Issue #230: Stop Living In the Future
Good morning. It’s Thursday, August 24th.
Wherever there’s a need for food, World Central Kitchen will be there. In two weeks they set up operations and delivered 60,000 meals to families in West Maui. If you want to support their mission donate HERE.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Our Relationship With the Future
Speed Read: Next Gen Golf (For Us Amateurs)
Thursday Night In: Honey Garlic Chicken Mango Salad
“We all know our money isn’t infinite, yet we end up treating our time and energy and attention as if they are.”
Think we can control the future? This is how many decisions we make every day. Sure not all of them will change our life, but more will than we realize. (Source)
From the Lab
So if we live for 3,973 weeks (Issue #229), then at age 42 I’m past halfway.*
I’ve thought about this a lot - but I haven’t fully gotten it.
I obviously don’t understand the finitude of life if I continue to - mentally - live so much of it in the future?
Somewhere deep down, I keep thinking that there’s some point in the future when I’ll be done chasing - having achieved whatever it is that I needed to and can start just living.
It’s true with money.
I trust that working my ass off now for Thrive25 will generate enough money for me to finally have the time and freedom that I “don’t” today.
It’s true with kids.
I honestly don’t want my 6-yr old to ever grow up. She’s just the greatest human in the world. I’m in awe of her generosity and warm spirit - and I never want to lose that connection with her.
Now her 2-yr old brother is a different story. I catch myself always thinking “we just got to get through this stage” and keep hearing other people tell me “you’re in the thick of it.”
It’s true with fitness.
Every time I run there’s this tiny voice that makes up some excuse on why it wasn’t faster and believes that there’s a faster pace in my future - maybe when I’m not working so hard or waking up to a crying 2-yr old.
It’s true with friends/family.
I go months, even years, between seeing some of the people that I care about most in my life. Yet, I think that will change in the future.
At some point, I’ll be surfing and playing golf with my buddies all the time, right? Some day it’ll be normal to see my parents every month, yea?
But unless teleportation becomes a reality, I know neither of these things are true.
I’m waiting for things that simply aren’t going to happen.
From what I’ve read - I do this because I want to believe in the certainty of a better future. Unfortunately, that’s impossible. There is no certainty.
We’re smart to save our money, to keep running, and to plan trips with friends and family (all good things to do) - but we still don’t know what the future will bring.
And by holding on too tightly to that future we don’t do enough right now and don’t appreciate this moment in time enough - it’s all we’re guaranteed.
There’s a difference between “planning for the future” and “living in the future.”
It’s the greatest lesson from the Jiddu Krishnamurti:
I don’t mind what happens.
There are three key takeaways from this:
We’ve made thousands of decisions a day (see Stat of the Day) up until this point and made it this far. Maybe we need to let go (just a bit) and trust where it goes from here.
If something really matters to us, do it right now. I love the idea of instantaneous generosity. If, in the moment you feel like giving, do it - right then and there. If you wait, you probably won’t get back around to it. (World Central Kitchen, anyone?). The same is true with relationships - want to see your friend in California? Call ‘em up and make a plan. What are you waiting for?
Embrace the ordinary, the mundane - take advantage of every single day. If there’s no arch taking us to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, then you better just enjoy the ride - and even the one hour wait beforehand.
That reminds me, I gotta show my wife that Cedar Point is the best amusement park in the world - I should book that trip right now (hope she’s as excited as I am).
*Of course, one of the reasons we started Thrive25 was to get more than 4,000 weeks of a healthy life.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Meta-Thinking for the News: The media (24-hour news networks, social media, etc.) doesn’t care about our mental health - just eyeballs. We’re wired to click on the negative so that’s what they give us. Here’s 5 tips to better consume news. (Big Think)
Our Source of Oxygen: Evolution is nutty - a chance interaction between a protozoan and red alga 200M years ago has left some phytoplankton equipped with a “protein pump” enzyme that supercharges its ability to convert carbon dioxide. Check out this read on how this finding impacts climate change predictions - and more importantly, solutions. (WIRED)
Next Gen Golf: Arccos - on-course tracking system, just raised $20M, and is giving all of us non-pros the chance to track every shot on 40,000+ courses. It’s like watching the yellow line on a CBS broadcast for our own shots (unfortunately this will only prove my drives won’t be going 340 yards like Rory McIlroy). (PGA Tour)
Thursday Night In | Honey Garlic Chicken Mango Salad
This delectable dish features organic chicken thighs for lean protein, honey and garlic bring a powerful antioxidant punch and support heart health, nutrient-rich mangoes and red onions aid digestion, and feta cheese supports bone health. The lemon juice, garlic, and honey combination enhances your immune system. And the cilantro dressing not only adds flavor but also infuses the salad with additional vitamins and minerals. Savor this flavorful and nourishing salad!
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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, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.