Issue #187: Living With Purpose
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 16th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Acedia - Stuck in Neutral
Speed Read: Jellyfish Robots
Tuesday QR: Banana Smoothie Bowl
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.”
The percentage of Americans who define their purpose through work. (McKinsey)
From the Lab
I’ve always loved commencement season.
It’s been 20 years since that cold (yes, cold) weekend in June when my entire family came out to celebrate my degree from Northwestern - in some ways it seems impossible that much time has gone by - but I still get that feeling of spring and inspiration being around hopeful high school and college grads.
And there’s no shortage of speeches to remind us of what’s really important in life - plenty of rich, successful people telling us the key to life isn’t money or success.
But the irony doesn’t mean that there isn’t some truth to what’s being said to these young kids - check out the late Chadwick Boseman’s speech at Howard University in 2018:
He talks about purpose - “the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill.”
But after the excitement wears off - we’re out on our own and have to find different motivation to keep seeking out our passions and living our true purpose.
For many of us - those inspiring words as we entered the workforce become a distant memory and 20 years later our focus has shifted from making a difference in the world to comparing our lives based on financial wealth, job titles, and who we know (wait - Nick wrote speeches for the President and Steve has a house on Maui?).
Acedia.
I’d never heard of this word before reading “The Second Mountain.” It means living a life that doesn’t arouse strong passions or a sluggishness of the soul, being stuck in neutral.
It stopped me - I literally put down the book and thought about this word.
How many of us - even with great partners, healthy families, good-paying jobs - can relate to life feeling like we’re going through the motions, or getting through the day?
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t feel frustrated or recognize that life is f’ing hard - it is.
But that’s the point - it’s ok to feel all the highs and lows. But when we aren’t fully engaged and aren’t focused on what really matters or our purpose - then we’re just in neutral.
Side Note: why are people so flaky now? Because when you are committed to anything you don’t recognize the impact your presence has and your ego makes decisions for yourself without empathy for others.
The solution isn’t just about taking a quote from a commencement speech.
I can tell you firsthand that the answer isn’t just “quitting your job and following your passion.” Money doesn’t buy happiness, but living paycheck-to-paycheck creates massive chronic stress.
But since quitting my job - I’ve parked my ego and become much more attuned to what brings me joy, how I can connect with and support people around me, and actually feel the emotions that I’m feeling.
There’s no single answer for any of us - it’s a personal journey. But I’d challenge you to take on this one question to figure out what and who is most important to you and to more fully live out your passion:
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Go Cats!
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
You spoke and we listened. Momentous is back!
Their products are backed with real scientific research, direct clinical proof, and patented ingredients. Momentous works with the brightest minds - scientists as well as performance experts in the NFL, NBA, MLB and more - to develop world-class products and protocols for high-performance seekers at all levels.
Thrive25 subscribers get 15% off the entire product portfolio using code Thrive at checkout. Click HERE!
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose and Lactose: Oh sugar - what’s good, what’s bad and how to approach you? (check out our week dedicated to sugar, Issues #45-49). This post provides a little more detail on the types of sugar and how to best consume it (as part of whole foods). (Levels Health)
Jellyfish Robots: A team at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems built a versatile, energy-efficient and nearly noiseless robot to “collect” plastic from seabeds and bring to the surface for easier collection. And they don’t sting - what’s not to like? (Forbes)
You’re Intolerable!: The immune system resists diseases - it attacks and eliminates the pathogen. Some responses by the immune system outweigh the infection (like sepsis). What if we can tolerate the invader without having to kill it and make ourselves so sick?? (Knowable)
Tuesday QR | Banana Smoothie Bowl
Looking for a healthy snack topped off with some Grand Slam berries? Check out this bowl - quick to prep and easy to enjoy!
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here
Want this direct to your inbox? Sign up here
Why Thrive25
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.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
Sign up for free:
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.