Two cognitive punches for lifelong, durable happiness...

[Walter Hay]

From the Life in the Fastlane newsletter.

My wife hates that I have an affinity for watching and reading about true crime stories. Turns out I'm not alone.


Anyway, there's an odd reason I'm hooked on watching murder documentaries, and they lead to the two strategies I use to continually be happy and raise my baseline for happiness.


No, I don't have some twisted fascination with crime. But it reminds me to not sweat the "small stuff," and most everything is small.


When I watch true crime documentaries, I look beyond the human tragedy (which my wife cannot do) and instead experience immense gratitude and perspective, two things that scientifically can lead to happiness.


True crime shows me how lucky I am to have my loved ones while being able to pursue my best life. It gives me a punch of perspective, a mental knife that cuts through the fog of trivial complaints and zooms in on what truly matters.


I recently did a Cameo video, a pep-talk for a man who was enduring struggles in his life. In that video, I tried to share these two ideas of gratitude and perspective, as they were the strategies that guided me during my rough times, as they do today when I'm complaining about tax increases, corrupt politicians, and rude people.


Take war, for instance. There's someone, right now, literally fighting to survive. Conversely, you might be in a metaphorical battle to get that promotion or launch your startup. Recognize this for what it is—a privilege.


Think about that.


You're fighting for a dream, while others are fighting for food, shelter, and water. They're fighting to survive. If you're currently able to fight for your dreams because you're not busy fighting for your life, well, you're doing spectacularly well.


The same can be said about health. I might dread the idea of my early morning walk, but hey, I *can* walk without the threat of being bombed, mugged, or kidnapped. Whenever I lose perspective, I mutter to myself, "Well, you don't have pancreatic cancer," which, by most measures, is a death sentence. This simple, morbid statement is another mental punch that knocks sense into me.


Another cognitive gut-punch I use is freedom, which most of us take for granted. When faced with the angst of some trivial matter—someone cut me off, scammed, or misled me—I tell myself that I'm not pacing in a prison cell convicted of manslaughter or subject to reeducation in some gulag while doing back-breaking labor. I'm still free to think, speak, and exist as I am, as are you. This simple autonomy is a cornerstone of your well-being that we too often overlook.


And let's not forget the little black mirror we all carry—our smartphones. I preach a lot about social media toxicity but remember, the entire repository of human knowledge is literally in your pocket. Hell, if you had Elon Musk or Taylor Swift's telephone number, you could immediately reach them from your pocket. Again, think about amazing truth. Between this knowledge and access, previous generations would've killed for this privilege. Don't squander it with endless doom-scrolling on TikTok.

So when life beats you down—bills, tax increases, poor ad results—remember the THREE WARMS: If you have a warm bed after a warm shower following a warm meal, congratulations; you have a lot to be thankful for. You have an opportunity not just to survive but to pursue your dreams. Your best life.


None of this is some woo-woo I made up.

The psychological benefits of gratitude and perspective are well-documented. One seminal study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that participants who kept weekly gratitude journals were more optimistic, felt better about their lives, and exercised more than those who focused on neutral or negative aspects. The grass is already greener in your pasture. This research, led by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, lends scientific credence to the idea that focusing on what you're thankful for can positively impact well-being (source).

Another study delved into how the mere act of reframing a situation—again, perspective— to see the silver lining could foster better mental health. Published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, this study suggests that optimistic thinking styles, like positive reframing, are associated with various health benefits, including lower levels of depression and even better cardiovascular health (source).'


In a world where the narrative is often tuned to what we lack or how we could be better, flipping The Script is not radical but revolutionary. The powers-at-be want you to be angry, divided, and depressed as it makes you controllably monetizable. Don't be a slave to their whims.

So here's the mic-drop that only perspective and gratitude can deliver: If you're physically, mentally, and geographically able to pursue your dreams—your best life— you're already living the dream.

View attachment 52010

Best wishes,
MJ DeMarco, Entrepreneur, Author


PS: Here are some questions to ponder regarding perspective and gratitude in your life.

1 How can you practice gratitude daily beyond acknowledging our current treasures in life?
2 How do you balance a heightened sense of perspective for happiness so it does not deter you from achieving more?
3 How does the digital age contribute to our skewed perspective, and how can we counterbalance that?

