Building a healthy Mind 🧘🏼‍♂️🧠💭

the muses of men

Author

Dominic Henry
November 05, 2023

Ruminate Sunday,

What are the qualities of a healthy mind? Do you believe you have a healthy functioning mind? Do you believe the people around you — friends and family — have a quality mind?

Does a quality mind lead to success? Is it a necessary component?

How can we build a quality mind? And can a quality mind exist without a quality body?

🧐 Thought(s) of the Week

I really do wonder how the blind get around on the road. How do they get from point A to Point B safely? Do they have to blindly trust people in their surroundings?

❤️ Weekly Highlights

My only weekly highlight has been, that I’ve become a more productive worker. I dedicated the week, to finishing all my major (client) work tasks. For the rest of the year, my Highlight for most weeks will be to finish all my work.

I’ve decided that my biggest priority is to improve at my job, and it has become the main focus of my brain.

The goal is to become the best at what I do.

📚Interesting Content

1 - Scarcity Cues

💡A scarcity cue signals the limited availability of a product or service, evoking urgency or importance. Expressions like "limited time offer" or "while supplies last" prompt swift action by highlighting scarcity, aiming to create a perception of value and stimulate quick consumer decisions.

The stages of “Scarcity Cues”

  1. Opportunity: Initial recognition of limited availability, creating an advantageous situation.

  2. Unpredictable Rewards: Irregular, uncertain incentives or outcomes, lacking a pattern, often used to influence behavior or motivation.

  3. Quick Repeatability: Rapid cycle of scarcity cues or limited availability, prompting swift and repeated responses.

Scarcity cues can both positively and negatively affect our behavior.

This concept is the underpinning of addiction — gambling, drugs, video games, or anything of the like.

But it can also help to influence great behavior. Writing in 2023 can be influenced by scarcity cues as well.

Opportunity: I can share my ideas through a public forum — Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Unpredictable Rewards: I can either get a favorable response, a negative response, or no response.

Quick Repeatability: I can write and infinitely post my ideas 24/7.

This idea was an extract from the podcast Nat’s Notes, which was a book review on “Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter). To listen to the entire podcast → Click Here

2 - The story of Buggati 🏎️

I was quite fascinated by the story of Buggati’s founder — Ettore Bugatti. An idea that continues to crop up through my study, is the journey towards mastery. Buggati was a master of his craft — mechanics and functional art — and was unparalleled when he stuck to his passions.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from the brief story of Buggati has been that passion and quality time to learn and follow the most natural path is what wins you the race of life. Confidence and competence will eventually follow as a result. And as you follow your path, you need to cut against the bias and drown the noise.

To listen to the entire podcast detailing Buggatti’s life and mindset → Click Here

4 - Alain de Botton on the Qualities of a Healthy Mind

A healthy mind knows how to hope; it identifies and then hangs on tenaciously to a few reasons to keep going. Grounds for despair, anger, and sadness are, of course, all around. But the healthy mind knows how to bracket negativity in the name of endurance. It clings to evidence of what is still good and kind. It remembers to appreciate; it can — despite everything — still look forward to a hot bath, some dried fruit or dark chocolate, a chat with a friend, or a satisfying day of work. It refuses to let itself be silenced by all the many sensible arguments in favor of rage and despondency.

An excerpt from the article: “Alain de Botton on the the Qualities of a Healthy Mind”

Thoughts: Having developed a tenacious mindset, through physical trial, I’ve realized that I’ve become less pessimistic about life. I accept life for what it is, the frustrations and pitfalls always have a silver lining. Failed attempts are prerequisites for success. I would like to believe I’ve built a healthy mind.

To read the rest of the article → Click Here

5 - Komodo Dragons are vicious

🔖 Word(s) of the Week

I’ve been meaning to learn new words and share them through my newsletter. So I’ve added this new section to highlight words I’ve learned for a week.

  • Undgird - to fasten from the underside.

  • Ruminate - to think deeply about something

  • Cynicism - to believe that everyone acts on their selfish interests.

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