Reverse Bucket List:
Article in Fast Company about writing your own “reverse bucket list.” Rather than thinking about all of the things you want to accomplish someday, take some time to write down some big achievements you already have. Celebrate small wins like fitting into your old pants again, up to bigger stuff like getting accepted to medical school or passing board exams. This is simply a gratitude exercise with more emphasis on what you have actively accomplished (as always, usually with the help of many supporters).
Wise men:
Insightful article showing the parallels between Jesus of Nazareth and Seneca (the philosopher). A fairly secular take on who Jesus was and what he taught, with many quotes sounding similar to Seneca’s stoic ideas. These two guys may have been born the same year, and likely had just a couple degrees of separation.
Cooking:
Have a Target or Amazon gift card from Christmas? Think about buying an Instant Pot. This pressure cooker can also be used as a crockpot, and consistently makes foolproof hard (or soft) boiled eggs. You can sear meat or saute veggies, then throw the rest of the ingredients in to pressurize; then just leave it until you’re ready to eat.
Santa Claus:
If you have ever wondered about the logistics of delivering presents to the roughly 800 million homes with children, Arnold Pompos of Purdue has you covered. 99,419,390 miles covered in the 34 hours (considering time zones) he has on Christmas Eve works out to 2,924,099 miles/hr. Not quite the speed of light but still pretty fast.
Appreciation:
Another pearl from Dale Carnegie. He went on a six-day fast once, feeling quite hungry by the end. He says one would think she had committed a crime if she let her family or employees go 6 days without food. Yet we often let the people in our lives go 6 weeks or even 6 months without giving the “hearty appreciation” that we all crave.
Quote:
“I shall pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
–Etienne de Grellet
