The Wisdomous : When to let it go! (2024)

Welcome to The Wisdomous - a friendly email sent to you every week to nourish your mental wealth. You will find micro-lessons from macro thinkers, a good story, awesome reads and some fun suggestions.

Hey Wisdomous friends,

This is the twenty-fourth edition!

That is, for the past six months, you have hosted me in your home every week. Thank you very much.

This newsletter has aided in the exploration of my vulnerabilities and the development of my emotional vocabulary. Have you considered broadening your emotional vocabulary?

You may have recently seen reassuring posts on social media encouraging those experiencing difficulties communicating and sharing their experiences. However, have we ever considered that the struggling person might not know how to convey their challenges?

Without strong emotional language, it isn't easy to communicate how we're feeling to others. So I've spent the last week learning new words to express my emotions, something I wish I'd learnt when I was younger.

Here are some of the resources I came upon :

• From A to Z

• Emotional Vocabulary List

Q: Dear Ivan, why does it matter?

A: Expanding our emotional vocabulary aids in the development of emotional fluency, which is the ability to consciously pick an appropriate response to our triggers and related feelings.

• A lack of love is the cause for most problems in life; when love is missing, nothing can flourish, only pain thrives.

• Life finds its purpose and fulfilment in the expansion of happiness.

• Don’t trade in your authenticity for approval.

• Book a meeting with yourself.

Wrote.

• How to gently let it go: When they depart, gracefully letting go means parting ways without resentment, blame, or regrets, but rather with compassion, sacrifice, and selflessness.

• Death is Both an Event and a Process: Death is not athing,butthings:a process of emotions, states of being, suddenly shifting relationships, the buzz of needful activity, an empty chair, a dialled number that doesn’t connect.

• Embracing soft fascination: Your attention is a lot like the beam of that flashlight. You can focus it closely and intensely on something, or you can relax it — allowing it to grow soft and diffuse.

Tips.

What is a great life, if not a collection of great days?

Waking = Birth— You are born again! Start this mini-life with gratitude.

• The moment you wake, immediately smile.

• Summon feelings of gratitude for this new mini-life.

• Get up before the sun gets up. Start your day early to have a longer mini-life.

Morning = Childhood— What do kids do? They move around, have fun, and learn. Do the same with the childhood phase of your mini-life. Start the day investing in yourself before you do the “other” work that pays the bills.

• Read, Reflect, Meditate, Create.

• Move around. Do exercise that you enjoy.

• Make time to do the things you love to do.

Work Day = Career/School/Raising Parents — Do something that you are proud of, whatever your career/study/responsibility is. Please do it wholeheartedly and pour your all into that task.

Evening = Retirement— You have had a great career in this mini-life…now, treat yourself to a great retirement.

• Spend meaningful time with family and friends.

• Spend time on hobbies that you find rewarding.

• Have an active retirement. Go outside for a walk and enjoy nature.

Going to Bed = Preparing to Die— Your mini-life is drawing to a close. So take time to reflect and prepare to move on.

• Read philosophy or any “spiritual” text.

• Journal and reflect upon your mini-life.

• Write down the great things that happened in this mini-life.

Sleep = Death— Your mini-life has come to a close.

• Make the last thoughts of your day thankful.

• Go to sleep with gratitude for the great mini-life you have lived.

• Drift off with peace of mind. You made the most of the gift of this mini-life you were blessed with.

Make each one special and unique by living it like a mini-life, wrote Michael McGill.

Music

• Why don't you touch me by Leon Bridges?

• Nzagukunda by Nel Ngabo

• Lay My Heart by Rachel Sherman.

• Strange Birds by Daniel Romano.

Films

• Triumph: A story of strength and dedication from a young man with cerebral palsy.

• Luca: There isn't a week that goes by without a new animated film. Here's one to have a good time when exploring Italy.

Thank you for your time! This newsletter is free, but if you're feeling generous, you can help support my work by forwarding it to a friend, buying me a coffee, or following me on Twitter and Instagram.

Until the next one, stay safe and sound!