An Occasional Newsletter
Greeting Joysetters,
The reflection of the week was, of course, gratitude, given that it was Thanksgiving this week. Happy Belated Thanksgiving, by the way. I hope you and yours had a great day full of joy, connection, reflection, and, yes, gratitude. As I reflected on all that I was grateful for, I was drawn to the past more than the present. Even the challenges of the past. It is these challenges that drive our growth and JOY!
I am reminded of a story Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi tells in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. In this book, Mihaly shares how the elders of the Shuswap tribes in British Columbia became concerned with the incredible abundance their lands provided. Their world and life had become too predictable. The challenges were few, so the tribe was becoming bored. To correct this, they made a decision most would find strange; they decided to move the entire village every 30 years.
By moving the village, there would be new rivers and forests to explore. There would be new hunting tactics to develop. There would be NEW CHALLENGES! This also gave the previous location time to refresh and recover. What a wonderful side effect.
The story aligns with my hypothesis that it is the challenges in life that we honestly crave and need to grow else we succumb to atrophy. It is both mental and physical challenges that keep us alive and growing. I wish you many challenges. I don’t wish you traumatic or tragic challenges, but challenges nonetheless. Now is the time to refresh and recover from your past challenges and comforts while planning your future challenges. What challenges will you look to overcome in the New Year?
As I reflect on gratitude this week, I am also very grateful for you and our connection. Thank you for including me in some small way as a part of your journey. You are most certainly an important part of mine.
Leave who you were. Love who you are. Look Forward to who you will become
The past no longer exists. It is over. Enjoy the successes. Learn from mistakes. Plan the next steps of your journey. Here is mine. What is yours?
I am LEAVING the challenges of the past. Although I am grateful for them, they are, well, past. There may be some battle scars. There are certainly some lessons. But in the end, I am leaving the challenges of the past to focus on the possibilities of the future.
I LOVE my past. Are you seeing the theme here? 🙂 I love my past. I love every challenge that helped me grow in some way. I love every mistake that should help me not make them again. I love every connection, no matter how small, because you can always learn something from anyone you get the honor of connecting with.
I LOOK FORWARD to the uncertainty, possibilities, and challenges of 2023 and the overall future. There are no limits other than my perspective, grit, and discipline. Although I strongly believe that “Every day is New Year’s Day.” There is something to be said about the alignment of our civic calendar and the seasons. We are in the coldest and darkest time of the year. It is a time to slow down, reflect and plan for the return of the light and our rebirth into the next cycle of our life.
What’s your Leave, Love, Look Forward for the week? (share and ask your friends for theirs on Twitter)
This Week’s Quote
“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”
~Friedrich Nietzche
Read, Reading, Up Next
One of my greatest joys is reading and sharing great books. As a subscriber to this newsletter, you will always be entered in my drawings to win a copy of whatever I am currently reading, sometimes signed by the author when I can make that happen. A quick update on what I am currently reading can be found below. Click here to see the full list of Read, Reading, and Up Next.
Read
Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday
After publishing this edition of The Journey Forward, I will be running the drawing for the last signed copy of this book I have to giveaway.
Reading
Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential by Tiago Forte
I should be wrapping up this book this week. A few other books and articles sidetracked me. I am still torn on whether I love it or if it is overwhelming me. I have learned a few tricks and ideas from the book. Still, I see it becoming more of a reference book that I will refer to occasionally as I continue my search for optimal time and information management. The rigor behind the systems Tiago Forte shares is just too much to digest and apply all at once.
Recent Blog Posts
Did you catch the recent posts on michaelwgusky.com? Here are a few of the most recent:
- How to Balance Financial Responsibility with Generosity & HumilityHabit 8: Frugal, Giving, & Humble from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series Money makes the world go round. So they say. There is certainly some truth to that. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s all about having more, spending more, and definitely not about flaunting what you have. Financial success is just as much about being …
How to Balance Financial Responsibility with Generosity & Humility Read More »
- Maintaining a Healthy Social Life: How to Strengthen Personal Relationships and Reap the BenefitsHabit 7: Connect from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series This is currently my most out-of-balance area in life. Being a self-confessed workaholic used to make “Body & Mind” in the most need of focus but I have since found a good routine and momentum to both exercise daily and take the needed breaks to refresh my mind. This …
- Embrace Uncertainty and Find Possibilities with a Positive Mindset and GratitudeHabit 6: Positive Attitude from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series Do you approach each day with positivity and gratitude? There is no doubt that many of us are bombarded with negativity every day. It is important to rise above that negativity and approach your day with a positive attitude. Having a positive mental attitude and embracing your current …
Embrace Uncertainty and Find Possibilities with a Positive Mindset and Gratitude Read More »
Until next time.
Wishing you health, happiness, prosperity, and JOY!