Week #8, 2025
Week #8 of 2025 has arrived. And with it more snow for Kansas City. It's a small thing, but a good example of the durability of the human spirit. "I can't handle ANY more snow this winter!" Yes you can. You can handle that and more, and more, and more.
Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square. Done?
I have said it before... millions and millions of people have endured much much worse than you are enduring in this moment. And many of them were able to do it with a smile on their lips.
In this life you are going to suffer and die, and you won't be able to choose the moment or manner of either.
Whether or not you find joy between now and then is entirely up to you, and also a prerequisite for ameliorating the suffering of others, which is one of life's most noble acts. As proof of that last sentence, watch this video and feel your feelings.
Also... MAN! You all really responded to the intro about the podcast last week... I suppose I should mention it more.
Here's a deal... I'll send a Year Goal poster to the first 5 people to rate and write a review on their podcast app and then send me a screenshot of the review. (If you aren't in the first five, I will still give you a shout out on the next podcast!)
ON WEEK #8 OF 1993...
Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" won on the 35th Grammy Awards. The song is his expression of grief over the loss of his son's life. I feel like the best art is born of pain, which kind of sucks.
He was 2499.71 weeks or 47.93 years old.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." - Alexander Pope
All of your disappointment comes from reality not meeting your expectations.
So... can you change reality? No. You have vanishingly little control over what happens.
Can you change your expectations? Absolutely.
I think superhero status starts showing up when you focus all of your efforts on the little bit you can control... by being incredibly prepared, but also having no expectations of the world. Sometimes, after putting in a lot of work and sacrifice, people get confused and think "I did all this work! I earned the right for things to go my way!" Nope.
But occasionally... hard work and preparation meets a moment that is exquisitely timed, and the only way to ruin the beauty of that moment is to have been expecting a bit more.
WHAT I AM CONSUMING THIS WEEK
Prof G. Market: Spotify's First Year of Profitability
A lot of this is fluff and stock market blather, but I thought the bit about "What happens to the distribution of rewards when platforms are digitized" was really interesting. Time stamp: 30:00
Hard Fork The Musketeers Take Washington, Spotify's Ghost Music
I am certainly aware of a lot of the culture on the internet... but occasionally I will be bewildered by what I don't know... LoFi Beats and ghost music is one recent example.
Against The Rules, with Michael Lewis, Senator Blumenthal and the SAFE Bet Act.
Look, if there is a point to government in the modern age, surely it should include regulating the online gambling industry. This is already a crisis, and is going to be a monumental crisis if not strongly regulated... mark my words.
This George Saunders Substack article. My wife sent this to me after we discussed how to continue writing this weekly email with integrity and honesty while also not needlessly alienating any of you who may have voted differently than me.
Instagram Nugget
WHAT I AM THINKING ABOUT THIS WEEK
Last week I ended the email by saying "We are our brother's keeper."
I think 98% of the time when someone says that, we assume some kind of charity, or empathy, or other selfless act of individual service... Giving a meal to a homeless person, giving a dollar to a panhandler, helping a family displaced by natural or man-made disasters, adopting an orphan, etc. But those are all the acute versions of "being our brother's keeper." I would argue that the chronic version is a bigger lever in the long run.
I was listening to this podcast and thinking about what is possible when we all pull together. (Sure, it would be easier to execute a vision as a dictator... but for this kind of crap...)
It popped into my head while listening that "being your brother's keeper" also means imagining and building a world where you and your brother and your sister can prosper.
You know that I am in agreement with some version of the 4th turning theory, and so I often think about what the near future (meaning the next 15ish years) will look like. Sure the chaos of the 4th turning is tearing down the architecture and infrastructure of this cycle, but what will get built? My kids will begin their professional lives right about this time, and so I have extra incentive to consider it now.
I know it seems strange in this time of chaos to be thinking about the order that will follow. And this isn't a argument for ignoring the pain and suffering of the moment. It's possible to focus on both the current moment, and the future that this current moment will evolve into. That is what will happen. Things will change. It is what has always happened.
If you are so distracted by the chaos that surrounds you, that you don't spend time to consider the new order, then you are surrendering your ability to shape the inevitable future.
The 4th turning will end in the early 2030's. What will the infrastructural zeitgeist be, and how can I go about shaping the field of possibility of the 2030's and 2040's today?
It is very important to remember: It hasn't always been this way, and it won't always be this way. What way it will be is up to the people who choose to lead.
That SHOULD BE YOU! Seriously. If you take the time to read this email each week, you are the type of person who understands what is at stake when you are making decisions for huge numbers of people.
In the member community, I have posted some things that we might be able to expect based on previous 1st turnings. (the one that comes next) They should help you point your thinking in the right direction.
Until next week!
Spencer, Owner of 4K Weeks
P.S. I'm serious about the 33 Day Foundation. It works, and in the nascent 4K Weeks Community, I am happy to help you define your goals and stay accountable.
P.P.S. Here is your reward for reading this whole email: To my old master.
DAD JOKE O' THE WEEK
Why did the melons get married?
Because they cantaloupe?
Shoutout to Ron W. for contributing this week's joke! (He is close to a lifetime achievement award for his dad joke suggestions!)
Think you can do better? Join our Dad Joke thread!
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