- The Quest Newsletter
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- The Quest Newsletter
Read time: 4 minutes
Welcome to Quest, a weekly newsletter where I share ideas to help you build a life you love — one filled with more energy, purpose, and joy.
Preview:
Quote: Charting Your Own Path
Useful Ideas: Your Circle, Your Attention, Taking Action
Exercise: Get Outside
Story: How to Spend Your Money
Thought: You Are What You Do
Quote
Derek Sivers on the importance of knowing what you’re doing:
“Most people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths without making their own.
They spend decades in pursuit of something that someone convinced them they should want, without realizing that it won’t make them happy.
Don’t be on your deathbed someday, having squandered your one chance at life, full of regret because you pursued little distractions instead of big dreams.
You need to know your personal philosophy of what makes you happy and what’s worth doing.”
Source: Anything You Want
Useful Ideas
I.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have an abundance of close friends.
Your values will naturally remove many people from your inner circle.
II.
One of the most important and yet underrated determinants of a fulfilling life: your attention.
It’s not just a part of your life — it is your life.
You become what you give your attention to. Period.
If attention is this valuable then distraction is deadly.
III.
Don’t allow “planning” to delay you from taking action.
While there are some big decisions in life where careful planning is needed, most decisions in your life would benefit from you taking action sooner.
Exercise
In the 1980s, Japan’s forest agency created a nature-based wellness program they called shinrin-yoku which translates to “forest bathing”.
The program encouraged walking in the woods and experiencing nature.
One of the studies found that people who spent just 15 minutes walking through nature experienced all types of health benefits: decreases in anxiety, depression, stress, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Another study in 2016 found that walking through a park can cause “profound changes in the neurological structure of our brains.” These people reported feeling calmer, more productive, and more creative. Interestingly, they found that people who were actively using their phones on the walks saw none of the benefits.
Here’s what’s great: you don’t have to go hike Mount Everest to get the benefits from nature.
Michael Easter shares in The Comfort Crisis: “This is why it’s important to stop thinking that nature is out there, somewhere else. Like it’s a place that exists only in National Geographic or on voyages to Alaska. Nature is often right outside your window, in your backyard, lining your block, and in that park down the street.”
A very simple exercise this week: go out in nature. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.
Check out the book The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter if this topic interests you.
A Few Thoughts on Spending Money from Morgan Housel
Three of my favorite points:
There are two ways to use money. One is as a tool to live a better life. The other is as a yardstick of status to measure yourself against others. Many people aspire for the former but get caught up chasing the latter.
Money is a tool you can use. But if you’re not careful, it will use you. Sometimes the stuff you spend money on has so much influence over your autonomy and sanity that it’s not clear whether you own things or the things own you.
Unspent money buys something intangible but valuable: freedom, independence, autonomy, and control over your time. Every dollar of savings buys a claim check on the future.
Thought
You are what you repeatedly do. What are you repeatedly doing? Is it in line with who you want to become? If not, what do you need to change?
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Make it a great weekend.
Much love,
Beau Burns