Just vibe'n. It'll be OK. Being someone's person. One of those moments. We're so lucky. Impressing others. How you do'in?
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
– Viktor Frankl
1. “Turn fuzzy intuitions into tangible, powerful ideas”
Introducing the vibe worker – Azeem Azhar – (Exponential View)
To say AI is controversial, especially among black-and-white thinkers, is an understatement. While this essay got my attention by framing one interesting approach to AI that I’ve used myself occasionally, it’s the definition of the word “vibe” that struck me.
If you are anything like me, vibes, half-baked thoughts based on snippets of evidence and tons of experience are constantly fizzing in your brain. They are inklings of ideas, essays to write, research to conduct, advice for a founder, new audiences to reach, new ways of doing things, gut feel, and judgment.
While I’m still getting used to the word’s increased popularity, that take helps make it a little more tangible for me.
Do this: Pay attention to your vibes
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2. “Proof that you have what it takes to endure”
Everything Will Be Okay – Lawrence Yeo – (More to That)
Yeo tells of a recent unexpected ER trip, and the pain and suffering that followed. He then generalizes to individual life.
If you were to think back on all the moments where you thought everything collapsed, how do you explain the fact that you’re still here standing today?
Yes, it’s a blatant execution of survivorship bias (if you weren’t here, we wouldn’t be having this thought exercise), but the framework holds, I think. We’ve all overcome more than we often care to remember.
As is my habit, I want to generalize further: to society. I desperately want to believe everything will be okay.
Do this: Think how far you’ve come.
#suffering #survival #survivorship-bias
3. “When you have at least one person”
How to Stay Optimistic About the Future – Simon Sinek – (A Bit of Optimism)
It’s a challenge, no doubt about it. I think a lot of people are wondering if, and how, they can remain positive about the future. In one section of this podcast snippet, Sinek focuses on the personal.
You know, a massively significant reason why you’re able to deal with personal struggle, personal trauma, and things that go really badly in your life or career is when you have at least one person who can put their hand on your shoulder and say, “I’m with you. Don’t worry about it, no matter what happens. No matter what happens, no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. No matter what.
It’s the people in our lives that will really determine just how well we can cope.
Do this: Be someone’s person.
4. “I am so full of gratitude just to be alive.”
I’m Having One of Those Moments. What About You? – Julie Hubbel – (Too Old for This Sh*t)
This took a turn. Based on only the title I was expecting … well, one of THOSE moments. The moments we’ve all been having too many of in recent weeks, months, and even years. The not-so-good kind of moments.
Instead, this was a much more uplifting message of gratitude.
Nothing was promised me. Love wasn’t promised me. A good life (whatever that means) wasn’t promised me. I was given a life. What I do with it is up to me. I’m grateful for the chance to do just that.
It’s so easy to overlook what we have in the turmoil that surrounds us.
Do this: Take a moment. Be grateful.
5. “Aren’t we lucky?”
Radical Optimism: We should be so fortunate – Lisa Lee Curtis – (Vagina Devil Magic)
Sometimes serendipity weirds me out. Within hours of the Hubbel piece on gratitude, above, this arrives. Or perhaps it was the other way around, but it was definitely within just an hour or two at most. First gratitude, now luck and positivity.
The part that took me out when I read the various stories of her life was this quip from her daughter about how, despite everything, her mother embraced life and remained eternally positive:
“Still, she would often say, “Aren’t we lucky?””
“She”, in this case, is Rose Girone, the oldest Holocaust survivor, who recently died at the age of 113.
“Aren’t we lucky?”
After all she’d been through? That is perspective. That is radical optimism. That is … inspiring.
Do this: The essay’s a great summary of what she went through. Recommended reading.
6. “The job you want people to see you have”
Sapere Aude, Beginner’s Mindset, & More – Sahild Bloom – (Curiosity Chronicle)
It’s a different restatement of something we all know but often overlook. We make too many decisions based on what we think will impress others, rather than what we actually want ourselves.
The job you want people to see you have is about status.
The job you want to have is about learning, growth, and energy.
It’s about so much more than jobs, of course. It’s just that your job can have a lifelong impact, for good or bad or missed opportunity.
Do this: Recognize when you’re trying to impress others. Then ask yourself why?
7. “How are you?”
How to answer “How are you?” – A.J. Jacobs – (Experimental Living)
There’s a joke that if you ask an American “How are you?” they’ll answer “fine”, which, by design, tells you absolutely nothing. Ask a Dutchman and they’ll interpret the question as a literal and honest inquiry, and respond with much more than you actually wanted to know.
“Fine” has always struck me as odd and even disingenuous, even if the question wasn’t a question but more the equivalent of grunt made verbal. Jacob’s experiment?
When I’m asked, “How are you?” I answer…
“7 out of 10.”
Or “6 out of 10” or “8 out of 10,” depending on the day.
Life is complicated. No one is “fine”. This approach seems a safe way to acknowledge our imperfect humanity and variable circumstances. Of course you can play with it: “2 stars, would not recommend”, “the tank’s 3/4 full”, etc.. In the right company, any of these could be lighthearted ways to invite more conversation without requiring it.
Do this: Think before you “fine”.
What I’m reading now
- A Little History of Philosophy – Nigel Warburton
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff – Richard Carlson
- Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (Audio)
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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-Leo
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“Five Stars: would live this life again!”
I really like #7 — I’ve always felt the American “call and response” ritual is insipid. Now I have a direction to go. Thanks!