) newsletter! It’s the only newsletter that tells you if you want to take control of your life you have to let go…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 Thoughts:
“When we stall in life the only way to regain lift is to let go. We must let go so we can find our feet again in the present. So we may accept and face our reality as it stands. This is what grounds us. We let go of what we can’t control in order to regain control of what we can.”
“The primary reason we give life meaning is because it gives us hope. When we fail to see the meaning in something we lose hope. This causes us to give up.”
“The reason we lose meaning is because we’re clinging to something. Ironically it’s often an outdated belief that we’re unable (or refuse) to let go of. A belief that clashes with our current reality. This prevents us from instilling or finding new meaning in what currently is.”
2 Quotes:
“When you are grounded there is no need to look up or down. You are where you are, and you hold true strength and power from that position. The success you experience becomes more enduring and robust. It is only once you are grounded that you can truly soar.”
– Brad Stulberg
“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed. Proficiency and results come only to those who have learned the paradoxical art of doing and not doing, or combining relaxation with activity.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to 3-2-1 Flying Fridays! The only weekly post that never gives up – even when all hope is lost!
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 x Thoughts:
1) We’re taught to do things to please our parents for survival. When we eventually grow up we realise we don’t have to do things to please others anymore. Only what we know is right in our hearts. Often that means saving yourself because we’re the only ones that can.
2) It’s important to maintain both a sense of control and a sense of change in our lives. Too much predictability the more meaningless our existence begins to feel. But too much change can throw us into chaos. We start to feel out of control. We need to pursue meaningful but manageable change over time. To do that we need to imagine the person we want to become and then take baby steps through steady, controlled self-discipline.
3) When a pilot flies an aeroplane the last thing they aim at is the obstacle they don’t want to hit. If a plane is on fire the pilots only have one goal: The nearest piece of tarmac. They will think of nothing else. They sure as hell won’t give up, even if the odds are truly stacked against them. How could they? Why would they? And why would you?
2 x Quotes:
“My conclusion as a clinical psychologist has been that as paralyzing and terrible as our propensity for negative emotion is, and as grounded in reality as that propensity might be, it’s more the case that our ability to overcome it is actually stronger than it’s grip on us.”
— Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
— Charles Darwin
1 x Joke:
It’s been raining a lot here recently. When we went outside yesterday I asked my wife is she wanted to hear a joke about umbrellas.
She said, “No, it’ll probably go straight over my head.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to 3-2-1 Flying Fridays! The only weekly post that has a personality disorder…
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 something special (maybe).
As a bonus I’ve finished with one joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 x Thoughts:
1) A great way to unburden your mind is to write your worries down on paper. Then, ask yourself some objective questions about those thoughts and write those answers down. Then, keep going – keep asking questions about your answers and writing those thoughts down. Eventually, as if by magic, you’ll come to a surprising insight.
2) What you want is a different hat to wear for every occasion. But you also want to wear the hat most suited to who you are as much as you possibly can. To put it another way: you should specialise at what you are but practise what you aren’t.
3) Your personality is the lens through which you view the world. Part of what colours this lens has do with the social context under which we have been raised. But another major part has to do with the innate personality traits that we were born with. Who we are – who we really are – runs deep. This understanding is important. Not only for knowing who we should become, but for helping us understand that other people are fundamentally different. It’s this understanding that helps foster greater compassion and tolerance for “the other side.” It also encourages us to engage with the other side so they can help point out our blind spots.
2 x Quotes:
“To be human means to be constantly in the grip of opposing emotions, to daily reconcile apparently conflicting tensions. I want this, but I need that. I cherish this, but I adore its opposite, too.”
— Stephen Fry
“What frightens us or gives us anxiety is not when bad things happen—it’s when we’re not sure whether a bad thing will happen or not.”
— Mark Manson
1 x Thing:
This Mark Manson article: The 3 Paradoxes of Life in which he answers the question of finding contentment by wrestling with the 3 paradoxes of life. The paradox of choice struck a chord with me in particular. As he writes, “Freedom is only meaningful when it is given up. And we give up freedom by making commitments.” Well worth a read!
1 x Joke:
Did you hear the tragic news about the Italian chef who died?
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to 3-2-1 Flying Fridays! The only weekly post that takes an extended break without telling anyone… (I missed you all too!)
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 something special (maybe).
