Issue #225: 1,490 Post-It Notes
Good morning. It’s Saturday, August 12th.
Sending our thoughts to those who lost their lives and homes in Maui. 🙏
Today’s Quick Win
You don’t have to do it 1,490 times 😄
Inspiration: 1,490 Post-It Notes
What We’re Listening To: Resilient Kids
Moment of Fun: Back to School
Brain Games: Sudoku
Question: Moment of Silence
“No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength.”
The percentage of people with hearing damage/loss who report having “excellent” hearing. (CDC)
This Week
This week we explored how to take control of your Health & Longevity journey.
Issue #223 - we’ve made the world a very loud place. Reduce your time in loud places, take a break from the ear buds, and protect your hearing - as well as your sanity.
Issue #224 - silence is golden! Finding time to be in complete silence or solitude is even more relaxing than listening to Mozart. It’s not easy at first - but don’t underestimate being comfortable in silence.
Click HERE to check out previous issues in the Thrive25 archive.
Inspiration
Chris Yandle had just gotten laid off by Georgia Tech. It was the low point of his career. After moving from one school to another for his job, it was time for another move - taking his family back home to Louisiana.
A year later in the transition to middle school (4th grade in LA), his daughter was about to attend her fourth school in five years, and the stress of such disruption was starting to show up in her anxiety.
Looking for a way to connect with her, Chris started writing post-it notes every morning. Just simple stuff - ways to help her navigate her new school.
That was August 14th, 2017.
Six years later, Chris has written her 1,094 notes and another 396 notes for her younger brother.
As an introvert who didn’t have an intimate relationship with his parents, Chris had been looking for a way to more deeply connect with his kids. These notes turned out to be the solution.
It’s become his way of helping them through bullying, anxiety, and just the general ups and downs of growing up.
As someone who’s been doing a lot of writing lately (ahem - 225 issues), I asked Chris how he stays up with the notes everyday. How can other parents take on such a project?
He used to write them every night or even that morning before school. Now he spends 30 minutes every Sunday writing them out for the week.
Right now he has 106 ideas in his Notes app for future use. Most of these will never turn into post-it notes, but it’s all part of the process - things he reads, hears, or what’s happening in their lives right now.
But it’s not just about the logistics - here’s what it takes to write notes that you’re kids will actually read:
Really listen - you gotta know what’s going on with them, what’s taking up space in their brain.
Have empathy - Chris needs to consider what his 15-yr old sarcastic daughter wants to read compared to his much more innocent and younger son.
And hey - if they only take 1-2 things to heart that’s ok. His daughter is known for saying things like “that was dumb” or “didn’t read it today.”
But as parents we need to have thick skin - because they really are reading them. They’re always watching and paying attention.
It all ties back to what Chris believes is most important as a parent - our kids don’t care what we know.
My kids keep me humble. My daughter always says, ‘my dad is a doctor, but not the kind that helps people.’
They just care that we’re there for them.
That we listen, don’t judge. And…that we love them.
For more - follow Chris on Instagram.
What About You?
It doesn’t matter if these notes are for our kids, our partners, our friends, or our parents - it’s impossible to overstate the power of our words.
My son just changed preschool classes for the new school year. I wrote a thank you note to his teachers who were absolutely amazing for the past 12 months.
I swear the emotion in their eyes reading the card was 10x compared to another gift card or mug from Target.*
Who do you want to start writing to???
*Yes - I know teachers still want gift cards too 😄
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Think you’re actually getting outside enough? Check out NatureDose - the app that tracks your time in nature. Check out this video from one of the founders at the University of Oregon.
Don’t worry - it’s not another time-sucking app that adds to your screen time. It uses GPS and machine-learning to simply track your time outside. Think of it as the “anti-app”. Check it out HERE.
What We’re Listening To | Resilient Kids
Somehow it’s already time to go back to school (at least in some parts of the country). With my oldest starting first grade this year, it’s a good reminder that my most important job is making sure my kids are safe and healthy - and then doing my best to instill them with our values.
Well there were two podcasts this week that speak to both of those themes:
Dr. Elisa Song was a guest on the Dhru Purohit podcast talking about “The Top 5 Mistakes Parents make When Their Child Has a Fever.” Spoiler Alert - don’t just douse them with Tylenol or Motrin. Even if you don’t have kids, there’s some great insights on how to treat ourselves when we get sick.
LISTEN HERE | Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
Dr. Caroline Leaf spoke with Dave Asprey about how to “Raise Resilient Minds: How to Help Your Kids Self Regulate and Form Better Habits.” There’s so much we can do to help our kids navigate this crazy world and the crazy wires in their own mind. Again for any non-parents out there, I can tell you the advice we give our kids is often very applicable to ourselves.
LISTEN HERE | Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon
Moment of Fun | Back to School
It’s that time of year - schools making it easy on parents for all the logistics for back to school…right??
Brain Games | Sudoku
This puzzle is considered easy - see how fast you can solve.
Credit: WebSudoku.com
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
Weekend Q
When can you realistically incorporate periods of silence or solitude into your daily or weekly schedule?
Product Recs
💊 Momentous - unlock your peak performance with Momentous supplements: scientifically proven, clinically backed, and patented formulas. Exclusive offer for Thrive25 subscribers: enjoy a 15% discount off the entire product portfolio. Use Code Thrive at checkout. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your performance journey - shop now!
🍴 Primal Kitchen - Primal Kitchen redefines flavor with a healthy twist, offering an array of irresistible options. Enjoy a 10% discount off your entire order at Primal Kitchen. Don’t miss out - click HERE to claim your discount today!
Thanks for another great week! Who didn’t see this one coming? Here’s a little Simon & Garfunkel to enjoy the weekend…if you want a new version, check out Disturbed or Pentatonix.
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
** Brain Games Answer **
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.