Ever noticed how the narratives we weave of the stories that happened in our life are rarely objective? For as long as I can remember, I have felt the need to compare and label my experiences; and then turn the bad ones into one of learning and attribute them to some cosmic plan for my greater good.
This need to label our experiences as ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘better than’, ‘worse off’, ‘at least it’s not’ and so on can be exhausting. I find it so. Things need not always happen ‘for a reason’. There is no need to look on the bright side, or look for balance, all the time.
That is not to say I operate like a robot. To my over-analyzing brain, not assigning meaning to incidents, especially ones out of my control, is a way of relaxing and calming down.
Parallelly, this also led me to the conclusion that I can assign meanings as I see fit. The way I assign them by default is a result of my upbringing. I can rewire my brain to produce kinder narratives.
Here is a related article on how your narratives shape your present. It’s quite long, I suggest you grab a cup of tea.
Brain Food
Watched ‘Fleabag’, a comedy series and ‘Modern Love’, a rom-com anthology series, both funny and heartwarming in their own, drastically different ways. You can find both on Amazon Prime.
‘Willow’ by Taylor Swift and ‘Expressions’ by Nathaniel Drew and Tom Fox are the ear candy that got me through some tough times.
‘So Good They Can’t Ignore you’ is the kind of book I need to study, not read. It discusses the difference between the passion mindset and the craftsman mindset, and refutes the validity of the former. If you are one of the ‘Follow your passion’ proponents like I was (and partly still am), the book gives you a nice reality check.
Finance
Not a money move week I’m afraid, but I did make some strides with learning -
I’m thinking about getting a credit card and did some research
Going to start reading ‘The Psychology of Money’ by Morgan Housel
While I am happy I started investing, they are by no means equivalent to building strong money habits. So I’ll be taking this week to get my finances in order and understand how I can make sustainable money moves in a disciplined way.
Rupiko is a financial newsletter I subscribe to. They give legit money advice and also hold finance workshops from time to time.
A quote and a question
This is a scene from Marvel’s Agents Of Shield (streaming on Hotstar) series that I adore -
Jemma Simmons : I like to think about the first law of thermodynamics, that no energy in the universe is created and... none is destroyed.
Jemma Simmons , Leo Fitz : None is destroyed.
[Both smile]
Jemma Simmons : That means that every bit of energy inside us, every particle will go on to be a part of something else. Maybe live as a dragonfish, a microbe, maybe burn in a supernova ten billion years from now. And every part of us now was once a part of some other thing - a moon, a storm cloud, a mammoth.
Leo Fitz : A monkey.
Jemma Simmons : [Smiles] A monkey. Thousands and thousands of other beautiful things that were just as terrified to die as we are. We gave them new life. Good one, I hope.
I find it fascinating that many of life’s romanticized notions find their origins in physics.
A part of setting myself up for success and happiness is to put myself in situations that help me thrive, not struggle to survive. Doing my best is not the only factor at play here.
So I ask, what situations, actions or people bring out the best version of you?
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Great one! Categorising incidents is indeed a good habit while thinking in deep.