Content related to inspiring books that have crossed my path
If Gandhi told us to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” this post represents the words I need to hear right now. Between battling depression, interpersonal conflicts, and existential threats to humanity, I haven’t been feeling very motivated lately. My mom always inspired me to change the world for the better, but her absence is making that a difficult ask right now.
With one third of my year-long program completed, our cohort has been doing a lot of reflecting on what we’ve seen, learned, and applied. At the end of a week together in Hawai’i, we focused on some very real leadership challenges we’ve faced in a fragmented, polarized world, as well as how to encourage and empower others to keep moving forward toward a common goal.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” as they say, but venturing into the unknown is a daunting experience for anyone. The theme of exploration was strong during our Climate Lab week in Hawai’i, especially given Polynesian cultural ties to long sea voyages. Although solving the climate crisis can feel like sailing into the unknown without a map, we’re building navigational tools that will help us find a destination.
The thing that started this whole road trip was my desire to see my first annular eclipse. Distinct from a total solar eclipse, this “ring of fire” is a strange sight to behold – and that’s coming from someone who travels to see total solar eclipses. Over the years I’ve learned some lessons about what to do (and not) in order to get a good view.
One of the two primary goals of our science road trip was to see the Trinity test site, where the first nuclear bomb was detonated. There’s no guarantee of getting in, which is why some enthusiastic travelers line up in their cars the night before. I believe this was the first occasion in my life that I waited in line overnight for anything.
It’s been a long year, and I was feeling too burned out for resolutions (of which I usually make at least 10). But what if I made a resolution to have more fun… and backed it up with my own data on how to do that… and employed a color-coded spreadsheet? I’m embarking on something I’ve never done before: committing to one single resolution.
The growing use of semaglutide drugs for people who don’t medically need them is causing harm to people who do but also ripples across the business world, with risks and surprising benefits projected in different sectors. Ultimately we need to ask ourselves why weight loss is the goal – and whether thinness is worth the cost: our money, our health, or someone else’s health.
I’ve had several friends comment on this series (publicly and privately), reminding me that body image issues are more widespread than many of us realize. In our quest for thinness over health, we turn to fad diets and products to help us feel better about ourselves. And that desperation among people who don’t really need to lose weight is causing problems for people who really do.
I wrestled with some negative feelings when reading the book Fat Talk, and I wanted to understand the source of those reactions. I’ve since participated in a group discussion, some supplementary research, and a lot of reflection and writing. In the end, I think my disconnect is ultimately related less to my own biases and more to some of the concepts being presented in absolutes.
It goes without saying that parents want what’s best for their kids, but who decides what “best” is or the best way of achieving it? Mealtimes are dreaded in many households because of the potential for fights over what and how much needs to be consumed. And even the healthiest home environments don’t make kids immune to external standards and value judgments related to weight.