THE WEEKLY PAGE 📝 No. 221
The "Good Things" list + what to read, watch, listen to and enjoy...
I came across this idea on Twitter the other day via
, and wanted to share it with you this week:“A friend made the suggestion to start a note in our phone called “good things are always happening to me” and to purposefully find something to add to it every day. Absolute game changer.”
This is a type of micro-habit for generating gratitude, something that can feel obscure if we don’t understand how it works.
I’ve found the best example to be car shopping. Have you ever noticed that once you decide you want to buy a particular type of car — a Mazda 3, lets say — you suddenly see Mazda 3s whenever you leave the house?
That’s because you have identified the Mazda 3 as something you’re interested in. It its now front of mind and your brain is able to key in on it.
This is similar to the impact that even simple gratitude practices like the one described above can have on our brain. Observing when good things happen can help train our brain to be more sensitive to these positive experiences. Increases in gratitude are “correlated to reduced stress, and improved sleep, as well as more vitality, energy, and motivation.” (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
Open your favorite note keeping app (I love Google Keep) and start your “🙏🏻Good Things Are Always Happening to Me” list. What could you add to it for today?
🔔MONTHLY REVIEW DAY REMINDER: I’ll host our Monthly Review Day for August this coming Monday, August 5, from 9-10:30 AM CST. This is a time to hang out with me online and get organized for the month ahead.
📚 READ: It has been a very exciting couple of weeks in US politics and I’m sure your head is spinning as much as mine is. The job of Vice President is an important one, but their work doesn’t often make the headlines. So, if you find yourself wondering what VP Harris has been up to the past four years check out this comprehensive Google Doc that lists out all of her initiatives and accomplishments along with her qualifications.
📺 WATCH: Did anyone else grow up watching Designing Women? I feel like that show inspired an entire generation of interior decorators. I recently fell back in love with Jean Smart in the Emmy Award winning series Hacks, in which she plays aging stand up comedian Deborah Vance, who is thirsty for another spin in the spotlight. The show highlights her intergenerational friendship with her young joke writer, Ava, who is constantly correcting Deborah’s politically-incorrect jokes. Watch the trailer.
🎧 LISTEN: Within the next few days we’ll likely learn who Kamala Harris has chosen as her running mate. This episode of The Daily introduces you to some of the top contenders and goes over pros and cons of each one. It’s hard to say who will be selected and there are a lot of great choices, but my current #1 pick is Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota, my home state! This Ezra Klein interview with him just came out today and is a great listen, but here are some of my favorite things about him:
🌽 He was raised in the small agricultural town of Chadron, Nebraska (pop. 5,223) by a public school administrator and an activist.
🎓 He received his BA in social science education and his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Mankato State University.
🌎 His first teaching job was on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, he then accepted a position with WorldTeach and spent one year teaching abroad in China.
🎖 After returning from abroad in 1981, he enlisted full-time in the Army National Guard and served for 24 years, working in heavy artillery.
👨🏻🏫 He built a 20-year career at Mankato West High School as the geography teacher and football coach.
💍 He's been married to his wife, Gwen, for 30 years. She is also a teacher, and together they have two children (both conceived through IVF).
⚖ Was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006 and served until 2019.
🦅 Upon being sworn in, Walz became the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress.
🐟 He was elected the 41st Governor of Minnesota in 2019 and holds that office today.
☑ His record in Minnesota includes protecting reproductive freedom, establishing paid leave, providing free school breakfast and lunch, legalization of cannabis, and reducing child care costs. This could be a great template for Democrat’s goals nationwide, and might be a key reason why he's being highly considered for the position of VP.
🤝🏻 He’s passionate about reunifying the country, particularly the rift between Conservatives and Liberals. As shown in this interview:
Who are you rooting for as the democratic VP pick and what do you like about them?
🧡 ENJOY: I realize I am on a *real* salmon kick this summer but naan bread on the grill is a newfound obsession. Try this Blackened Salmon with Grilled Naan and Lime Slaw.
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this harris doc was really helpful ty. but her statements on palestine and israel are infuriating and i know we've probably always had presidents who supported genocides but idk how to stomach knowingly voting for one
🖤