Issue Six
01. PURPOSE
“I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them.”
- Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock was an iconic American painter. The youngest of five, Jackson grew up to be an influential pioneer in the abstract expressionism movement. He made paintings his own way, moving away from figurative representation, and challenging the Western tradition of using easel and brush.
Like so many of us, his life and purpose were shaped by his personal struggles. He was orphaned after losing both parents at a young age, adopted, a high school drop out, struggled with alcohol addiction, and was socially reclusive.
He also had a brother. His name was Charles. You have never heard of Charles. Why? Charles painted, just like his teacher, Thomas Hart Benton. But, we didn't need someone to paint like Thomas Hart Benton, we already had Thomas Hart Benton. Jackson used his whole body to create his work and incorporated a dancing style into his art. His rhythmic use of paint and his fierce independence are lasting influences. We needed someone to paint like Jackson. And no-one was doing that.
Find your passion, build your creative confidence, and keep heading towards "your" something beautiful and great.
02 SYSTEMS CHANGE
Buckle your seat belts, it's going to be a deep (and fascinating) read!
This Fast Company article explores Bill and Melinda Gates' influence on the COVID-19 crisis and provides a behind-the-scenes view of public health, the economics of crisis management, and the incredible public and private systems change and innovation that emerged to fight this worldwide pandemic.
"The Gates Foundation 'was formed with the belief that Bill and I have that all lives have equal value,' says Melinda.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the organization had repeatedly made the case for equity to world leaders, such as German chancellor Angela Merkle. 'What we can do as a foundation is go to rich world governments and ask them, wen they help different vaccine companies set up bioreactors to start manufacturing this vaccine, to actually set aside money, to put money in a fund that buys bioreactors for low and middle income country vaccines,' she said."
03. REST
How can you help your athlete (or yourself) build great habits and break the bad ones?
Start with sleep -- an essential foundation for performance, recovery, attitude and well-being. Did you know that many NBA stars swear by the benefits of napping, both on game days and off days?
Of course, your musicians, book lovers and budding scientists will benefit too...
04. DIGITAL LIFE
What better way to think about health than what your legacy will be...
The people you surround yourself with will have a significant impact on who you will become. But do you also realize that the content you consume is having a huge effect on you too?
Curate your sphere of influence. Take a serious look at who you follow online and what their presence does for you. This is your environment, and it has a silent, and often subconscious, impact on you.
Two recent examples on Tiktok illustrate this idea...
35 year old Caitlin Abrams, a mother of two and a childhood cancer survivor has a following of ~1.5 million. Her influence? Honoring people and bringing the past to life through her mediative practice of cleaning gravestones and sharing the human stories they represent. A powerful force, reminding us of our shared human experience of strength, vulnerability, and the importance of empathy, courage and love.
And then there is the #deviouslickschallenge that has resulted in young people mindlessly vandalizing schools across the country. A sad example of how a teen's heightened need for social approval + the "private world" of social media + the suspended reality of screen life from our values and goals = negative impact on individuals and communities.
Online activity should be respectful, above board and a reflection of our values and standards. Your digital “diet” is healthy when it doesn't hurt our relationships, or impact feeling good about ourselves or who we will become.
05. NOURISH
With kombucha in every fridge, kimchee on your sandwich, and pickled veggies on menus everywhere, fermented foods and drinks are more than just the latest food trend.
They can also help combat chronic inflammation and keep you healthier for life.
Chronic inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, depression, and bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. New scientific research now shows that a diet rich in fermented foods may reduce your risk, or symptoms, for all of these. How?
A recent study from The Stanford School of Medicine shows that a diet in fermented foods improves overall gut health and reduces 19 protein levels linked to inflammatory diseases. Their findings prove fermented foods act swiftly – within weeks of being added to diets.
Fermented foods increase diversity in the gut microbiome, referring to the trillions of live microbes in the intestinal system. This diversity is known to boost the body’s immune system.
What if You Don’t Like Fermented Foods? Find your guide here.
