57 Uncontrollable emotions, daily presence, and mudita

No. 57 – 5 Jan 2024

Welcome to the 57th edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on beating fear and anxiety for optimal performance.

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Article

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to believe they're incapable of controlling their emotions. The truth is, anyone can do it if they manage their thoughts.

— Read more​

Quote

Hal Elrod, on being present:

“Life isn’t about wishing you were somewhere or someone that you’re not. Life is about enjoying where you are, loving who you are, and consistently improving both.”

Insight

We don’t know what we’re capable of and what could be until we try. There are two types of failure:

1. Never trying because of fear.

2. Trying, failing, and getting back up again.

If you fall under 1 and want to make the shift to 2, ask, what's the worst that can happen?

Emotion Signpost

Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.

It's key to decreasing fear and anxiety, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.

Here are 2 to explore:

Mudita

Definition | Dharmic concept of joy, particularly an especially sympathetic or vicarious joy—the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being.

Origin | From Pali, an ancient Indian language, and it is one of the key concepts in Buddhism.

Frission

Definition | Brief, intense sensation, often manifested as chills or shivers, usually in response to a powerful or moving experience, such as music, art, or a poignant moment.

Origin | Derived from the Old French verb 'frir', which means to be cold or to shiver.

Question

As the calendar turns from one year to the next, many of us engage in a period of reflection, contemplating the changes we'd like to implement in the upcoming 12 months. It's a common tradition to set New Year's resolutions, yet the challenge lies in the follow-through. Managing our schedules to accomplish those goals is an important, yet underrated task.

Creating new goals for yourself is a great idea, but did you also set specific time aside to tackle them?

Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef