March 11, 2021: What I’ve Been Up To
It has been a while since I have posted
This isn’t a post that I see very often, and if I see it, it is always for longer periods of time and by really big names. However, seeing as it has been a month since I last posted, I figured this would be a good time to do it. Life gets in the way, so taking a break from writing isn’t the worst thing to do every once in a while.
#1: What I’ve been listening to
This past month I started listening to Sabaton once again with a deeper dive into their catalog. For those of you who do not know about them, they are a Swedish metal band that makes songs about historical events. They sound intense and maybe a bit much for some people, but their songs have great meanings to them and an amazing sound to them. The band itself seems like genuinely good people, preferring to stay out of the various controversies celebrities often put themselves into. My favorite songs by them include “The Last Stand”, “82nd All The Way” (and all of The Great War really), “Bismarck”, “Carolus Rex”, and “The Attack of the Dead Men” (click here for a video explaining the backstory of the song). Check them out.
#2: What I’ve been reading
While I was trying to get through the “Dune” series for a long time, I had to call it quits on Children of Dune. I was not able to stay interested in it, but it definitely is one I will check out in a couple of years or so. What I have been reading and enjoying, however, is Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. Salt sounds boring, but the ways that it ties into every bit of the world in such interesting ways is incredible. The key phrase is “world history”. Some interesting facts you’ll learn in this book are the history behind the Gauls (aka the Celts), how the Chinese found and used natural gas, and how many of today’s words come from words that mean salt. While some of it is more enjoyable than other parts, there is a ton of information to learn in this book and it is presented in a way that is quite easy to understand. If you are looking for a new book to read and enjoy history or want to expand your horizons, pick this one up.
#3: What I’ve been working on
This past month I was working hard on my clarinet solo. I’ve played clarinet for several years now and this was an exciting opportunity presented to me by my band directors. Just yesterday I performed my solo at a local nursing home with a substantial audience. It went well, and it was incredible to see how the residents received mine and everyone else’s performances. It was definitely worth the effort.
Another thing I have been pouring time into is my Eagle Project. I have been in Boy Scouts for a while now and have been getting closer and closer to earning eagle, which is now not that far away. Although it took plenty of planning and research, I am currently close to submitting the proposal. Seeing as this one of the last requirements involved before achieving the final rank in scouting, this has been very exciting and I’m ready to get the show on the road within a couple of months. My project will involve staining and sealing a boardwalk and bird platform in a nearby animal sanctuary.
#4: Things I’ve learned
There are a few things that I have learned this year that stand out from the rest, those things being: recovery is crucial, every day is a little investment, and it is alright if you don’t hit every goal you set for yourself. Recovery, especially in strength training, is extremely important and we may sometimes forget this. Not that long ago I made the mistake of having very little fuel in my body and proceeding to perform the most amount of reps I could on an exercise (dips). This was a bad idea, as I felt tired and achy the rest of the day. Eating enough is also very important, so listen to your body and make sure you have a nice healthy snack (like a banana and peanut butter) 30 mins or so before working out. The same principle can apply to working intensely on anything. Sleep is pretty important, and so are cooldown periods for working period.
Another thing to remember is that every day is an investment. It feels great to check your investing account and see how much money has added up over time, or how working out a few times a week has led to impressive gains in muscle size. It doesn’t seem like much at all, but a small investment in any area of life can pay off later on when you see results. It just takes time. Finally, you don’t need to hit every goal you set for yourself. I set a goal of reading 70 books this year and while I still could hit it if I really wanted to, I realize now that it is going to be extremely hard to reach and ultimately not worth it. I would probably gain a lot from reading that many books, but I don’t think it’s worth sacrificing other important parts of my life for it. However, I still am benefitting from setting this goal by being more motivated to read.
#5: Newsletters you need to follow
Finally, to conclude this essay of a post, I recommend you subscribe to a few great newsletters. The first of which is Thomas Frank’s “Tuesday Tools and Tips” newsletter. Every week, Thomas will send an email containing new articles, videos, apps he’s been using, the music he is listening to, books he’s been reading, and finally a great quote to keep in mind. His youtube channel and website are also amazing, so check those out for high-quality content (no I am not sponsored). The second newsletter that I love is “Now I Know” by Dan Lewis. This newsletter sends out interesting stories about things you would never even think about daily, and it never ceases to be interesting. For context, one that was re-released today involved how McFlurry cups caused a lot of unfortunate incidents with hedgehogs and how the cup was eventually redesigned to save them. Dan does not have an established blog or website like Thomas, but his newsletter never disappoints. If you like learning interesting information, check out the Now I Know newsletter.
The final newsletter that I believe everyone should follow is the “3–2–1 Thursday newsletter” by James Clear. It’s called “3–2–1” because every email has three ideas from James, two quotes from others, and one question to ask yourself. It is very high quality, and that would make sense considering there are over 1,000,000 people subscribed to it. This is largely due to Clear’s bestselling book Atomic Habits (which everyone should read), which tells the importance of small habits performed every day. Since he only emails every Thursday, you never get overwhelmed with emails which are very nice.
Conclusion
I hope you learned something from the five points above. These are things that have been keeping me busy and I hope could possibly do the same for you. Sabaton may not be study music, but I really recommend them for a good start to your day or your workout playlist. Try out the book about salt, and the three newsletters I described. They’ll give you plenty of entertainment. Lastly, I hope you can keep in mind what I have learned so you don’t have to learn them yourself.
