Sunday Thinking

"The present contains within it every potential of the future. The doorway is now. Your future self is built from what you do with the moment you’re in."

The weekly Sunday Thinking newsletter is quick-hit content that aims to provide a booster shot to your thought process as you end and start your week.

"We wait for the road to appear before we leap, but the path is meant to be built ― choice by choice, day by day. What we are waiting on life to give us is often what life is waiting for us to give it." 

― Brianna Wiest, The Pivot Year

I. Presence Over Perfection

You don't need to see the entire path right now. Don't get hung up on future steps. You will learn more after you begin. You will see farther once you start walking.

Here are 3 simple questions to improve your day:

  1. At the beginning of the day: “What am I optimizing for?” 

  2. During the day: “What's the best small thing I can do right now?” 

  3. ​At the end of the day: “Did I do my best?"

Source: James Clear, Atomic Habits 

II. Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention

Your attention can be like a flashlight. Where you point it becomes brighter, highlighted, and more salient:

  • Multitasking or, more specifically, task switching is terrible for our performance, accuracy, and mood.

  • You only have one flashlight. Not two. Not three. And your one flashlight can only ever be shining at one thing at a time. 

In a day when you do a lot of task switching, you'll start having less integrity in any of the states your attention is in, which can lead to becoming slower, more error prone, and emotionally worn down.

Source: Dr. Amishi P. Jha, Peak Mind

III. The Way Forward

  • If you want to connect with wisdom and the beauty of the moment, you need to move slowly. Rushing will make you miss so much and it is actually just a reflection of your inner agitation.

  • Your energy leaves an imprint on the environment that you are in. Your energy does not stay with you, it moves outward and invites others to feel the same way. 

  • Be mindful of the story you are writing in your mind. Is it factual or is it driven by temporarily tumultuous emotions? Ego loves tension and wisdom loves peace.

  • Giving away so much of your time to the requests of others will stop you from giving time to what is good and nourishing for you. Betraying yourself is not virtuous. Constantly saying yes to please others will lead to burnout. Say no frequently if you want to create a clear space in your life for what matters most to you.

Source: Yung Pueblo's Notes

IV. What We’re Excited About

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V. Question

What is a true desire of your heart, versus an aspiration of your ego?

VI. This Week, I Will

  1. Stay present.

  2. Get adequate sleep.

  3. Be consistent with myself.

  4. Learn, unlearn, and relearn.

  5. Be highly selective with my focus.

The Last Words…

"At the end of the day, I hope you can say you chose happiness. That you chose to find joy within the smaller, softer moments that tugged at your heartstrings. That you did not wait for Friday, for next month, for Summer to go out and experience all of the beauty this world has to offer. At the end of the day, I hope you can say you're proud of how hard you fought to become the best version of yourself. That you unapologetically and courageously chose growth, chose healing ― even on the days you did not know how, even on the days it hurt. At the end of the day, I hope you can say you chose your life. That you did not settle or conform or shrink yourself to fit into someone else's cage. That you can boldly and loudly declare that you are and have always been the author of your story. At the end of the day, I hope you can say you did your best. That you relentlessly pursued your dreams and chased all that ignited something bright within your soul. That you slammed yourself into the people and places, experiences and opportunities that were placed before you. That you did not hold yourself back. That you did not stand in your own way. That you went all in and never looked back."

― Alysha Waghorn, Wonderland

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