“Because if it happened, then it was meant to happen, and I am glad that it did when it did. I am meant to make the best of it.”

— The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

I want to riff on three connected notions today.

We get what we invest in. Where we point our attention becomes how we spend our lives. If we meditate for 25 mins. each day, we become better slowly. If we are regretful and conspiratorial, that behavior becomes part of us. Watch the media you consume, your tribe, what you think and say. How we spend our time is how we will have spent our life.
My Past Self said I’d do it and my Future Self will be glad I did, so I’ll do it! This is one of my favorite aphorisms. My "past self” is calmer, more thoughtful and helpful. All that I am now is the result of listening to this kinder, thoughtful, helpful internal personification called here the "past self". Little by little, minute by minute, slowly compounding, this has helped me develop healthy habits and I can see where when I’ve ignored this calmer, kinder muse, giving my attention to the usually fickle, impulsive, ‘present self’, I’ve gone astray.
I don’t want to be Buddha, I what what he had. I want to develop this in myself and not find some easy way to ingest him and by proxy get his attributes.

Why is it that I agree with this (I wrote it!) and see its value but don’t internalize it completely? Work to do.

Curious

+ Edible CRISPR Could Replace Antibiotics
Researchers are developing a probiotic to make disease-causing bacteria self-destruct. We live in interesting times. What we think is impossible will be commonplace some. Life now is so far beyond what my parents thought and life is move faster and faster soon to be beyond anything I can now conceive of. Will I live long enough to see this? Hope so. Some is happening already!

+ Meanwhile here is some ‘forest walking’ fodder. John Muir Narrative a wonderful short 5 minute film directed by Michael Coleman

+ "In ancient times, having power meant having access to information. Today, having power means knowing what to ignore." Rocket Fuel by the historian come philosopher who gave us Sapiens and Homo Deus - Yuval Noah Harari