As a bonus I’ve finished with one joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 x Thoughts:
1) If you think of a task in its entirety it can often feel overwhelming. Like staring up at a dragon. If that’s the case, don’t tell yourself you have to take down the whole dragon today. Just see if you can take a step closer to the cave that it’s residing in. Simply sharpen your sword. Get your armour ready. Whatever it is – reduce your ambition till you find the task you are willing to do and then move towards it.
2)A low energy life is a dangerous one. To live optimally you need look after your energy levels. You need to match the amount you’re carrying to the amount of drive you have available depending on the time or day. That might mean letting something go, which can be hard. But if you don’t – if you carry too much weight – you run the risk of stalling. This makes things much harder.
3) Often the reason we don’t gain energy from/motivation for an activity is to do with our relationship towards it, not the activity itself.
2 x Quotes:
“Show me a man who isn’t a slave; one who is a slave to sex, another to money, another to ambition; all are slaves to hope or fear.”
— Seneca
“Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes.”
— Carl Jung
1 x Thing:
This Psyche article: How to take things less personally by Joel Minden. I particuarly liked the advice about distinguishing thoughts from feelings. Quote:
“A good way to distinguish feelings from thoughts is to remember that feelings can often be summarised in one word – nervous, happy, surprised, scared – and thoughts are the ideas that drive or follow the feelings… practise labelling them whenever you have the opportunity. For example, if during a dinner, your guest suddenly got quiet and you thought: ‘He doesn’t like talking with me,’ acknowledge that you’re working with a thought that may or may not be true, and then consider the feeling that came with that thought. An example of a more accurate way to describe what happened is: ‘When he got silent during dinner, I felt sad because I thought he didn’t like talking with me.’ Remember that feelings are not debatable – you just feel how you feel, even when you wish you didn’t. Your thoughts, on the other hand, can be challenged, revised or replaced with more realistic and useful ones.“
1 x Joke:
We took our kids to beach yesterday.
I turned to my eldest and said, “How does the sea say hi to the beach?”
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 something special (maybe).
As a bonus I’ve finished with one joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 x Thoughts:
1)A relationship without conflict is doomed. We must challenge each other if we want to grow together. We need a person who will contend with us, not someone who will only worship us. We need someone who is courageous enough to tell us the truth, even if it hurts.
2)If you want to conquer fear you have to define it in pain-staking detail first. You have to hold it up in the light and examine it to see it for what it really is:
False.
Evidence.
Appearing.
Real.
3) Change is the only certainty in life. To cling to what you know only provides you with a false sense of security. To embrace change – to embrace the unknown – is to embrace life itself.
2 x Quotes:
“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: “Is this the condition that I feared?””
— Seneca
“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”
Hello lovely readers and welcome back to 3-2-1 Flying Fridays! The only weekly post that believes you have to write your thoughts down in order to see them.
Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 something special (maybe).
As a bonus I’ve finished with one joke that’s so bad, it’s good!
Let’s begin!
3 x Thoughts:
1)The more notes you take the more connections you build. The more connections you build the more your writing improves.
2)A simple way to outline blog post.
Start with the problem.
Tell your readers what the solution is.
Tell them how to implement this solution (break it down).
Finish by highlighting the main takeaway(s).
3) A guide to challenging negative beliefs:
Write down your negative belief.
Ask yourself what factual evidence exists to support this belief.
Ask yourself what contrary evidence exists to refute it.
Ask yourself what a friend would say.
State a new belief based on new evidence/what your friend would say.
Ask yourself what your life would look like if you continue to invest in this belief.
Every time you notice your old belief surfacing challenge it with your new belief.
State your new belief every morning as part of your routine – keep repeating it your mind until it takes over.
2 x Quotes:
“Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up. But the writing is a way of not allowing those things to destroy you.”
“The worst readers are those who behave like plundering troops: they take away a few things they can use, dirty and confound the remainder, and revile the whole… The philosopher believes that the value of his philosophy lies in the whole, in the building: posterity discovers it in the bricks with which he built and which are then often used again for better building: in the fact, that is to say, that that building can be destroyed and nonetheless possess value as material.”
“We ask ourselves, “Who am I to share what I know?” Actually, who are you not to share? You have an embarrassment of riches. You know more than 99.9% of people in human history. You having impostor’s syndrome does not serve the world. Everyone is a teacher. Knowledge is abundant. The more you give it, the more you have it. When you teach others, you teach a student and create a future teacher. You become a link in the chain of wisdom that gets passed from human to human and generation to generation.”
1 x Joke:
We were having fondue for dinner the other night when my son flung melted cheese across the table.
I said, “Watch out, there’s been an explosion… Da brie is everywhere!!”
Clear Air Turbulence 