36 Pleasurable pain, longevity, and shyness

No. 36 – 11 August 2023

Welcome to the 36th edition of 4-TP, a weekly newsletter on building resilience and courage and pushing past your limits.

Article

The 3 proven and practical steps to adopting a stress-is-enhancing mindset, developed over 2,000 years ago.

— Read more​

Quote

Musonius Rufus, on doing good and avoiding the bad:

“If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labor passes quickly, but the good endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, but the shame endures.”

— Source: Lectures and Sayings​

Insight

The Japanese secret to living a long and happy life rests on 10 basic rules:

1/ Stay active; don't retire

You lose your purpose when you give up doing things you enjoy.

Continue doing things you value, making progress, and bringing beauty and utility to others, even after you're retired from your "official" job.

2/ Take it slow

"Walk slowly and you'll go far."

Leave urgency behind. Life and time will take on a new meaning.

3/ Don't eat until you're 100% full

Less is more when it comes to longer living.

Eat a little less than your hunger demands instead of stuffing your face.

4/ Surround yourself with good people

Friends are the antidote to excess worry.

5/ Get in shape

Maintain the body daily to keep it running for the long haul.

6/ Smile

Cheerfulness will attract people to you.

Enjoy the moment.

7/ Reconnect with nature

Humans are made for being in nature.

Return to it to recharge your batteries.

8/ Give thanks

To your friends, family, community.

Gratitude = joy

9/ Live in the present

Make the most of the moment.

The past is gone and the future is unknown.

10/ Follow your ikigai

Find the passion inside you, that unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you.

Question

There's a difference between being an introvert and being shy.

Introversion is a personality trait that involves finding solace in one's thoughts.

It involves spending time alone or with a small number of people. It's a preference.

Shyness is apprehension around others. It's anxiety-centric and characterized by a fear of judgment or embarrassment.

Are you an introvert or shy?

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Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef