Hello! I haven’t been round for a few weeks but it’s nice to be back.
It’s likely YATSN will continue as an occasional, rather than weekly newsletter. Other projects get in the way but thanks for being on board - there’s still lots to say, just less time to get it out there.
Actually, if I internally combust at my laptop, keep those last words for my epitaph. I’ll figure out a more profound one on the next screen break.
Three minute introspection
I ran listening to a Hurry, Slowly podcast this week, It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s who’s doing it. Loads of transformative chat had me stopping to take audio notes, anti-cool, partridge-style.
I’ve pulled out a few questions that appealed to me below, so you can do a quick introspection on how you think about yourself today:
Who are you, without the doing?
Newsflash: It doesn’t matter what you do (ergo, how you define yourself) we are more than a singular identity, definition, job role or elevator pitch. We change and grow everyday. It’s easy to define strangers with a sentence but each of us is more nuanced and multifaceted than that. How would you define yourself without those anchors?
How to find who you are, without the doing
Yep it sounds a bit woo, but consider your core energy. How you feel when you’re alone in your consciousness. When you’re most at peace. What was your energy as a child? Creative? Empathetic? Competitive? Curious? What energy would you bring to your day-to-day if you were living another life as a musician, scientist, architect or bus driver?
The takeaway
To anchor yourself to narrow goals or definitions narrows your scope for personal fulfilment. Take the time and realign who you are. Not everyone is extroverted and ambitious. What are your real values? What’s your real energy? ‘The inside job’ is the work that you have to do for yourself to discover this.
Not giving up
The latest Tiny Revolutions newsletter on nurturing was great, and full of beautiful ideas for life. I lifted this poem from there. Just really good.
‘Idea space’ and ‘ideas as living things’
It’s fascinating how creative ideas can come about but often hard to articulate - I’ve tried in YATSN before.
Everyone has a rich bank of creative ideas - an infinite bank. Each of our neurological pathways twists, turns and opens new doors of possibility when the right combination of stimuli lands across the dormant padlocks that keep those ideas in the dark.
Concepts feel enlightening when they rattle our padlocks. It can be thrilling or uncomfortable but either way, an open mind - that breaking of seals and fresh redirections across our internal pathways are what make humans the adaptable artists that we are.
A good creative idea ‘enters the collective idea space’ and ‘becomes a living thing’ when it’s adopted by others and takes on a life of its own - morphing to reflect contemporary culture, modern fears, ideologies or aspirations.
This paraphrased definition of ‘idea space’ (in the two sentences above) is lifted from author, John Higgs’s work (oh and if you’re intrigued, Higgs has a newsletter too).
Let’s not bring truth into the idea space though. As the old (but quite new) saying goes:
“An idea doesn’t persist because it’s true. An idea persists because it’s interesting.”
May’s running mantra
Outside and over-thinking as the temperature rises? Me too.
Don’t move, improve
Lastly, a paraphrased James Clear prompt.
I think it means you don’t have to move out to the Kent coast or buy a small holding if you want to switch things up. You can just just focus on one habit until it becomes normalised - much easier.
Stuff like making time for daily stretching, exercise, reading actual books or having good quality coffee at home, so every morning doesn’t start with a cup of absolute shit - you know the score:
"The most reliable way to change your life is by not changing your entire life.
If you merely focus on changing one specific habit and work on it until it becomes part of your normal day, you will find your life changes naturally as a side effect.
Improve the whole by mastering one thing."
And just like that, I can stop scrolling Right Move and start gratitude journaling - though best keep the tabs open, just in case.