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Juan went on a canal cruise in Amsterdam. He was the captain, as usual. He’s making the most out of the only week of sunshine in the Netherlands.

Michael is now back in the Netherlands. And enjoyed the sunny day attending a double picnic with his table tennis group, and also Rubens’ goodbye-party-picnic (farewell buddy 🫡)

LIFE

8 Life Lessons in a Meaningless Life

I came across this video on YouTube from Tim Minchin. He is an Australian comedian and actor. He gave a speech at the University of Western Australia for his top life lessons. He believes that life is meaningless, but we can do our best to fill that void. I hope you enjoy the following excerpt:

1. 🤩 You don’t have to have a dream.

   If you have something you’ve always wanted to do in your heart, go for it. After all, if it’s a big enough dream, it’ll take you most of your life to achieve. So by the time you get to it, and are staring into the abyss of the meaninglessness of your achievement, you’ll be almost dead so it won’t matter.

   I advocate passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals. Be micro-ambitious. Your next worthy pursuit will probably appear in your periphery, which is why you should be careful of long-term dreams.

2. 😅 Don’t seek happiness.

   Happiness is like an orgasm. If you think about it too much, it goes away. Keep busy and try to make someone else happy and you might find that you get some as a side effect. We didn’t evolve to be constantly content.

3. 🏃‍♂️Exercise.

   Play a sport, do yoga, pump iron, run, whatever. But take care of your body. You’re going to need it. Many of us will live to nearly 100 and even the poorest among us will have wealth that most humans throughout history could not have dreamed of. This long luxurious life ahead of you is going to make you depressed. But don’t despair, there is an inverse correlation between depression and exercise.

4. 🧐 Be hard on your opinions.

   Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one. Opinions differ significantly from assholes in that your opinions should be constantly and thoroughly examined.

   We must think critically and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs.

5. 👩‍🏫 Be a teacher.

   Share your ideas. Don’t take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it.

6. ❤️ Define yourself by what you love.

   We often encounter individuals who express their subcultural identity by hating certain things, like Coldplay, Football, Feminism, Liberals, and similar targets. We have a tendency to define ourselves in opposition to stuff. Try to also express your passion for things you love. Be demonstrative and generous in your praise of those you admire. Send thank you cards and give standing ovations. Be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff.

7. 🫡 Respect people with less power than you.

   You can learn a lot about others by how they treat waiters and employees in public places. I don’t care if you are the most powerful person in the room, I will judge you by how you treat the least powerful person in the room.

8. 😬 Don’t rush.

   You don’t need to already know what you want to do with your life. That does not mean to sit around and smoke weed all day but also don’t panic. Most people I know who were sure of their career path at 20 are having mid-life crises.

Life is meaningless. I find it absurd to search for meaning in a set of circumstances that have emerged after 13.8 billion years of unguided events. Leave it to humans to think the universe has a purpose for them. However, I am no nihilist. Life will sometimes seem long and tough and tiring. You will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad. And then you’ll be old. And then you’ll be dead.

There is only one thing to do with this empty existence, and that is to fill it. And in my opinion (until I change it), life is best filled by learning as much as you can about as much as you can. Take pride in what you do, have compassion, share ideas, run, and be enthusiastic. And then there’s travel and love and wine and sex and kids, but you all know that already.

It’s an incredible exciting thing, this one meaningless life of yours. Good luck.

SOURCE: Life Lessons by Tim Minchin

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— Juan

EXPERIENCES
The Psychology of Habituation
_{How to Keep Life Fresh}

Recently, I listened to a really good episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, which discussed how, and why we experience things differently over time—a process known as habituation. Here's an excerpt from the episode that describes this concept well:

Why the First Time is Usually the Best

This scenario is something we can all relate to, and it extends beyond just food to many areas of our lives. Here are some examples:

• Food

• Holidays

• Relationships

The first time tends to be the best—the first bite of a delicious cake, the first dip in the pool at a resort, the first kiss in a relationship. Subsequent experiences are still enjoyable but often not as magical. Over time, the thrill diminishes.

Recapturing the Magic

So, how can we recapture that initial thrill? One strategy is to break up enjoyable activities. For instance, if you order a slice of cake at a restaurant, eat half of it there and save the rest for later. When you eat the other half at home, it will feel much closer to that first amazing bite you had earlier.

This concept isn't just limited to food. I’m currently (thanks to immigration laws) applying it to my relationship with Lina. We spent two months together last year, followed by four months of long distance. When we reunited, it felt just as exciting as when we first started dating. We’re now in another period of long distance, and when we meet up again in a few months, it will feel new and fresh again.

Another way to think about this is with a TV series. I actually preferred when a series was released one episode each week, instead of Netflix putting out the entire series (I know, I'm in the minority here). This way, you spread the enjoyment of a good series over a longer period and end up getting more out of it. You get that excited anticipation as you look forward to watching the next episode.

Dealing with Unpleasant Tasks

This idea works for unpleasant tasks too, but in reverse. For activities you don’t enjoy—like cleaning, doing homework, or exercising—it's better to complete them all at once rather than splitting them up. If you clean half the apartment now and the other half later, you're just prolonging the unpleasant experience. Instead, just power through and get it done in one go.

Conclusion

• Do things you enjoy over multiple sessions.

• Do things you don’t enjoy all at once.

By understanding and applying the psychology of habituation, you can enhance your enjoyment of life’s pleasures and minimize the pain of its chores.

Quote of the Week

“The key to happiness is not more, it’s simply appreciating what we have.”

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— Michael

TAKING ACTION

Sign up to our Accountability Clubs

Want a community to keep you accountable? Willing to put your money where your mouth is? 😂

How it works:
💸 Everyone makes the same deposit at the beginning of the month.
✅ Every day you succeed, you get paid back a small amount from your deposit PLUS the money from others who failed that day.
❌ Every day you fail, your money for that day goes to people who succeed.
🗓️ It is 5 times a week. Month-to-month contract. You can join or leave at the beginning of each month.

July Clubs you can join:
🏋️ Exercise 5 times a week.
⏰ Wake up early during weekdays.
📵 Digital minimalism during weekdays.
🚶‍♂️ Steps 5 times a week.
⏱️ Project Time Tracking.
🏫 School Time Tracking.
📝 Signup to join for July

Highlights from Exercise Club: