Issue #362: Your Board of Advisors
Good morning. It’s Saturday, June 29th.
Stat of the Day
The percentage of Americans with 3 or fewer close friends. This is a dramatic decline in the last 30 years - having close confidants is essential for our health & longevity. (source)
Weekly Favorites
A few quick hits to share this week that I think you’ll love -
That map we shared in Issue #359 is from GeoJango Maps. The founder is a cartographer from NASA - great purchase for the family. Tell ‘em you found it from Thrive25 😊.
Another great shoe brand to check out if you’re ready to graduate to no drop shoes (Issue #358) is Altra. Had a Thrive25 reader tell us how much they love the Lone Peaks for hiking and climbing.
Went on a great date with my wife - no drinking, no late night. Instead we did a sauna/cold plunge. A spot here in Tampa where you get a private room with a 2-person infrared sauna and cold tub right next to it. Felt totally relaxed, had great conversation, and no hangover!
If you’re ever in South Tampa - check out The Salt Room.
Revisit
This week we explored chatter - the constant self-talk, positive and negative, that can take you away from your goals.
Issue #360 - identifying and managing inner chatter, how it takes up brain energy, and how to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing
Issue #361 - discover the power of temporal distancing - a wisdom that doesn’t take 50 years to achieve
Click HERE to check out the entire Thrive25 archive.
Focus
Board of Advisors
This week we shared some tips to avoid the trap of that negative inner voice:
Name that inner critic something else
Be a celebrity and refer to yourself in the third-person (yes, this does really help)
Put your “coaching hat” on as if you were helping someone else and create some distance from the problem
But we can’t solve everything by ourselves. That’s why we’re told to talk it out with someone else. It’s true - we need other people.
The biggest benefit of a group of guys (mostly dads) who go for 6am walks together is to realize you’re not alone. So many of us are facing the exact same challenges and dealing with the same mental blocks.
For me - these guys are like a personal Board of Advisors. Just like a company, we all need that outside perspective from people who are invested in our success and can help us work to and maintain a positive mindset when everything seems like a massive problem.
But before you go sharing all your problems - a little warning: this can actually make you feel worse.
When we seek out others we just want to feel heard and want support. But studies now show that people who talk more about traumatic events (9/11, school shootings, parent passing away) end up feeling worse and have more negative thoughts than those that don’t talk about it at all.
That’s because it can create “co-rumination.” You can’t just complain to someone - this does 2 things:
It pulls you further apart from that confidant - no matter how nice that person is - we’re naturally repelled (even subconsciously) by people constantly dragging us down without any positivity
You just wallow in the problem without getting some insight or plan to get out of the spiral
So instead - find others who want to help you create that distance that maybe you couldn’t see yourself and accept the coaching.
Yes - empathy is key, but so is finding a solution. Just feeling emotions isn’t enough - you have to feel like there’s a light ahead.
That’s what great confidants (Advisors) do - they listen, they show empathy, but they also don’t let us endlessly spiral.
Who are your Board of Advisors and who are you there for you to advise?
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Max is halfway through his bag of Momentous Essential Protein (Vanilla) - he’s getting 40% of his RDA and it tastes great with his banana-blueberry-strawberry smoothies.
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Thrive25 subscribers get 15% off the entire product portfolio using code Thrive at checkout. Click HERE!
Read
Chatter
A lot of this week’s content came from Ethan Kross’ book Chatter. It’s a quick read, but references real scientific studies (he’s a professor of psychology and Director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan) and include real practical tips and tools. In fact, the last few pages of the book include tools to get you out of your own head, how to help others, and how to RECEIVE help from others.
One example is “the Batman effect” or helping your kids call themselves by the name of a superhero when they’re dealing with big emotions (“wait - what would Bluey do?”).
Yes - I realize parents without young kids have no idea who Bluey is and I also know that every parent with kids has seen every single episode - 10x. Don’t let the animation fool you - it’s actually a pretty awesome show.
Explore
Big Sur
We love National Parks (Issue #323, Issue #359, etc.) - state parks aren’t too bad either. Big Sur is home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails, camping, and scenic views of the Pacific Ocean. In this sanctuary, you can recharge, rejuvenate, and reconnect with nature's raw beauty.
Hike the scenic trails of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where the iconic McWay Falls cascade directly into the ocean. Embrace the serenity of the redwood forests, offering a tranquil retreat for meditation and mindfulness. Explore the rugged coastline by hiking or kayaking, where the sea whispers ancient tales and wildlife flourishes. And for those seeking a blend of adventure and wellness, Big Sur's natural hot springs provide a healing escape, merging the therapeutic warmth of mineral-rich waters with breathtaking views.
Whether it's hiking, camping, forest bathing, kayaking, surfing, birding, or just driving through, Big Sur promises an unforgettable experience!
ALERT: Caltrans continues to make progress on repairing Highway 1 from the damage earlier this year. 4.3 miles of the roadway was opened last Sunday, but there is still 6.8 mi to go with more repairs along other portions of the scenic highway in progress. Be sure to plan ahead.
Brain Games
Kyudoku
Time for Kyudoku - a 6x6 grid where you need to use logic to find nine unique numbers (1 to 9) so that each row and column has a sum of 9 or less. Sudoku, but with more distractions. The 8 highlighted in yellow is given.
Here’s a little help to get started. Because we know 8 is given, we can’t use 8 again (gray boxes) and we can also eliminate any numbers that would make the sum of the row or column with the given 8 more than 9 (blue boxes). Have fun and use that brain!
Credit: Brainzilla
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
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Thanks for another great week!
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** Brain Games Answer **
Here’s the answer. In this grid, find 9…then 1…and 5, and then you should be in good shape to figure out the rest. How did you solve it?
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!
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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.