Thank you for the sobering suggestions that should help many forum members.
Having entered this world while carrying a deadly Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene that led to pneumonia at 3 weeks of age, and the family doctor's warning to my mother that I would not live until the next morning, I have been plagued by illness all of my life, but I am very grateful for the life that I have had, so far lasting almost double the usual death of CF sufferers in their early forties.

I have always been an optimist, as is evident in this thread: Walter Hay, Imp/Export Extraordinaire (Vandalay Industries)

Born into poverty, living in poverty as a child, bashed by every "brave" bully in the areas where I lived - on one occasion passing out near death as a couple of bullies were kicking me while I was on the pavement. At that stage they were kicking me in the head. Fortunately a passer - by pulled them off me and sent them running.

My CF gene resulted in chronic illness all my life, with pneumonia every 6 weeks or so, but I kept going. When selling for a chemical company I had to attend the office every Friday and hand over my call sheets. That was not a problem because my call rate was double that averaged by sales reps, even when feeling ill.

I would often head off to do my sales round even though I knew that pneumonia was developing, but I kept on selling until I was too ill to continue. I was too weak to drive normally, so I reclined my seat slightly, and drove while lying back in the seat, using third gear even for starting off and rounding corners. Changing gears exhausted me.

I made it home and tooted the horn as I entered our driveway. My wife came out and hauled me out of the car and held me up while I staggered inside where I collapsed on the floor.

But.... I never gave up and I never wallowed in self pity. I knew that most CF sufferers died at an early age, and here I am at 85 - a rarity being still alive, and grateful for all the successes in my life; not only business successes but also just staying alive.

I see CF sufferers hauling around a trolly carrying an oxygen bottle and I think how well off I am without that.

Walter

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

Thank you for the sobering suggestions that should help many forum members.
Having entered this world while carrying a deadly Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene that led to pneumonia at 3 weeks of age, and the family doctor's warning to my mother that I would not live until the next morning, I have been plagued by illness all of my life, but I am very grateful for the life that I have had, so far lasting almost double the usual death of CF sufferers in their early forties.

I have always been an optimist, as is evident in this thread: Walter Hay, Imp/Export Extraordinaire (Vandalay Industries)

Born into poverty, living in poverty as a child, bashed by every "brave" bully in the areas where I lived - on one occasion passing out near death as a couple of bullies were kicking me while I was on the pavement. At that stage they were kicking me in the head. Fortunately a passer - by pulled them off me and sent them running.

My CF gene resulted in chronic illness all my life, with pneumonia every 6 weeks or so, but I kept going. When selling for a chemical company I had to attend the office every Friday and hand over my call sheets. That was not a problem because my call rate was double that averaged by sales reps, even when feeling ill.

I would often head off to do my sales round even though I knew that pneumonia was developing, but I kept on selling until I was too ill to continue. I was too weak to drive normally, so I reclined my seat slightly, and drove while lying back in the seat, using third gear even for starting off and rounding corners. Changing gears exhausted me.

I made it home and tooted the horn as I entered our driveway. My wife came out and hauled me out of the car and held me up while I staggered inside where I collapsed on the floor.

But.... I never gave up and I never wallowed in self pity. I knew that most CF sufferers died at an early age, and here I am at 85 - a rarity being still alive, and grateful for all the successes in my life; not only business successes but also just staying alive.

I see CF sufferers hauling around a trolly carrying an oxygen bottle and I think how well off I am without that.

Walter

This is inspiring Walter thanks for sharing. What gave you the strength to pull through time and time again despite all the obstacles? Is it something you were born with or did you learn to cultivate it?

 

[Walter Hay]

This is inspiring Walter thanks for sharing. What gave you the strength to pull through time and time again despite all the obstacles? Is it something you were born with or did you learn to cultivate it?

I think it was hereditary. My mother was tough, and also canny. The latter was displayed when during a time of housing shortages (WW2) and needing to house herself, 3 adult daughters, a little baby, and me, she outmaneuvered the long line of women who were already queuing down 2 flights of stairs awaiting the landlady's arrival.

Mum walked back to the tram stop (end of the line) and waited until a woman wearing a fur coat stepped out. Mum approached her and asked if she had a flat to let. The reply was yes, so Mum offered to pay double!!! and out of her meagre supply of cash she also offered to pay in advance on the spot.

My father was also tough, having walked hundreds of miles in the countryside with his cousin, often setting up as a bare-knuckle boxer, taking on all the local farm hands. His cousin acted as bookmaker and they raked in the cash because dad was never beaten. I was a midget compared to my father and 4 brothers.

