Tag: quote

A case for pessimism

“I think there is a real relationship [between the two]: a society that tells people that they can achieve anything will also be a society that very swiftly develops a problem with self-esteem. If everybody expects to achieve everything, you’re going to get an awful lot of people who are feeling that something’s gone dramatically wrong with their lives.”

Alain de Botton

set visions, not goals

I’ve learned that embracing the ‘why’ of what I’m doing is a lot more valuable than the ‘what’.

A vision helps drive me forward and estabilish an overarching sense of purpose, whereas a set target always changes once I hit it. Life tends not to obey the metrics or deadlines usually associated with goals, so setting a strong vision rather than a concrete goal can be a much more powerful, ambitious long-term motivator.

Emphasys is mine … I’ll ad up the author as I’ve took a photo of this phrase a couple of months ago and forgot to take note.

the social upside of sharing

there is a social upside to sharing the product of one’s labors. Doing so sparks conversations, which may lead to the productive exchange of ideas. This is how we collectively improve. Sadly, society has become less social. In our post-social world, we don’t converse as much as we scream past each other. Social media is nothing but a war for attention. Our media rewards — and is driven by — outrage and the cheap clicks it generates.

Om Malik

Want to Be More Productive? Try Doing Less.

Life is not about racking up a list of accomplishments. What can you stop doing to make more time for yourself, make more time for joy, and use your time more meaningfully? The next time you set a goal or decide you want to improve upon an area of your life — or simply alleviate some of the pain that area is causing you — remember to go for subtraction instead of addition. Revel in the joy of doing less.

KATE NORTHRUP, Harvard Business Review

You are not helpless.

You are not helpless. There are other things you can do to empower yourself. First and foremost, the public health measures being recommended to us — including hand washing, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings, really are the best means of protecting yourself from exposure.

Prevention is and will remain the best medicine.

However, many will still get infected despite adhering to these practices.What else can you do to improve your odds of beating Covid-19 should you become infected?

One key step: Maximize your health now, before you get sick.

Studies have shown that those most at-risk are over 60 and/or have preexisting health problems like diabetes, obesity, cardiac disease, lung disease or generalized deconditioning.If you have these (or other) medical problems, you can choose to be proactive and start addressing them with your fullest effort, starting today. You know that blood pressure medicine you never take because you hate taking pills and it makes you feel old? Start today. If you rarely, if ever, check your blood sugars and have allowed your diabetes to get out of control because the finger sticks and insulin shots are annoying — get your sugars under control starting today. Got asthma or lung disease? Begin consistently using your prescribed inhalers.

And, for goodness’ sake, stop smoking and vaping immediately. Commit to losing 10 pounds this month and force yourself to walk at least a mile every single day, starting today. Get your flu vaccine right now.Even people without diagnosed medical problems should maximize their health. Exercise, weight loss, a healthy diet and good sleep are certainly beneficial to your body.

Be empowered. By doing these simple things that your doctors have recommended to you for years, you have the power to improve your resilience. How much? It depends. But in the face of this virus, even a very small amount of improvement in your overall health could be the difference between mild or more severe symptoms, and for some, it could mean the difference between life and death.

You are not helpless. Do everything you can not to get the virus. But make sure that if you do, you are already at your strongest.

James P. Phillips, MD

history will teach us nothing

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Reading the opening of issue #72 on the Dense Discovery newsletter, I’ve found this – obviously old – quote by Martin Luther King jr. Given he was murdered in 1968 this quote is almost fifty yeas old and still way too relevant today.

Isn’t is somewhat sad ?