Week 28 of 2023 has arrived, beating down the door like the most iconic drum fill of all time.. Doom doom dadum, dadum, dadum dum dum dum. I can feel it in the air.

Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square.  Done?... I've been thinking about growth and progress a lot this week. Here are some nuggets... enjoy!

The subject line from this week's email is from a song titled "Do it Again" by Nada Surf... There was a minute in the early 2000's where their sound perfectly captured the mood of my mid 20's, beginning with the album "Let Go".

While listening down the rabbit hole for this email, it struck me that they regularly drop magical lyrical truth bombs... You should listen.

But, the lyric in question is this:

"Maybe this weight was a gift,

Like I had to see what I could lift."

Everything is so personal (individual?), and one person's stormy sea is another's tranquil pond... but if you ask me... I think it was, and I think you did.  More on this down the page.

Thanks for being here and reading.  It is vital to "sharpen the saw" as a regular practice.  I think of these emails as a way for me to sharpen my saw and help you sharpen yours.

 If you love your 4K Weeks poster, do me a favor and give it a review over on Amazon. Let people know how it has helped you, or how you use it. We had to sign up there to defend our trademarks, and they allow reviews for products purchased elsewhere. It would really help out... It is a pretty vicious sandbox!

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

Week #28 in the year 1948, Lucille Ball starred in My Favorite Husband, a radio show that would soon evolve into the beloved TV show, I Love Lucy.  She was 1926.14 weeks old. (36.93 yrs)

Week #28 in the year 1948, Satchel Paige made his debut with the Cleveland Indians at age 42.  This remains the oldest debut in Major League Baseball history. He was 2191.86 weeks old. (42.03 yrs)

Week #28 in the year 1925, Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual master and major spiritual figure of the 20th century, stops speaking.  He maintains silence for the rest of his lifetime. 44 years! He was 1636.71 weeks old. (31.38 yrs)

Week #28 in the year 2015, Serena Williams became the oldest winner in Women's Wimbledon Tennis.  She was 1763.00 weeks old. (33.81 yrs) Ahh to be young!!!

This Week's Quote

Two quotes this week... all about growth.

"Great people do things before they're ready." Amy Poehler

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." Abraham Maslow

Growth is the theme this week. I chose the first quote because you can read it two ways... first... "Awesome people are awesomer than you, duh". Or... you can read it this way: "If I do things before I am ready, I can be great!"  That's the way I would prefer you read it... You can do great things and even greater things still, if you would only make a habit of acting instead of taking no risks.

Abraham Maslow is the "Maslow" in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

The Hierarchy

And this quote is more profound because it came from his lips.

Reptiles only have access to the first and second levels of the hierarchy... When threatened by a hawk overhead, they have no choice but to retreat to the safety and comfort of cover. Reptiles never think, "Maybe if I get uncomfortable, and stay out here, exposed in the sunlight, I can hop on top of the hawk's back and fly!".  That's not a thing.  

It is your reptile brain (amygdala) that is afraid. It doesn't care about conquering the levels of Esteem or Self-actualization. When you are afraid of failing, or being laughed at, or the unknown results of trying something new, it is the old, reptilian brain that is speaking to you. It truly thinks that every potential failure is a life threatening event.

That is a powerful part of your brain.  It is good to have a healthy fear of some things... but not most things! Maslow knew that to overcome the strength of the oldest circuitry in your brain, you would need to train your higher brain to anticipate the rewards of growth by building the habit of being a bit uncomfortable. 

You aren't a lizard.  Get uncomfortable and ride that hawk.

What I am Consuming This Week

The Daily Podcast: "A Week With the Wild Children of the A.I. Boom." I know everyone is talking about A.I. these days, but I don't think it's hype. If you look back just 20 years, a huge portion of our daily work lives are TOTALLY different.  I think that the next 10 years will dwarf the change over the last 20, and I am interested in thinking about it.

The Economics of Everyday Things Podcast: "T. Rex Skeletons" This is a short episode, but fun and interesting.  And you know... Dinosaurs!!!

Seth Godin's Blog, 7/8/2023 I read Seth's short blog most days, and it regularly has a nugget that I ponder all day.  There is a lot to be gained by predicting the future... This post is super insightful, and had me wondering, what other mediums are hitting sufficient resolution?

Habits of a Healthy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels by Loretto Graziano Breuning. This book is a bit more technical with regard to habit formation, and how the chemistry of the brain actually works... Not as much pop-science as Duhigg or Clear, but still readable.

What I am Thinking About This Week

What you are capable of

I am a relentless promoter of YOU, and what you can accomplish.  I believe so much in nearly everyone's ability to change their situation that I start to sound like a broken record at times.  But... talking about it is the easy part... That's what I mean when I say that changing your life is simple, but it isn't easy. The plan is simple, but the execution is going to be uncomfortable.

And so, I do think the weight is a gift. You do need to see how much you can lift... And not in a "God never gives you more than you can handle!" sort of way, but in a "you never know until you try" and "attitude is everything", and "not all stress is a bad thing" sort of way.

The truth is, sometimes the universe crushes someone under its weight, and there is no rhyme or reason, and you need friends to dig you out because you can't help yourself. I know people who have been crushed in this way. It wasn't their fault, and there wasn't much they could do until after the dust settled, if the dust settled.

The trouble is that the rest of us often use that rare "sometimes" example to excuse being overwhelmed by things that we can handle and grow from.

There is a great IG post by Huberman Lab about the "stress" aspect of growth HERE.

I believe this 100% to my core, and I have seen it in my own personal experience countless times both big and small.

It's as if 99.9999% of the time, if you think you can handle it, you can.

But John Donne be damned, each of us is an Island, and I don't know what the limit is for you. On top of that, the limit changes everyday! Did you get enough sleep?  Have you had enough to eat? But truly, the only difference between "winners and losers" is that one takes stock of their own limits and pushes them, and the other doesn't.

So, I am not here to push you, or to guilt you into thinking that you aren't doing enough, or tell you that you are too timid and should be reaching for more... 

Nope... I am here to tell you that YOU should be pushing yourself, and YOU should be testing if you can do more by trying to do more and more... and YOU should be asking yourself if you are too timid, and stressing yourself, and keeping a good attitude, and trying to lift metaphorical weights (and literal weights) that might seem to be a bit too much for you.

You can't see me, but I am getting intense and animated as I write this, because YOU CAN DO IT!!!!... if you will only do it.  Because...gather ye rosebuds... Oh, Robin... if only we had known the weight. 

Have a great week! 

Thanks for being a part of the journey with us! Send me an email at spencer@4kweeks.com if you have any feedback!  I love hearing your thoughts.

Spencer, Owner of 4KWeeks.com

Spencer@4KWeeks.com

Dad Joke O' The Week

What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast?  A Synonym roll!

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