He was also an entrepreneur, establishing and building a large trucking business in the city. It flourished until the Great Depression struck and he lost everything except his beloved brand new car, which he hid from the authorities. He loaded children and belongings in the car, on the roof, on the running boards and headed for the countryside where he built a shack where several more children were added to the number he had to feed.

Being inventive he talked his way into a job as the cement works maintenance engineer, where he had to make his own tools to suit the machinery. He walked 7 miles to work and back each day.

The example provided by my parents was a great inspiration.

Walter

 

[Antifragile]

Thank you for the sobering suggestions that should help many forum members.
Having entered this world while carrying a deadly Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene that led to pneumonia at 3 weeks of age, and the family doctor's warning to my mother that I would not live until the next morning, I have been plagued by illness all of my life, but I am very grateful for the life that I have had, so far lasting almost double the usual death of CF sufferers in their early forties.

I have always been an optimist, as is evident in this thread: Walter Hay, Imp/Export Extraordinaire (Vandalay Industries)

Born into poverty, living in poverty as a child, bashed by every "brave" bully in the areas where I lived - on one occasion passing out near death as a couple of bullies were kicking me while I was on the pavement. At that stage they were kicking me in the head. Fortunately a passer - by pulled them off me and sent them running.

My CF gene resulted in chronic illness all my life, with pneumonia every 6 weeks or so, but I kept going. When selling for a chemical company I had to attend the office every Friday and hand over my call sheets. That was not a problem because my call rate was double that averaged by sales reps, even when feeling ill.

I would often head off to do my sales round even though I knew that pneumonia was developing, but I kept on selling until I was too ill to continue. I was too weak to drive normally, so I reclined my seat slightly, and drove while lying back in the seat, using third gear even for starting off and rounding corners. Changing gears exhausted me.

I made it home and tooted the horn as I entered our driveway. My wife came out and hauled me out of the car and held me up while I staggered inside where I collapsed on the floor.

But.... I never gave up and I never wallowed in self pity. I knew that most CF sufferers died at an early age, and here I am at 85 - a rarity being still alive, and grateful for all the successes in my life; not only business successes but also just staying alive.

I see CF sufferers hauling around a trolly carrying an oxygen bottle and I think how well off I am without that.

Walter

For any young person who’s complaining “oh school is so hard” or life is unfair… please read Walter’s post 10 times. Or more. Until it sinks in - no self pity, no victim mentality… own your life. You can’t control what happens to you, you can control your actions.

Thanks for posting this Walter. We all need people like you in our lives.

 

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[Simon Angel]

Thank you for the sobering suggestions that should help many forum members.
Having entered this world while carrying a deadly Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene that led to pneumonia at 3 weeks of age, and the family doctor's warning to my mother that I would not live until the next morning, I have been plagued by illness all of my life, but I am very grateful for the life that I have had, so far lasting almost double the usual death of CF sufferers in their early forties.

I have always been an optimist, as is evident in this thread: Walter Hay, Imp/Export Extraordinaire (Vandalay Industries)

Born into poverty, living in poverty as a child, bashed by every "brave" bully in the areas where I lived - on one occasion passing out near death as a couple of bullies were kicking me while I was on the pavement. At that stage they were kicking me in the head. Fortunately a passer - by pulled them off me and sent them running.

My CF gene resulted in chronic illness all my life, with pneumonia every 6 weeks or so, but I kept going. When selling for a chemical company I had to attend the office every Friday and hand over my call sheets. That was not a problem because my call rate was double that averaged by sales reps, even when feeling ill.

I would often head off to do my sales round even though I knew that pneumonia was developing, but I kept on selling until I was too ill to continue. I was too weak to drive normally, so I reclined my seat slightly, and drove while lying back in the seat, using third gear even for starting off and rounding corners. Changing gears exhausted me.

I made it home and tooted the horn as I entered our driveway. My wife came out and hauled me out of the car and held me up while I staggered inside where I collapsed on the floor.

But.... I never gave up and I never wallowed in self pity. I knew that most CF sufferers died at an early age, and here I am at 85 - a rarity being still alive, and grateful for all the successes in my life; not only business successes but also just staying alive.

I see CF sufferers hauling around a trolly carrying an oxygen bottle and I think how well off I am without that.

Walter

Walter, what kept you going? How did you avoid not feeling like a victim or being angry about your circumstances?

Although this is borderline metaphysical, I believe your mindset and optimism are the biggest factors that allowed you to lead the long and fulfilling life you've had. People often "jinx" or "curse" themselves with statistics... and they too become a statistic.

