Saks Snacks 39 - food for thought

Mastering Your Nervous System | Writing for Yourself | Life Lessons from Jack Kornfield and Shane Parrish

Welcome back to Saks Snacks 👋.

If you’re a curious human interested in mindful tech and the intersections of health and technology, you're in the right place.

This week, I continue to experiment with shorter posts, hoping to offer you more frequent food for thought and to ignite introspection. I’d love to hear if you find this valuable.

Here’s the 3 snacks:

1. 💭 Writing for the most important audience: yourself

2. 🧠 Intentional Modern Living: Mastering Your Nervous System

3. 🎙 Podcast of the Week: Jack Kornfield + Shane Parrish

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💭 Reflection of the Week: Why you should write for the most important audience: yourself

In the words of Daniel Gilbert,

"We think we know ourselves much better than we actually do."

I couldn't agree more. The depth of my self-awareness only unfolded when I started writing for myself.

Writing has been my tool of introspection, a way to translate the echoes of my soul into conscious language. Sometimes it takes staring at my ‘Daily Writing’ Google doc to actually come face to face with, the truth that lies inside me.

In a world filled with digital distractions, taking the time to reflect on our own experiences has become rare. However, the process of self-reflection and internalization is what dictates our life experiences. Writing helps me understand myself through metabolizing my life experiences.

You too can foster a deeper understanding of yourself and gain valuable insights into your life by making writing a part of your self-discovery journey.

If there’s any way I can help you out on your own journey, please reach out. I’ve thought about starting a mini-course on Writing for Yourself based on the positive feedback some of you shared when I’ve posted about reflective practices, journaling structures, etc. If this is something you’d like to see brought into the world, please let me know.

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🧠 Intentional Modern Living: Mastering Your Nervous System

Our life quality hinges on our relationship with our nervous system.

Living intentionally in our tech-infused, “busy” lives requires us to develop a deep relationship with our nervous system.

What’s the snackable takeaway from the research? We’re starting to understand and quantify what chronic stress does to us, energetically and functionally…

‘Allostatic load’ - the cost of chronic stress - ages us biologically and increases our energy cost by 60%. Managing this is key for intentional, mindful living.

Chronic stress turns into an allostatic load - a dysregulated state marked by increased mortality and functional decline.

I’m actively exploring these core ideas and will bring bite-sized nervous system concepts to you. If you’re interested in the below opportunities, please reach out directly.

• Embodied Leadership Course co-development: I’m co-developing some coursework and materials around this in early 2024 for high-performing ‘Leaders of Leaders’ and Executive Coaches.

• Essay: Speed of Nature vs. Speed of Technology: I’m working on an essay, ‘Speed of Nature vs. Speed of Technology.’ It explores how we can balance the fast pace of tech with nature’s rhythm, using nature as a counterweight to our tech-centric lives.

Reflective question: “What’s 1 simple way you can live closer to the “Speed of Nature” this week?

🎙 Podcast of the Week: Jack Kornfield + Shane Parrish

This was an enlightening episode between mindfulness teacher Jack Kornfield and host Shane Parrish. 3 notable moments to reground in:

1. The quality of your life depends on the seeds you water.

2. To be present is a gift. Zen saying: "When you eat, just eat. When you sit, just sit. Be where you are."

3. A startling truth: 90% of your thoughts are repeat thoughts. What’s the influence of those you spend time with on those thoughts? How does listening to enlightened people influence your own narrative?

If you want to nerd out further and be involved in the first Saks Snacks podcast discussion on August 7th at 8pm EST / 5pm PST, fill out the form.

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✨Endnote

In the week ahead, I hope you embrace life like Shane did in this thoughtful conversation, imbued with presence and curiosity.

Remember, disconnect after reading this newsletter. Put the tech away for a sec. It would be the quickest, easiest way to show you understand the new term (allostatic load) 😉.

If you enjoyed this edition, would you mind giving the heart below a click and share it with a friend?

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead.

Adam