1/ Healthy: Build Your Resilience and Go With The Flow
In the pursuit of health, there are few substitutes for the importance of setting a routine. Building habits demands consistency, but life often diverges from our meticulously planned routes. It's in these moments of deviation that your true mettle shines, revealing your resilience in health.
That blissful streak of uninterrupted sleep might be broken by a blaring tornado alarm or the distant wail of an ambulance. Your dedication to a workout frequency might be thwarted by an unforeseen work emergency. Even a well-organized morning meet-up can be derailed by an unexpected rain shower.
The key question emerges: how do you maintain your 'best self' during the ‘bad days’? Here's a perspective: all the effort you invest on 'good days' serves as preparation for these very instances. True resilience lies not in flawless plans but in your ability to adapt and thrive despite disruptions.
Plans will be rudely, unsuspectingly, disrupted and this will reveal your resilience. The essence of optimal health lies in embracing these moments as opportunities to manifest our best selves. It's in these unpredictable twists that we find the true rewards of a healthy life. Not an excuse for when to drop your good habits, but a mindset for how to dance with the jazz of life. The health we should strive for is one where we take our chances to be our ‘good self’ and then use the challenging moments to relish in the rewards of a healthy life.
2/ Wealthy: Visuals of The World Economy & The US Economy
Money makes the world go around.
Infographics have become a tremendously useful way to visually represent complex information by highlighting the relationship between variables.
(Chart 1) is of the World’s $105T (est. for 2023) economy broken out by the size of each country’s GDP.
(Chart 2) is of the United States $20T (2022 data) economy broken out by the size of each state’s GDP
Why is this useful to know? Because the power and influence almost always follow the money through soft power.
(Gross Domestic Product: is the standard measure of the value added created through the production of goods and services in a country during a certain period. As such, it also measures the income earned from that production, or the total amount spent on final goods and services (less imports).
3/ Wise: The Paradox of Hedonism
Ever heard of the “law of hedonism”? It’s this intriguing idea suggesting that the pleasure we gain from any material or intangible thing tends to fade, often faster than we anticipate. It's like that new car excitement that wanes after a few months or the joy from a successful project that dissipates sooner than we thought.
Hedonism is a theory stating that the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain are our primal instincts, guiding our actions. The paradox here is fascinating: if all we chase is pleasure, it might just slip away quicker than we grasp it.
Hedonism: What is intrinsically good for someone is (just) the pleasure they experience; what is intrinsically bad for someone is (just) the displeasure they experience.
Think of it like this: you're savoring your favorite dessert. The first bite is heavenly, but as you keep eating, the pleasure dwindles, and by the end, it might not be as delightful. That’s the essence of the hedonistic paradox—it’s the idea that if pleasure is our sole compass, we might miss out on the deeper joys of life.
So, what’s the takeaway? It's not about avoiding pleasure or denying our desires. Instead, it's a call for balance and perspective. Pleasure is undoubtedly a vital part of life, but it’s not the whole picture. Meaningful connections, personal growth, and contributing to others can bring enduring satisfaction.
Stay healthy, wealthy, and wise.
With warmth,
Fernando R.F.
(Note: This blog is not written by a medical or financial professional. It's important to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you have any underlying health conditions. They can provide personalized guidance tailored to your individual needs. It is important to do your own research and determine the best course of action together with an expert.)
Go Deeper:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-105-trillion-world-economy-in-one-chart/#:~:text=Visualizing%20the%20%24105%20Trillion%20World%20Economy%20in%20One%20Chart
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/us-economy-by-state/
https://brill.com/view/journals/jmp/18/4/article-p387_387.xml?language=en