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Week #13, Pop Quiz: Is the world better or worse than ever?

Week #13, Pop Quiz: Is the world better or worse than ever?

Week thirteen is here. Just look at that full row of squares up there...The Ides of March are past us, and the Ides of April await.  

It's time to walk over to your 4K Weeks Poster, and fill in one more square... Done?

 The Answer to the pop quiz in the subject line... Of Course!!! By EVERY MEASURE.  If you don't think so, that's only because you are falling prey to your very human instincts of "fear and danger!".

I am reading a great book, Factfulness, Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World. by Hans Rosling.

The cliffs notes: things are better than they have ever been for nearly everyone. (and if you got this email, you are in the everyone camp)  So... no complaining from the yacht!  If you want things to be EVEN better, make it so!
The 4K Weeks Brightsider- A Multicolor Extravaganza!
The 4K Weeks Fade to Black- Momento Mori, Anyone?
The 4K Weeks Long View- A Different Horizon

Remarkable Weeks
  1. Week #13 in the year 1939, Jimmy Hull  of Ohio State, is named Most Outstanding Player of the 1st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. He was 1153.57 weeks old. (22.12 yrs)
  2. Week #13 in the year 2010, Craig David Is named Goodwill Ambassador against tuberculosis on World Tuberculosis Day. He was 1507.14 weeks old. (28.09 yrs)
  3. Week #13 in the year 2012, Jessica O. Matthews  was named Scientist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation for developing a energy harvesting soccer ball. She was 1258.86 weeks old. (24.12 yrs) 

This Week's Quote
" Growth itself contains the germ of happiness"- Pearl Buck
 
I think a lot about the time I was the most depressed in my life.
 
In my early 20's, just after college. I didn't have much going on, and I thought I didn't have any "resources" to get something going.  So, I did nothing, and got more and more depressed. Not existentially hopeless, but certainly feeling like a failure who had nothing and so couldn't get something.
 
How did I fix it?  By starting. SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Do something... for a while.
 
Work. Learn. Grow. Repeat. Happiness.

What I am Thinking About This Week
Showing up.
 
Tonight is the first night of practice for 4th Grade basketball, coached by yours truly.
 
It wasn't in the plan.  Things are super busy around here, and I have been focused on having only two active projects at a time... and there are currently four, now five.
 
But, when the email came through that the league needed a coach for our team, I couldn't help but hear the voice in the back of my head that said "the man and the father that I want to be would say yes to this."  
 
And then the only question was if I was going to step closer to the man that I want to be, or further away.
 
It would have been easy to ignore the email, and hope someone else showed up.  I love hanging out with my kids, but to be honest, I don't really want to hang out with some stranger's kids.
 
...but's not a huge ask, and I would already have been at most of the practices... but, but, but... "I don't want to be a leader in this... It's not my favorite thing!!!!!"  yell's my inner child.
 
...but the man I want to be jumps at the opportunity to be a good example for his kid, and LOVES to help some other kids learn a few lessons about how hard work is one of the most beautiful things in the world.
 
It's hard to write an email like this and not occasionally sound like you are "practically perfect in every way". In fact, most of the editing work I do is to take out the "I-have-it-all-figured-out-ness".  So to be clear... I often fail at listening for, and listening to, the voice of the man that I want to be.  
 
This time though; I listened for it, heard it, pushed down the squeals of my selfish ego, and took a step closer to the man I want to be. (Next day: Practice was really fun! These kids are going to push me to be even better!)
 
For the last few months, my affirmation in my daily journal has been: "I owe excellence to myself, my people, and my universe" Written down twice a day.  
 
It's sinking in. 
 
Thanks for being a part of the journey with us! Please tell me if you liked/disliked the email this week.  Ask my wife... those are the only emails I like to get!
 
Spencer, Owner of 4KWeeks.com

Dad Joke'o The Week

Why do fish live in salt water?  Because pepper water would make them sneeze!

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