Issue #109: The Search for Fun
Good morning. It’s Thursday, January 19th. The oldest person in the world, 118 yr-old Sister André, passed away on Tuesday this week. She actually lived through two pandemics - having been a teenager during the Spanish Flu in 1919. Today is also the birthday of Elvis Presley (1935). Unfortunately, The King didn't live like Sister André - his life was cut short from a heart attack at the age of 42.
“Men would not know how to fill their days if they had only four hours of work out of twenty-four. In so far as this is true in the modern world, it is a condemnation of our civilization.”
From the Lab: What Are You Looking For?
Take Action: Hobby Time
Speed Read: Continental Drift
Thursday Night In: Coconut Curry Shrimp
Moment of Fun: SNL Undercover Boss
The percent of people in the U.S. who have the hobby of cooking & baking - the #1 hobby [reading is #2 @ 36%] (Statista). My 5-yr old daughter has become obsessed with the Kids Baking Championships on Food Network - she's gearing up to win!
From the Lab
This week might seem a little less rigorous on the science - after all a hobby isn't like working out or changing your diet, right?
Well, turns out more research is coming out on the impact of negative thoughts on aging. Just like relationships matter - having fun is essential for longevity. But who cares about that - why live without some fun?
So far this week we’ve talked about the benefits of taking on a hobby (#106), how to find time (#107), and how to create the right space for a hobby (#108).
But…what the heck do you actually want to do?
Experts suggest starting with what you want more of in your life to think about a specific hobby that might be what you're looking for:
Physicality - anything active you’re not already doing?
Nature - need another excuse to get into the great outdoors (maybe A Big Year?)
Music - making music or finding new music (I've still got 80's station in the car)
Thrill-seeking - do you need more adrenaline-pumping activities?
Calm - need to put your mind at ease from a busy day (my wife loves puzzles - one of our favorites)
Performance - get out of your shell and “on-stage” (Improv anyone? Justin T.!)
Learning - take a class or new challenge
Demonstrating Mastery - teaching can be a hobby
Competition - miss those days of intramural flag football?
Novelty - do you just always want to experience something new?
Maybe this helped trigger some ideas. If you still need inspiration…good old Wikipedia has pretty much every hobby that exists - check out the FULL LIST.
Take Action
Make time for a hobby - that's it.
Literally just do something that you enjoy with no expectation or desired outcome - just have a little fun.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
The Next Rubik’s Cube?: Continental Drift is a 3-D sliding puzzle of Earth mapped onto a mini-soccer ball with 32 faces made of pentagons and hexagons. From a mathematical visualist (PhD) and juggler, the game will provide many hours of joy, or torment, as only one person has solved the puzzle - Dr. Segerman himself when he unscrewed the movable parts, reset and rescrewed it. (NYTimes)
Fighting Neurodegenerative Disease: Researchers from my alma mater, Northwestern University, have managed to create mature neurons from human stem cells that might unlock ways to solve spinal cord injuries and diseases like Parkinson's or ALS. Read more about the science of what's happening right now in Chicago. (Longevity Technology)
What a World-Class Runner Eats: Learn what Olympian Colleen Quigley, a middle-distance runner and current 4x1,500 WR holder, eats to help train and prep for races. Get ready for the “Sando.” (Outside)
Thursday Night In
Awesome dinner recipe directly from Dr. Mark Hyman. Chock full of veggies and spices that promote health & longevity, but when put together an incredibly delicious dinner!
Moment of Fun
SNL Undercover Boss: Star Wars style
Check out the original Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base from SNL...
And Undercover Boss: Where are They Now - Kylo Ren...
Credit: Saturday Night Live
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.