Do the Opposite #46 - Celebrating 1000 Subscribers, Automating Habits, Wolves at Your Heels, Obligated to Meditate
Good News Everyone!
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Celebrating 1000 Subscribers!
This week the Do the Opposite newsletter has crossed 1000 subscribers! Thank you all so much for reading what I have to say each week! I am very happy to be able to share my thoughts with you!
When I started the newsletter I didn't have any idea if this type of content will be interesting to people (or just me :) ) but I hoped for the best!
In a way, writing this newsletter every week has become a keystone habit for me: it has started a chain reaction of other small changes, like picking up running, committing to releasing YouTube videos every week, reading way more than before, feeling more confident in general. Even in my bad moments I remind myself: "Maybe everything sucks etc etc, but at least I am sending the DTO newsletter every week!"
I nowadays have way more topics and content ideas than fits in the newsletter, so I am adding it all to a list: whenever a topic idea (or any other type of idea) comes to mind, I immediately transfer it to the list, otherwise I forget it right away. I am committed to continuing publishing the newsletter weekly and improving it as we go along and grow together! I'm always open to feedback and suggestions! Here's to more cool stuff and projects this year (for both me and you!)
So again,thank you for reading!
Articles
1) "Wolves at Your Heels: The Fear That You’re Always Behind, Doing the Wrong Thing, & Generally Screwing Things Up Royally" by Leo Babauta
In the times of Social Media it's very difficult to stay calm and confident about one's own achievements and life decisions. Whether before that we could see how the people we knew lived, now we can see how the majority of the world lives. That deeply affects us no matter how we try to forget it. There is always someone smarter, more beautiful, more successful at younger age available to us to see and compare ourselves to. Leo helps us reclaim our sanity, bit by bit.
2) "How to Automate a Habit and Never Think About It Again" by James Clear
The best way to build and keep a habit long term is to automate it. We need to make the habit easy to perform correctly, and to be able to do it even when we have a limited amount of time and energy available. We also must find and establish a trigger that will be a signal to start doing the habit.
3) "Are We Morally Obligated to Meditate?" by Sigal Samuel
Among multiple other benefits, meditation also makes us nicer people: people who meditate tend to treat others better; they are more likely to listen to another person's point of view; more likely to keep their cool in tough situations. If meditation makes us better people, shouldn't we all meditate? Give this article a shot, and if you are considering giving meditation a try, I recommend reading "10% Happier" by Dan Harris.
Videos
1) "Heavy As Lead" Documentary - From 300lbs to Running the Leadville 100 | Jason Cohen
An inspiring story of a guy who, one day, decided that he'd had enough, and decided to lose weight and become fit. The documentary is short, about 15 minutes, and depicts Jason's journey of running one of the world's toughest races: Leadville 100 (a 100 mile race that takes places in the mountains). I am a huge fan of personal transformations; and the internal (mental) transformation is always even more fascinating than the physical one (which is just a side effect of the internal one).
2) Why Credit Cards Are A Scam - Honest Ads | Cracked
This is a fun video: what an ad for a credit card would look like it it was honest? Prepare for some hard truths.
3) Hilarious Shoe Shiner Makes $900 Per Day Shaming Shoes on the Street | New York Post
I love this story for showing a guy who is doing something that some people think is beneath them, making great money and having the time of his life. He is his own boss and would never consider going to an office job. Train your brain to see alternative paths, not just the mainstream culture ones.
Keep asking yourself: "What do I really want to do? What do I want to do?" and listen to the answers. At first it's very difficult as you are not used to considering what you yourself want and like to do. Throw away the blueprint given to you, and start exploring and experimenting with creating your very own life.
Tweet of the Week
Ethos
Quotes
"Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining."
― Anne Lamott
"If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), "Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?" chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death."
― Steven Pressfield
"This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete."
― Steven Pressfield, "The War of Art"
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Keep doing the opposite,
Alex Kallaway
Website: dotheoppo.site
Twitter: twitter.com/ka11away