Week 36 of 2023 has arrived. All around you a world, built by the mental, physical, and emotional labor of other humans, waits for you to make the most of it.  Don't let them down.

Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square. Done?

I often let holidays pass by unmentioned here. I can't do it with Labor Day.

Regardless of your current opinion of unions... (and there are reasons to not love them)... there is no doubt the world would be a terrible place without them.  The eight hour day, the concept of a weekend, safe workplaces, fair employment, the lack of perpetual, intransigent total inequality...etc. etc. etc.

Correlation doesn't equal causation, but...

I can't overstate it... I am a capitalist... I literally own businesses... but "All or Nothing" eventually means Nothing for All. There has to be a solution that expands the stakeholders. 

So, as you celebrate in the US this weekend, give thanks for those who won you the right to have holidays. 

Thanks for being here and reading.

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Remarkable Weeks

Week #36 in the year 2018, Naomi Osaka defeated 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams in the final of the US Open to become the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title.  She was 1090.29 weeks old.  (20.90 yrs)

Week #36 in the year 2013, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida, without the aid of a shark cage, swimming 111 miles in 53 hours from Havana to Key West.  She was 3341.00 weeks old.  (64.07 yrs)

Week #36 in the year 1928, Alexander Fleming, a Scottish physician and microbiologist, discovered the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance.  His discovery was later named benzylpenicillin (or penicillin G) and has been described "as the single greatest victory over disease."  He was 2456.29 weeks old.  (47.10 yrs)

Week #36 in the year 2007, American biotechnologist, Craig Venter's genome was published.  He is known for leading one of the first draft sequences of the human genome.  He was 3177.14 weeks old.  (60.93 yrs)

This Week's Quote

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt

I don't have a neat little bow to wrap this quote up with this week.

I just want to say this... Thoughts are energy, and energy directed, changes the world.

I want to believe in Eleanor's world... a world where the future is decided by dreamers who are hopeful.  And so, I guess by believing it, with my thoughts and energy, I help to make it so.

Beautiful... maybe a neat little bow after all.

What I am Consuming This Week

Rich Roll Podcast, "Master of Change with Brad Stulberg".  Super interesting discussion about change, and how it is actually the status quo... a very timely discussion in light of the launch of the Massive Action Society next week. There is a lot that I love in this podcast.

Shrinking. I don't watch a ton of TV, but my wife and I have watched 6 episodes of this show as an occasional relaxation tool lately.  Jason Segel made me cry a long time ago when his character said "I'm not ready for this." in How I Met Your Mother.  While watching his new show, I really just want to reach into the TV and give him a hug.

This American Life, "The Rest of the Story".  The OG podcast... kind of like a granola bar... Delicious, and kind of good for you.

The Tim Ferriss Show, "#688: In Case You Missed it Recap". The Jack Kornfield portion (2nd guest) of this is gold.. SO MUCH ACTIONABLE GOOD INFO.

What I am Thinking About This Week

Don't Hit the Rock.

I am not sure where I first heard it... some long ago, forgotten book... Here is the story.

An inexperienced kayaker is paddling down a river.  Up ahead, directly in the center of the river is a huge rock jutting out of the water.  There is plenty of room on either side for a group of kayakers to get by.

The inexperienced kayaker thinks "Don't hit the rock, Don't hit the rock, Don't hit the rock..." over and over again. And what happens... they hit the rock.

Our brains have trouble with the negative... the "don't" part of the mantra.  It just hears "hit the rock!" Experienced kayakers don't focus on the rock, they focus on finding the path.

I think I have spent the last year thinking "don't hit the rock!" about various creative and business ventures.

And I am going to try to be done with that.

It's going to take some reminding, and some mental habit adjusting, but I have confidence that I am ready to move on to "find the path"

Where are you "focused on the rock"?

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 couldn't the bike stand up on its own?

It was two tired!