Enjoy this week’s curated list of articles, podcasts, and more from the web to help you live a better, more fulfilled life.
And a special Mother’s Day note for all the awesome moms in our community. You all rock the hardest job in the world, and do it with grace. Happy Mother’s Day!
Featured Thoughts: “Why You Should Write” (And some thoughts on AI)
Takeaway: “Writing is the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about. Importantly, writing is also the process by which you figure it out.
Writing about something teaches you about what you know, what you don’t know, and how to think. Writing about something is one of the best ways to learn about it. Writing is not just a vehicle to share ideas with others but also a way to understand them better yourself.”
In a world of AI tools, the temptation is there to outsource all of your writing, and thus, all of your thinking. Deep understanding is hard to acquire. And if a software can understand for you, why not make your life easier?
It’s the dependence on this software that becomes risky. Like any tool, it’s usefulness or destructiveness is dependent on how it’s wielded by the user.
I use AI in my business. I use it to help me formulate ideas for new content, generate outlines, and come up with enticing headlines. But this AI never writes my content. The Mindset Monday messages all come from me. The articles you read are my words and thoughts and experiences.
While an AI can aggregate more information faster than I ever could, it lacks my experiences, and the emotions, that led to these insights; the unique spiderweb of memories, perspectives, and connections, developed over multiple decades, in what feels like many lives lived.
AI may be able to reach the same conclusions as I, but it lacks the humanity through which these messages are meant to serve you. Even though AI could write these messages, it won’t. That is a task forever placed upon my shoulders.
You, too, should embrace the work of deep understanding. Do not let AI do that for you.
“I Let AI Plan My Vacation—Here’s What Happened”
Takeaway: People across all industries are going crazy for the new world with AI technology, but it’s clear we are still very much in the beginning. Nevertheless, see how today’s advances might be able to help you take away the stress of planning a big trip, and where it might give you even more.
“5 Reasons You Should Take Dance Lessons (That Have Nothing To Do With Exercise)”
Takeaway: Maybe the best reason to try dancing is that it's intimidating. That might sound like a weird reason, but hear me out: by doing things that scare you, you're able to conquer those fears and become a more confident, capable person. Plus, dancing can be a really fun activity to do with your significant other and it's a great way to spend time together while getting a little exercise.
“14 Ways To Trick Yourself Into Feeling Confident”
Takeaway: I don’t suggest you fake it until you make it, but that doesn’t mean that sometimes you don’t have to do things you don’t feel like doing to feel the ways you want to feel. Here the author shares 14 simple acts you can do to feel more confident. Do these enough, and you never know what’ll happen.
My favorites from the list:
Commit to rising above the masses
Create something
Dress up