Lani Assaf
@laniassaf
Lani Assaf
In Lauren Oyler’s essay about anxiety last week, she referenced a late 19th century diagnosis known as Americanitis , which described “the high-strung, nervous, active temperament of the American people.” Whether incited by advances in technology (causing loss of sleep, excessive worry) or capitalism (causing long work days, fast pace of life), the... See more
Haley Nahman • #172: Trick questions
“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations
... See moreWhen I have a piece of writing in mind, what I have, in fact, is a mental bucket: an attractor for and generator of thought. It’s like a thematic gravity well, a magnet for what would otherwise be a mess of iron filings. I’ll read books differently and listen differently in conversations. In particular I’ll remember everything better; everything will mean more to me. That’s because everything I perceive will unconsciously engage on its way in with the substance of my preoccupation. A preoccupation, in that sense, is a hell of a useful thing for a mind.
“Society tends to paint a picture that the final act of every big dreamer’s journey is in scaling up to unimaginable heights, but I think it’s the opposite – it’s actually in scaling back down after trying to reach the proverbial top. Make time to pursue things that can’t scale. I’d bet it does you as much good as ‘real’ therapy ever could.”
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... See moreNo one benefits from you scrolling on your phone and feeling sad and then going to Starbucks.... See more
The antidote is figuring out what you care about, what you're good at, and what you like doing that can make the world a little bit better.
Then, really do that thing.
You can’t do everything, but there are a few things you can do really well. You have to
