Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter.

Dawg, certain days just hit different. Which will be remembered? The title has nothing to do with this edition…

Today:

• The easy tint

• Predictalikability

• Rambles?

• The process

• Habits

• Jealousy

This one is longer than usual—skip to what interests you. You’re the best!

The easy tint

What if stretching were easy? I find that it is easier to stretch when I am watching a video or listening to something. It allows me to zone out a bit and relax into stretches for longer than I otherwise would. This may be counter productive as a core focus of yoga and stretching is supposedly to ‘get into your body’ and out of your head, but I feel like maintaining the habit is more important. The zen aspect of it can come later.

What if working was easy? Most things get easier the more that you do them. What if its not supposed to be easy though? What if the fact that it is hard is the point and the reason it feels meaningful?

Predictalikability

We like people who are predictable. The more unpredictable people someone is, the less likely that we can guess their next move. This is inherently frightening. It is more comfortable to depend on someone who always does the expected. However, this is not a desirable trait for yourself. Predictable is synonymous with boring. If I could guess your stance on multiple issues based on one thing I know about you, you are not interesting to me. If you have the capacity to change your mind in the light of new information, you are someone I want to speak to. When choosing partners for life’s various endeavors, keep it in mind.

Further, people can be both predictable and unpredictable, respective to different domains. Maybe they always get the work done, but you don’t know if they are going to disappear on a night out, for example.

Rambles?

When is it time to make a change? Who is the most successful person you know? Who is the smartest person you know? Who do you compare yourself to? You are a sum of the 5 closest people to you, how does that make you feel? Do you want to be like them? Are you even up? To get your spark back, do you need to burn it all down? If you make a change, is it reversible? Who wants to hire you? How do you really feel?

Appreciating all that is good in the world. Even in the midst of a stressful day, there is always something to appreciate.

The process

If I just write whatever comes to mind, the hope is that something great will come form deep within me. I need to remove the filter.

A shared dedication to the mission. Lock in. Get your money up not your funny up. The environment you live in dictates your thoughts… maybe? I think actually that ideas in equals ideas out. I was having the most success writing this newsletter when I was reading a book a week and consuming podcasts all day while at work.

The stress is good. If you have no stress in your life, what are you doing? Life is inherently stressful. Success comes to those who can handle the most stress. Big changes happen so often they don’t even seem big anymore.

How scary is a career change really? Careers are overrated. I would rather have a life filled with new challenges and constant growth. If, in 30 years, I can sum my career up in one sentence, I have failed. I want to hold so many different positions that people are hiring me for my perspective more than my degree or my specific work history. I think having a stable career is the scariest thing.

Work life balance is a lie. Success comes to those who never waited for shit, who just sent it, who stay up late and get up early, who skip meals to stay locked in.

Musings on Habits

Sitting with my thoughts: I don’t know how I can have a full year where I am so dialed on my habits and then the calendar rolls over and I basically give up on it.

Starting to track daily habits feels like a net positive but has probably not made me happier. It helped to create and solidify some habits, but it has added a toll to my daily life that I beat myself up if I don’t pay.

My daily habits have changed over time but currently I am tracking: meditating, writing, reading, training, and stretching. I feel like if I do those 5 everyday I will win. WTF does winning even look like? I just want to be the best version of myself. I believe those 5 habits bring out my best self.

I have tried to add anti habits as well. E.g. no YouTube, but seeing too many anti habits not checked is just a bad reminder. Maybe bad reminders is what I need though?

Jealousy

Jealousy is stupid. If you wouldn’t trade everything with another person, there is no reason to envy them. E.g. I see jacked guys at the gym all the time, but I wouldn’t trade lives with them because I am happy with my education, my conscientiousness, my relationships, my family, etc… I would never take the chance of trading lives with somebody just because I was jealous that they have more money than me or something like that.

Always look at the whole. The reason that they are excelling in this one discipline is most likely due to large sacrifices in other areas of life. We each have our own individual values.

Happiness has no correlation to my material possessions in the long run. Getting a new car will feel cool for a few weeks, then its just routine. Buying a new house will make me feel more secure financially, but day to day, my emotional state does not factor my home ownership into it. Happiness is not the goal. Meaning and fulfillment are the goals. Happiness will come and go regardless of my social status. Relationships #1.

Quote to go

Thanks for reading!

Lucas