1. Something I’ve been thinking about this week…
I’ve been thinking more about contrast this week. I frequently listen to Lewis Howes’ podcast, School of Greatness. I was excited to see that he had Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a PhD biochemist, who is one of the smarter researchers I have heard talk about aging, cancer, and nutrition. When I started the podcast, I quickly realized that it WASN’T Dr. Rhonda Patrick the researcher, but Danica Patrick, the retired professional race car driver. Hmmmmm? I decided to listen anyway, and I’m glad I did, because like most things I listen to or read, I got several great nuggets from it. Contrast was one of those things. The reason we are so thrilled about the recent warmer, sunnier days is because we have had many cold and dark days. The reason we appreciate good times, or even recognize them as being good, is because of the bad days. Without the bad, we wouldn’t appreciate the good. So, I try not to wish away the bad, and try not to think that I will not, or should not, have any bad in my life. Because it’s the bad that makes the good seem so good. (I am not putting the link to that podcast in here because it’s good, but not great… and it’s 1.5 hours long.)
2. Great message I was sent this week…
My long-time, childhood friend, Madhav N., sends me a “Morning Mantra” every single morning. He sent one earlier this week that I have re-read at least a dozen times. Here it is… “Finding yourself is not really how it works. You are not a ten dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a child and adult that became your beliefs about who you are. Finding yourself is actually returning to yourself…an unlearning, and excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” WOW! That rocked me! We need to stop searching outside ourselves for the things we so deeply crave. Our best selves are right there… INSIDE US. Let’s work on unlearning… excavating.
3. Confusion/misunderstanding I’ve noted this week…
When asked why someone would get the COVID-19 vaccine, most will answer that they want to protect those around them. While data is still being gathered, and the vaccine manufacturers are scrambling to be able to say that the vaccines prevent the spread of the virus, as of right now, that has not been proven. An interview done just over a week ago by Eugenio Derbez with Dr. Fauci made that very clear. Here is a quick video clip (or see below) with Fauci stating that the main purpose of the vaccine is to reduce symptoms, which could prevent serious illness, and therefore, may prevent death in certain individuals. Many will argue that this is great news. And if it does in fact do that, that is fantastic. However, I know that many people getting the vaccine are getting it to protect others around them, which the vaccine has not been proven to do. So, if a teacher is at low risk of dying from COVID-19 (which is most teachers), and they get the vaccine to protect the children, they do not understand the limits of these vaccines. If a person tells their father or mother that they cannot be around their grandchild unless they get the vaccine, that person does not understand that whether or not the grandparent gets the vaccine, the risk to the child is not affected. If you got the vaccine and are scared to be around friends or family that have not gotten the vaccine, you aren’t understanding the current limits of these vaccines. As it stands right now, according to Fauci himself, these vaccines have not been proven to prevent a person from becoming infected or prevent a person from spreading the virus. I have found that most people are unaware of this fact. It helps to know as much as you can about something before making a decision. So, when your friends, co-workers, employers, or family shun you because you have not gotten the vaccine, or are waiting for more data to come out in this experimental process, they need to be reminded that, according to the data we have right now, you getting the vaccine has no impact on them. And when they say you are wrong… show them this video clip of Fauci from March 13, 2021.
