Navigating the Noise: JB's Monday Momentum Week #5
Finding Clarity in a World of Chaos
Estimated reading time: four minutes
Hello friends,
We are bombarded with distractions all around us. It feels like everywhere we look, something is trying to grab our attention. If we're not careful, we can end up getting too invested in these distractions. This week is all about making sure this doesn’t happen and we are caring about what does matter.
If you missed last week’s edition, you can click here to check it out.
A Question I am Contemplating:
How can we make sure we are caring about the right things?
To ensure we are focusing on the right things, it is crucial to first identify what we should not care about. This includes anything that takes away from personal growth in any aspect of our lives, such as social media, current news, or excessive involvement in politics. These distractions often result from a lack of self-control. To prioritize what truly counts, we need to remove these distractions. Setting boundaries can help prevent getting caught up in these things, but ultimately, it's a choice that starts with you. Developing discipline and self-control is a skill like anything else—with practice, progress will be made and you will see improvement. Once we understand and address this, we can align our priorities and concentrate on what holds significance.
Embrace the freedom of being able to not care or stay on top of everything. Refraining from engaging in meaningless situations will free up valuable time and energy; energy spent on meaningless matters is energy that could have been spent on meaningful matters. Imagine the increased sense of peace and presence you could experience by having this extra time and energy. By prioritizing what matters, you'll find greater fulfillment and harmony in your life, benefiting not only yourself but also the aspects of your life you should care about.
Quote on mindful choices:
“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters—don’t wish to seem knowledgeable. And if some regard you as important, distrust yourself.” — Epictetus
Goal for the Week:
Get screen time below two hours
I believe I manage my phone usage well and don’t get too distracted, but I still find myself wasting a lot of time on it. In the spirit of focusing on what is important, aiming to reduce my screen time seems like an appropriate goal for the week. I'm looking forward to seeing how much more productive I can be and what I’ll do with my extra time.
What I’m Reading:
The Road — Cormac McCarthy (6% done)
What I finished Reading:
The Good Life Method — Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko
Written by two philosophy professors at Notre Dame, The Good Life Method is based on Notre Dame’s signature philosophy course “God and the Good Life.” The subtitle is “Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning.” And no surprise, this is the best one-line description of the book. The Good Life Method aims to provide life advice through the lens of philosophy, guiding readers toward achieving “the good life.” The book is highly accessible and is an excellent introduction to various philosophical perspectives. If you think there is no practicality in philosophy, this book will change your mind. I give The Good Life Method an 8/10.
I reached out to Professor Sullivan and Blaschko asking for literature recommendations to explore philosophy. They kindly provided this list if you’re interested:
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" — Ursula K LeGuin
"Escape from Spiderhead" — George Saunders (strange, but indeed thought-provoking)
"The Semplica Girl Diaries" — George Saunders
“Sonnet 19: When I consider how my light is spent” — John Milton
“My Philosophy of Life” — John Ashbery
Mary Oliver's poems (my favorite is “Don’t Hesitate”)
Greenlights — Matthew McConaughey
Alright, alright, alright! If you are a fan of McConaughey, I’d definitely read this book. It took me about four days to finish and was a wildly entertaining, fun read. McConaughey is a phenomenal storyteller who takes you behind the scenes of his life, revealing stories of how he came to be. There are some valuable lessons to take away, but I mostly enjoyed the book for its entertainment. I give Greenlights a 7/10.
What I’m listening to (one podcast, three songs):
Freakonomics: Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?
S.O.B — Sam Barber
Paul Revere — Noah Kahan & Gregory Alan Isakov
Perfect Portrait of Young Love — The 502s
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated for next week and feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Take care,
James