“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on”
– Robert Frost
Greetings!
This week we’re sharing 100 tips for living to 100, our 10 favorite books we read in 2021, and why life paths ahead are more important than life paths behind.
Oh — and if you haven’t yet filled out our one-year anniversary survey, please do. It’ll help us to serve you better in 2022.
THANKS if you already did — you might notice we’ve already made some minor adjustments based on your feedback 😉
Enjoy!
Living to 100
Want to live to 100?
Or at least want to improve your longevity by a bit?
Here are 100 ways to live to 100 from InsideHook — below are our favorite tips…
- Eat until 80% full
- Eat slowly
- Drink more water
- Meditate for 15 minutes per day
- Optimize your workplace
- Breathe through your nose
- Take power naps
- Don’t blame your genes
- Don’t doomscroll
- Live with a purpose
Life Paths
If we could visualize the paths you’ve taken so far in your life and if we could visualize the paths you still could take…
Perhaps the whole thing would look something like this.
I don’t know about you.
But I sometimes spend far too much time thinking about the past and what choices I could have made… thinking that I messed something up.
Look at the right side.
There are just as many choices (opportunities) before us as there are behind us.
Don’t dwell so much on the choices you could have made… focus on the choices that you still get to make.
Your current path can go in a thousand (a million?) different directions.
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
Top 10 Books
We recommend a lot of books in this newsletter. That’s because we believe that books are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to grow.
And in 2021, Alec and I read over 50 books.
Below, we share our top 10 picks!
Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
Should you leave money to your kids? How much should you save for retirement? Perkins has countercultural answers to those questions — he believes that we should all try as much as possible to die with zero $$$ left in our bank account.
I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter
How does something as complex as human consciousness arise from something as simple and meaningless as atoms? That’s the question Hofstadter sets out to answer with philosophical metaphors and descriptions that will have you almost grasping the fact that we’re all just “strange loops”, a bizarre occurrence where millions of layers of complexity create self-awareness.
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
How do you negotiate more effectively? Voss was a top negotiator for the FBI and, in this book, he reveals simple and effective strategies that anyone can use to get exactly what they want.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Humans have two systems of thinking. The first is fast, intuitive, and emotional. The second is logical, slow, and deliberate. How do those two systems interact? When should you use each system? And what does that tell us about how humans behave? Kahneman brings a remarkable amount of experience and research to answer those questions and explain how humans think.
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
It’s not a pretty book. It’s a serious and honest book about humanity’s indisputable impact on the climate and how we are the cause of the most recent mass extinction event. Everyone should read this book.
How To Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson
Want to think more like a true stoic? Robertson’s book is a fascinating and easy-to-read review of Marcus Aurelius’ life. It’s amazing how there are so many modern-day lessons to be learned from thousands of years ago.
Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
This is a disturbing book about how a person’s faith can become violent. Krakauer documents and analyzes the 1984 murder by mormon brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who killed a mom and infant child because “god told them to.” It’s a deep (and dark) dive into the mormon faith — one that’s well worth attending if you’re interested in the sometimes dark psychology of religion.
The Coddling of The American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
In the U.S., the world is far safer than it’s ever been. And yet, we’re more afraid and cautious than ever before. Lukianoff and Haidt examine why that is, what’s weakening the young minds of our society, and the concerning repercussions for the future.
Talking To Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Why are we often so bad at communicating with one another? In this book, Gladwell brings a ton of research to the table to answer that question… and explain how we can all do a bit better at talking to strangers.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Money is one of the main causes of discord in romantic relationships. It’s also one of the most confusing (and important) parts of our lives. How do you think about money and make better decisions regarding it? That’s what this book is all about.
How To Decide by Annie Duke
We all do it hundreds or thousands of times every week: making decisions. Both little and big. But how do you make quality decisions more quickly and with more confidence? When should you decide slowly? Quickly? That’s what Duke talks about in this book — the science and psychology of good decision-making.
Extra Stuff
Here is some other stuff we found interesting this last week!
- The Electronic Shackling of Migrants by Masinneuve
- How Body Farms and Human Composting Can Help Communities by Wired
- A Neuroscientist Prepares for Death by The Atlantic
This Week’s Photo
“The Brazilian surfer Lucas Chianca rides a towering wave during the Tudor Nazaré tow surfing challenge.” via The Guardian
This Week’s Riddle
Here’s this week’s riddle — the answer is at the bottom of the email!
You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?
This Week’s Question
Answer this question — either privately or by replying to this email. If your answer inspires us, then we’ll ask for permission to include it in a future email!
What’s a goal you have for 2022 that you’re excited about?
This Week’s Challenge
When was the last time you did something new? It’s easy to get into a routine and forget that life has a lot of exhilarating experiences to offer. So this week, schedule a time to do something that you’ve always wanted to do but never done — my wife and I are going scuba diving!
Until next week,
Mike & Alec
Riddle Answer: All the people were married.