Hi All!

Here is your weekly round up of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along to a friend if you think they might enjoy.

How I write

Writing for me is easy.

All I do is turn up and tell the truth.

I try not to overshare too much but I’m not afriad to show my scars.

This is because I don’t want to come off like I’m talking down to you.

I’m here, right beside you, having a conversation.

I don’t have the answers but I do have my experiences.

Paying attention $$$

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more mindful of where I spend my attention.

You see, normally when I’d wake up, I’d immediately reach over to my phone and start scrolling. Not because I want to but because it’s become an unconscious habit.

It’s like I’m still asleep even though I just woke up.

Thankfully though, I’ve consciously began trying to not do this anymore. And although it sounds easy, I can genuinely feel the magnetic pull of the phone begging for me.

It’s like there’s a little voice in the back of my head seducing me into handing over my hard earned attention in exchange for a hit of distraction.

When I take a moment to look myself and realise how much of a slave to my impulses I can become, I laugh at the absurdity of how easily my attention can be stolen.

“Instagram Got Your Bihhh” -Ye

Don’t ask the algorithm, ask your friends

Last week, I put up a post on my story asking my international friends if they could recommend me their favourite independent bookstores in their cities.

I could’ve easily just Googled or asked AI the same question but I didn’t. I wanted my information to pass through the filter of my friends because they have my best interest at heart and have no ultior motives.

This is starkly different to getting raw information from an algorithm that has been algorithmically curated by whoever had the largest adspend, or who could game the system enough to appear at the top of the search results.

Whereas each recommendation from a friend came from a real experience that made them want to pass that joy on to me.

Now, I’m not saying never use the algorithm to search, I’m saying we should make more use of our friends and their experiences.

So next time you’re thinking of where you should go, or what you should do, why not ask a friend?

The IRL Tony Stark

Below is one of the most interesting podcast episodes I’ve listend to in a while.

For context if you’re interested, Palmer Lucky originally invented the Oculus VR headset before selling his company to Meta and getting into weapons manufacturing for the US military with his new company Anduril.

The emotional charge of music

The other day a song came on from a different era of my life and immediately I was transported back in time.

I could feel the same anxious feeling in my gut I felt back then.

It’s like the song had been imbued with an emotional charge.

My inner world captured and preserved within the span of three minutes.

Wow.

I genuinely find memory so fascinating and it makes me think about the songs I’m emotionally charging right now that will later be recalled.

I also find it cool that you can paint new memories over old songs.

Hope everyone enjoys their week.

Love,

Jet Williams

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