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Faster, Higher, Stronger
Plus, 3 basic principles and how to cultivate a "lucky" mindset
Yasmine S. Ali, MD
July 25, 2024
“Find the good and praise it.”
Hello again!
I hope you’ve had a great week so far!
You probably know that the 2024 Summer Olympics open tomorrow in Paris, France! I enjoy watching the gymnastics and swimming competitions in particular. How about you? Just reply to this email and let me know—I love hearing from you!
You’ll find more Olympics news below, along with more feel-good stories. Thank you again for being a loyal subscriber to Positive Vibes! 😃
Cheers and best wishes for a wonderful weekend,
Yasmine
For New Subscribers
Here are some links to prior issues you may have missed—some of the best ones 😉 :
Why Positive Vibes? (How this newsletter got its start)
A Very Good Year (Contains many of the highlights of the journey for Walk through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America in the year of its release, 2023)
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You (St. Patrick’s Day 2024, with an excerpt from my upcoming novel, The View from the Cliffs)
You can find all the archived issues of Positive Vibes here. (Scroll down on that page after clicking on the link.)
What I’m Feeling Good About
I recently read Cal Newport’s latest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout.
The three basic principles on which Newport elaborates—with actionable tips—in this book are worth everyone’s notice:
Do fewer things.
Work at a natural pace.
Obsess over quality.
If you’re unfamiliar with Newport, he’s written such books as Deep Work (which I think is his best one), Digital Minimalism, and A World without Email (gotta love that title!!).
All of his books are thought-provoking and potentially life-changing, and along with my reading of Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks (which I mentioned in this issue of Positive Vibes), they have given me a lot to think about and implement in my own life, both personally and professionally.
What are you reading this summer? Reply to this email and let me know!
And speaking of reading, I subscribe to several newsletters, and occasionally I’ll pass along one I think you might enjoy or that may be of use to you. This is one such occasion, especially given that we’re in the midst of the summer travel season (also see my most recent Speak for the Heart newsletter on how to beat jet lag!) …
Booked It On Points is a newsletter I read every week. I especially love the travel news, but this newsletter has much more than that—it can also save you time and money.
As Booked It on Points’s tagline says, it’s a “curated collection to keep you traveling for less money and more know how.” And I happen to know that the newsletter authors live this principle themselves, and share with you their personal experiences putting into practice their own recommendations.
To subscribe to Booked It on Points:
What You’re Feeling Good About
I heard from one Positive Vibes member who is currently reading Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism, as mentioned above! She is already applying several of the book’s principles, and seeing rewarding results.
Another Positive Vibes member, Brian, sent in this quote by Coco Chanel:
"There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time!"
(This section is where I’ll be featuring good news, tips, and bits of wisdom from readers—so please reply to this email and share some with me! It can be anything, big or small. Whatever you’re feeling good about.)
Keeping on the Sunny Side
To me, this is another form of practicing an “attitude of gratitude,” of which you know I’m a big fan!
More Good News
Here are Team USA’s flag bearers for tomorrow night’s opening ceremony:
A closer look at the Olympic medals:
And in other good news … this is pretty amazing:
Pawsitive Vibes
If you’re a longtime subscriber to this newsletter, you know my Golden Retriever, Ike, and in the previous issue, you read about one of his cousins, Mint, and how she earned her Junior Hunter title.
Now there is more great news, about his mother, Rae, who qualified in two Scentwork Detective trials, with two first-place (blue) ribbons, and earned her AKC Scentwork Detective title!
According to her owner, Fred Ramsey, “Rae worked really well, most of it off leash.”
Fred also has Ike’s sister, Ruby, whom he says “is now working at the Master level. She is amazing me.”
Got a pet pic you’d like to share? Please feel free to reply to this email!
Riddle Me This
Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday?
Answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
For Your Playlist
When I was growing up in Waverly, TN, I spent A LOT of time at the pool every summer, and I can remember this song playing nearly every day on the radio there:
Here’s the link if you’re on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0GONea6G2XdnHWjNZd6zt3?si=97099d9d0b98415e
Last Word
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Tell a Friend!
Know anyone who could use more positivity in their lives and would enjoy this newsletter? Send them the link to subscribe for free: https://yasmine-ali-author.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Fan Mail Address
How to get a signed bookplate sticker: see the intro to this post.
Answer to the riddle: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
