{"id":629,"date":"2018-07-26T18:38:57","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T01:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/?p=629"},"modified":"2018-07-26T18:39:51","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T01:39:51","slug":"newsletter-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/newsletter-33\/","title":{"rendered":"Align Center Newsletter #33"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\"\"Creativity as a cure for midlife crisis, butter and full-fat milk redemption, and results from a four-day work week trial are some of the best reads around the web from the last two weeks. In our podcast recommendation, learn how to say “no” gracefully, then I give a mini-review of the Beyond Meat plant-based burger. The long read focuses on France’s recent hero and the lack of opportunities in Paris’ troubled suburbs, my current read will have you questioning your outlook on the world, a poetic quote, and a travel update closes out this issue.<\/p>\n

\u25e6 selected words<\/h1>\n

Forget a Fast Car. Creativity is the New Midlife Crisis Cure<\/a><\/h2>\n

“In this era of mindfulness, and today\u2019s preoccupation with pursuing a meaningful life, a new antidote has emerged to cure the doldrums of midlife: creativity.” Whether it’s rooted in the maker movement, growing self-awareness, a search for meaning, anti-consumerism, disillusionment with traditional ideas of “success”, or as an antidote to anxiety and depression, more and more (including myself) are choosing creative paths of expression.
\nThe New York Times (5min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Love, Transactionality, and The \u201c5 People\u201d You Hang With<\/a><\/h2>\n

On the transactional nature of taking inventory of your friends, being intentional with who you choose to spend your time with, and meeting people where they’re at. As the author behind the Desire Map says, the rest is just a bonus.
\nDanielle LaPorte on Medium (1min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Vindication of Butter and Full-Fat Milk, and What We Should Be Focusing On<\/a><\/h2>\n

I remember growing up making trips with my mom to the local Safeway, picking up 4L jugs of homogenous whole milk. One day we switched to 2% Lucerne, for reasons unbeknownst to me (nor was I very concerned, the milk was less creamy but still acceptable), and that was that for several years. Then we switched to 1%, and finally skim, which we, as children enjoying our sugary cereals, drew the line at. We’d also grow up with round tubs of Imperial margarine, and even today, my mom equates butter with all things bad with fat. How far the rest of the world has come, not only with reducing dairy intake, but also the truth about fats. However, the biggest takeaway from this article isn’t this healthy fats debate, it’s the closing paragraphs that argues we shouldn’t be debating the binary good and bad qualities of individual nutrients, but instead we need to focus on the harms of food production.
\nThe Atlantic (5min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Need for Better Storytellers in Science<\/a><\/h2>\n

You could argue nearly everything is marketing, that we’re always selling something, in every engagement, publication, and interaction. This is no different with scientists, and though many detest the word “marketing” and the need for it, there’s a growing movement and awareness around the importance of the narrative. After all, who doesn’t like a good story?
\nThe Guardian (4min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The 4-Day Work Week, Tested<\/a><\/h2>\n

A recent study found the average worker spends less than three hours doing productive work. Back in my corporate life, I once got the courage to ask my boss for a four-day work week. I always got my work done, but was fully willing to take a pay cut in exchange for the extra day off. I was quickly shut down, citing the precedent that would be set at this very traditional company. This past Spring, two researchers from the University of Auckland studied the effects of a 32-hour work week at a local firm (no pay cut), with positive results. Employees were finding ways to be more productive and less distracted at the office. Some indirect benefits included lower power usage, reduced traffic, shorter meetings, and reduced office space needs. It never hurts to ask.
\nThe New York Times (4min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 listen in<\/h1>\n

How to Say “No” Gracefully and Uncommit<\/a><\/h2>\n

Tim Ferriss’ recent podcasts have a new twist that makes it more enjoyable to listen \u2014 less of him talking! Instead, authors of his favorite books read the best chapters. In this episode, Greg McKeown reads two chapters of his Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. If you’re feeling it’s hard to say “no” to an endless stream of requests, learn what it takes to make a slow “yes” and a quick ‘no’ a habit. Say “no” gracefully, and gain back time and respect while doing so. Like everything, it takes practice.
\nThe Tim Ferriss Show (54min podcast)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 eat well<\/h1>\n

The Beyond Meat Burger<\/a><\/h2>\n

With major fast-food chains A&W and TGI Fridays putting Beyond Meat burgers on the menu, and their closest competitor, The Impossible Burger, gaining FDA approval this week for their veggie burger that “bleeds” soy leghemoglobin, plant-based burgers have gone from the lab to your corner with some serious momentum. Let’s be clear \u2014 this is not a health choice, it’s ethical. In fact, A&W’s Beyond Meat burger has 500g of calories and 29g of fat, both more than their signature Teen Burger. And it’s not vegan \u2014 unless requested, it’s served with all the standard fixins including mayo and “Uncle Sauce” (which contains animal products), and is cooked on the same grill as their beef, bacon and eggs. I’m as skeptical as they come with veggie patties, but I tried a Beyond Burger last week and I couldn’t tell I wasn’t eating meat. Another observation: more than half the orders that came through during my short stay were also for Beyond Burgers. We’re at the forefront of what could be a faux-meat revolution.
\nBeyondMeat.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 read slow<\/h1>\n

Kylian Mbappe, France’s Star from the Poorest Suburbs<\/a><\/h2>\n

Paris has a population of 12 million, more than the population of Belgium, and their young soccer players are being scouted aggressively, some being signed as young as 11. And the world’s second highest paid player, Kylian Mbappe, who’s just led his country to their second World Cup, has become a symbol of Bondy in the Parisian banlieues, a term for a poorer immigrant suburb that carries with it a negative stigma. It’s in these banlieues where 8 of France’s 23 World Cup team members got their start, and where young hopefuls see soccer as their way out. Written before France’s World Cup victory, a look at stereotypes, the importance of sports, family goals, false dreams, and limited opportunities in troubled communities.
\nThe New York Times (18min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 current read<\/h1>\n

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World \u2013 and Why Things Are Better Than You Think<\/a><\/h2>\n

The TED Talk phenomenon who advises the United Nations on global policy, Hans Rosling passed away last year, but not before completing Factfulness, a work of passion he’s so wanted to put out into our conflicted world. In his own words: “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance… Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn\u2019t enough. But I hope this book will be.” A timely book that will give you an optimistic outlook on our world from a man who advised the most powerful world leaders while working the front lines against epidemics in Africa.
\nFactfulness by Hans Rosling (352p book)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 dig this<\/h1>\n

What I’m digging lately:<\/p>\n