But not you. How did you avoid doing that?

 

[Jrjohnny]

Lately, I’ve been taking a bus home, I would always be like “of course, it’s late, I hate this bus.”

I thought about all those people who have to walk miles to get home, have to cook their own meals, if they’re lucky enough to have one.

I used to complain about dinner not being ready for me.

I hated it how I have to go to a strict school.

There are kids who’s parents are being kidnapped right now. Kids who have abusive parents. Kids who can’t get a proper education.

I learnt to shut my mouth. Atleast I have a safe way to get home. Atleast I can eat safely. Atleast I get clean water. Atleast I have a nice soft mattress. atleast I have a warm shower.

I have more than all that. I should be very grateful for this. I have time to go to the gym, hang out with my friends, and pursue entrepreneurship.

My grandma always said “thank god we have food.” “Thank god we have a roof over our head.” “Thank god we have clean water.”

Now I understand. There are kids my age who are fighting for their damn lives and I’m over here complaining that my dinner isn’t ready.

Always be grateful for what you have, including family.

Atleast I have my 3 warms, 1 loving family, 1 soft bed, and 1 solid roof over my head.

 

[Walter Hay]

For any young person who’s complaining “oh school is so hard” or life is unfair… please read Walter’s post 10 times. Or more. Until it sinks in - no self pity, no victim mentality… own your life. You can’t control what happens to you, you can control your actions.

Thanks for posting this Walter. We all need people like you in our lives.

Sometimes life will seem unfair, but that is really a product of a person's expectations and hopes. One of my brothers who was a rebel, during military service, was disciplined for "Being in a state of military undress, and failing to salute an officer,"
His punishment was to empty a 45 gallon drum of water into an empty 45 gallon drum using a teaspoon......... So what did he do? He visited the officers' mess and returned to his tedious and rather pointless exercise carrying a utensil that he supposedly found on the floor.
His little rebellion rewarded him with only another disciplinary punishment. Was life unfair or did he simply make matters worse for himself?

Walter
P.S. Make the best outcome you can from whatever life dishes up for you.

Walter, what kept you going? How did you avoid not feeling like a victim or being angry about your circumstances?

Although this is borderline metaphysical, I believe your mindset and optimism are the biggest factors that allowed you to lead the long and fulfilling life you've had. People often "jinx" or "curse" themselves with statistics... and they too become a statistic.

But not you. How did you avoid doing that?

As a child I saw no way out of poverty and repeatedly being beaten up by bullies so I devised a way out of those two "curses". For the poverty problem I stole food. The frequent beatings were overcome by devising an imitation martial arts maneuver that my tiny size and weight allowed because my reflexes were (like my father's) as quick as lightning. I managed to drop the bully, giving him a black eye in the process, and then running for my life.

Lately, I’ve been taking a bus home, I would always be like “of course, it’s late, I hate this bus.”

I thought about all those people who have to walk miles to get home, have to cook their own meals, if they’re lucky enough to have one.

I used to complain about dinner not being ready for me.

I hated it how I have to go to a strict school.

There are kids who’s parents are being kidnapped right now. Kids who have abusive parents. Kids who can’t get a proper education.

1. I learnt to shut my mouth. Atleast I have a safe way to get home. Atleast I can eat safely. Atleast I get clean water. Atleast I have a nice soft mattress. atleast I have a warm shower.

I have more than all that. I should be very grateful for this. I have time to go to the gym, hang out with my friends, and pursue entrepreneurship.

My grandma always said “thank god we have food.” “Thank god we have a roof over our head.” “Thank god we have clean water.”

Now I understand. There are kids my age who are fighting for their damn lives and I’m over here complaining that my dinner isn’t ready.

Always be grateful for what you have, including family.

Atleast I have my 3 warms, 1 loving family, 1 soft bed, and 1 solid roof over my head.

No bus service option for me. I had to walk over a mile each way, dragging my little sister uphill and downhill. (The hills were steep.) That was after, at almost 5 years of age, on a single gas ring cooking meals consisting mainly of scraps brought home by my mother after working her second job each day at a restaurant. I had become the family cook.

I had 1 warm, sleeping on a double bed mattress, shared with my mother on one side of me, eldest sister on the other side (very warm) another sister at the foot of the bed, and countless bed bugs feasting on us.

