Struggle Is What Defines Us
Muse Monday 1/9/2023
Hello, and welcome to my weekly newsletter! I'm thrilled you were able to be there. Every day I keep my Zap Pad with me and jot down everything I learned this week or thought was interesting. On Mondays, I review my top 5–10 entries and write about them in order to share what I learned. It's what I refer to as "Muse Monday."
Sentences Change Lives
It is amazing how many sentences change lives.
Struggle Is What Defines Us
Have you ever heard of "gold medal depression," which is when someone finally achieves everything they ever wanted only to be depressed right afterward? This is very common among the world's top athletes and even among wealthy individuals, but what causes this depression? There are many reasons why gold medal depression can occur, but one that intrigues me is that there are no longer any obstacles for them to overcome; they spent their entire lives suffering to get to the top only to finally get there and not know what else to do with their lives. This got me thinking: maybe suffering is what defines you; maybe we really do like the bottom more than the top; maybe we should stop putting our value in what we can overcome; maybe we are better off focusing on what we can do.
There Is No Self-Development Without Self-Awareness
I have known this for a while, but it is worth saying it again. Self-knowledge is a key part of personal development. It assists people in identifying their areas of growth and in setting values-based goals. Although gaining self-awareness can be difficult, it is essential for personal development, the potential to form meaningful connections, and the strength to be resilient in the face of difficulty. It is impossible to participate in genuine self-development without self-knowledge. I believe that the reason so many people spend all day listening to advice but never seeing results is because we learn and ask for help so much that we forget it's also a self-awareness exercise that needs to be fought on our own.
People Can Rationalize Anything.
When I heard this for the first time, I thought it was funny, but when I looked deeper into it, this sentence has real word associations that I didn't see before. People really can rationalize anything, and not only that, but they can convince others as well and have it make sense. This got me thinking: How many things do I believe just because I think they make sense? How many times has someone gotten me to think something wrong just because they were confident in what they were saying? How many arguments have you had with someone where you were wrong but you could have sworn you were right? I think it is very important, especially in the information age we are in today, that we stop and ask ourselves, "Am I just rationalizing?"
Broadcasting Is Not Vulnerability
This week, I decided to listen to an interview with Simon Snek, and in the interview, he talked about how this generation has a problem with vulnerability and a fundamental misunderstanding of what it truly means. As a member of this generation, I can confirm that I, too, struggle with the unknown and that I frequently ignore it at the expense of others. He used the example of Gen Z posting something on social media about how sad they are and uploading it for hundreds of people to watch, but he claims that true vulnerability is looking into the eyes of the person you hurt or who hurt you and saying what you said online. That's difficult, not posting a 30-second clip alone in your room. He talks a lot more about this and in further detail, which he's more qualified to teach, so if you would like to click below
https://youtu.be/Q-zuTZuYeCg
The Best Conversations
If you didn't know by now, I am a sucker for good conversations, but this got me thinking about what exactly makes a good conversation. I can definitely feel it, but what exactly am I feeling? I decided to do some research, and what I found is that the best conversations are when you are trying to get the answer together. Although it is fun to talk about things you already know, when you are presented with a question and are left understanding and answering that question for yourself after having learned something, that is an amazing conversation.
Question of the week: What is something you know you are doing wrong that you know how to fix?
Leave a comment and let me know your answer, or just let me know what you thought of this week's Muse Monday. I'm Ace; I hope I have served you well, and thanks for reading.