The Quest Newsletter

A weekly newsletter to help you live better

Author

Beau Burns
April 28, 2023

Read time: 2 minutes

Today at a glance:

Quote: Happiness
Ideas: Well-being, Try it Again, and Never too Late
Article: Languishing and Flow
Tweet: Scary Charts
Question: Close the Gap

Quote

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." - James Oppenheim

One of the most dangerous phrases you can say: "I'll be happy when..."

Happiness isn't something you delay for the future; it's something you design in the present.

Ideas From Me

I.

10 Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Life

1. Be grateful
2. Move your body
3. Whole foods diet
4. Read great books
5. High-quality sleep
6. Connect with others
7. Laugh and smile more
8. Sunlight in the morning
9. Set goals that excite you
10. Talk to yourself like a friend

II.

I hated guacamole as a kid. Even the word sounded gross to me.

Then a few years ago, I had some really good guac and now I eat it every day.

As time changes, we change. Don’t reject something forever that didn’t stick the first time.

III.

It is never too late to become the person you wish to be.

Article

Languishing by Adam Grant

This was the most popular New York Times article in 2021. It’s one of the better articles I’ve read in the last few years.

So what can we do about it? A concept called “flow” may be an antidote to languishing. Flow is that elusive state of absorption in a meaningful challenge or a momentary bond, where your sense of time, place and self melts away. During the early days of the pandemic, the best predictor of well-being wasn’t optimism or mindfulness — it was flow. People who became more immersed in their projects managed to avoid languishing and maintained their pre-pandemic happiness.

I love that one of the antidotes to languishing is flow. I’ve found this to be true in my life.

In 2022, Grant went on to say: “I think a lot of people are still languishing... because languishing is part of the human condition.” “…I don't think it's quite as severe now from the data that I've seen. We're starting to see a little bit of post-traumatic growth… not just bouncing back but bouncing forward.”

Tweet

Some interesting charts here that underscore the need to believe in something outside of ourselves.

Question

What gap exists between what you say matters to you and how you spent your time this last week? What can you do to close that gap a little bit?

Living in alignment with your values leads to fulfillment.



If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, feel free to share it with family, friends, or colleagues.

Make it a great weekend.

Much love,

Beau Burns


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