The water was clean, but cold. As I stripped off one morning I held my arms in the air and said "Look mum - Auschwitz". She burst into tears. Another warm - My mum and my sisters loved me.

Yes, always be grateful for what you have.

Walter

 

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[alee12]

From the Life in the Fastlane newsletter.

My wife hates that I have an affinity for watching and reading about true crime stories. Turns out I'm not alone.


Anyway, there's an odd reason I'm hooked on watching murder documentaries, and they lead to the two strategies I use to continually be happy and raise my baseline for happiness.


No, I don't have some twisted fascination with crime. But it reminds me to not sweat the "small stuff," and most everything is small.


When I watch true crime documentaries, I look beyond the human tragedy (which my wife cannot do) and instead experience immense gratitude and perspective, two things that scientifically can lead to happiness.


True crime shows me how lucky I am to have my loved ones while being able to pursue my best life. It gives me a punch of perspective, a mental knife that cuts through the fog of trivial complaints and zooms in on what truly matters.


I recently did a Cameo video, a pep-talk for a man who was enduring struggles in his life. In that video, I tried to share these two ideas of gratitude and perspective, as they were the strategies that guided me during my rough times, as they do today when I'm complaining about tax increases, corrupt politicians, and rude people.


Take war, for instance. There's someone, right now, literally fighting to survive. Conversely, you might be in a metaphorical battle to get that promotion or launch your startup. Recognize this for what it is—a privilege.


Think about that.


You're fighting for a dream, while others are fighting for food, shelter, and water. They're fighting to survive. If you're currently able to fight for your dreams because you're not busy fighting for your life, well, you're doing spectacularly well.


The same can be said about health. I might dread the idea of my early morning walk, but hey, I *can* walk without the threat of being bombed, mugged, or kidnapped. Whenever I lose perspective, I mutter to myself, "Well, you don't have pancreatic cancer," which, by most measures, is a death sentence. This simple, morbid statement is another mental punch that knocks sense into me.


Another cognitive gut-punch I use is freedom, which most of us take for granted. When faced with the angst of some trivial matter—someone cut me off, scammed, or misled me—I tell myself that I'm not pacing in a prison cell convicted of manslaughter or subject to reeducation in some gulag while doing back-breaking labor. I'm still free to think, speak, and exist as I am, as are you. This simple autonomy is a cornerstone of your well-being that we too often overlook.


And let's not forget the little black mirror we all carry—our smartphones. I preach a lot about social media toxicity but remember, the entire repository of human knowledge is literally in your pocket. Hell, if you had Elon Musk or Taylor Swift's telephone number, you could immediately reach them from your pocket. Again, think about amazing truth. Between this knowledge and access, previous generations would've killed for this privilege. Don't squander it with endless doom-scrolling on TikTok.

So when life beats you down—bills, tax increases, poor ad results—remember the THREE WARMS: If you have a warm bed after a warm shower following a warm meal, congratulations; you have a lot to be thankful for. You have an opportunity not just to survive but to pursue your dreams. Your best life.


None of this is some woo-woo I made up.

The psychological benefits of gratitude and perspective are well-documented. One seminal study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that participants who kept weekly gratitude journals were more optimistic, felt better about their lives, and exercised more than those who focused on neutral or negative aspects. The grass is already greener in your pasture. This research, led by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, lends scientific credence to the idea that focusing on what you're thankful for can positively impact well-being (source).

Another study delved into how the mere act of reframing a situation—again, perspective— to see the silver lining could foster better mental health. Published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, this study suggests that optimistic thinking styles, like positive reframing, are associated with various health benefits, including lower levels of depression and even better cardiovascular health (source).'


In a world where the narrative is often tuned to what we lack or how we could be better, flipping The Script is not radical but revolutionary. The powers-at-be want you to be angry, divided, and depressed as it makes you controllably monetizable. Don't be a slave to their whims.

So here's the mic-drop that only perspective and gratitude can deliver: If you're physically, mentally, and geographically able to pursue your dreams—your best life— you're already living the dream.

View attachment 52010

Best wishes,
MJ DeMarco, Entrepreneur, Author


PS: Here are some questions to ponder regarding perspective and gratitude in your life.

1 How can you practice gratitude daily beyond acknowledging our current treasures in life?
2 How do you balance a heightened sense of perspective for happiness so it does not deter you from achieving more?
3 How does the digital age contribute to our skewed perspective, and how can we counterbalance that?

Thank you for your perspective. Regardless of how difficult getting on the process of Fastlane path may feel like, I realize that I can enjoy and be grateful for each learning opportunity

 

[Jinzou]

From the Life in the Fastlane newsletter.

My wife hates that I have an affinity for watching and reading about true crime stories. Turns out I'm not alone.


Anyway, there's an odd reason I'm hooked on watching murder documentaries, and they lead to the two strategies I use to continually be happy and raise my baseline for happiness.


No, I don't have some twisted fascination with crime. But it reminds me to not sweat the "small stuff," and most everything is small.


When I watch true crime documentaries, I look beyond the human tragedy (which my wife cannot do) and instead experience immense gratitude and perspective, two things that scientifically can lead to happiness.


True crime shows me how lucky I am to have my loved ones while being able to pursue my best life. It gives me a punch of perspective, a mental knife that cuts through the fog of trivial complaints and zooms in on what truly matters.


I recently did a Cameo video, a pep-talk for a man who was enduring struggles in his life. In that video, I tried to share these two ideas of gratitude and perspective, as they were the strategies that guided me during my rough times, as they do today when I'm complaining about tax increases, corrupt politicians, and rude people.


Take war, for instance. There's someone, right now, literally fighting to survive. Conversely, you might be in a metaphorical battle to get that promotion or launch your startup. Recognize this for what it is—a privilege.


Think about that.


You're fighting for a dream, while others are fighting for food, shelter, and water. They're fighting to survive. If you're currently able to fight for your dreams because you're not busy fighting for your life, well, you're doing spectacularly well.


The same can be said about health. I might dread the idea of my early morning walk, but hey, I *can* walk without the threat of being bombed, mugged, or kidnapped. Whenever I lose perspective, I mutter to myself, "Well, you don't have pancreatic cancer," which, by most measures, is a death sentence. This simple, morbid statement is another mental punch that knocks sense into me.


Another cognitive gut-punch I use is freedom, which most of us take for granted. When faced with the angst of some trivial matter—someone cut me off, scammed, or misled me—I tell myself that I'm not pacing in a prison cell convicted of manslaughter or subject to reeducation in some gulag while doing back-breaking labor. I'm still free to think, speak, and exist as I am, as are you. This simple autonomy is a cornerstone of your well-being that we too often overlook.


And let's not forget the little black mirror we all carry—our smartphones. I preach a lot about social media toxicity but remember, the entire repository of human knowledge is literally in your pocket. Hell, if you had Elon Musk or Taylor Swift's telephone number, you could immediately reach them from your pocket. Again, think about amazing truth. Between this knowledge and access, previous generations would've killed for this privilege. Don't squander it with endless doom-scrolling on TikTok.

So when life beats you down—bills, tax increases, poor ad results—remember the THREE WARMS: If you have a warm bed after a warm shower following a warm meal, congratulations; you have a lot to be thankful for. You have an opportunity not just to survive but to pursue your dreams. Your best life.


None of this is some woo-woo I made up.

The psychological benefits of gratitude and perspective are well-documented. One seminal study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that participants who kept weekly gratitude journals were more optimistic, felt better about their lives, and exercised more than those who focused on neutral or negative aspects. The grass is already greener in your pasture. This research, led by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, lends scientific credence to the idea that focusing on what you're thankful for can positively impact well-being (source).

Another study delved into how the mere act of reframing a situation—again, perspective— to see the silver lining could foster better mental health. Published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, this study suggests that optimistic thinking styles, like positive reframing, are associated with various health benefits, including lower levels of depression and even better cardiovascular health (source).'


In a world where the narrative is often tuned to what we lack or how we could be better, flipping The Script is not radical but revolutionary. The powers-at-be want you to be angry, divided, and depressed as it makes you controllably monetizable. Don't be a slave to their whims.

So here's the mic-drop that only perspective and gratitude can deliver: If you're physically, mentally, and geographically able to pursue your dreams—your best life— you're already living the dream.

View attachment 52010

Best wishes,
MJ DeMarco, Entrepreneur, Author


PS: Here are some questions to ponder regarding perspective and gratitude in your life.

1 How can you practice gratitude daily beyond acknowledging our current treasures in life?
2 How do you balance a heightened sense of perspective for happiness so it does not deter you from achieving more?
3 How does the digital age contribute to our skewed perspective, and how can we counterbalance that?

Thank you MJ, this is something very precious to keep in mind.

I can't say enough how grateful I am to have found your books, this forum and it's amazing people.