I read. I think. I write. I speak. I teach. I learn. I seek. On a journey to become my best self. Documenting the lessons and resources along the way.
The upside vs the downside
Hey guys,
After nearly a 6-month hiatus I went back to the gym this week 💪🏽.
The reason for the break? I was/still am nursing an injury to the wrist and a tennis elbow (same arm) and required time off of lifting heavy things. What caused the injury? Pushing too hard - too soon. I was impatient.
It dawned on me, the upside of pushing hard (harder than my body was prepared to handle!!) was very little - doing an extra rep or extra 5 kilos will not make an astronomical difference in my overall fitness regime - but the downside; well, 6-months of no gym, physical pain, mental anxiety, regret, stress and the cost of the lost opportunity. Lots of downside with very little upside.
Limited not just to working out, this logic can be applied to any aspect of life, where we have a potential downside and upside. Sometimes the likelihood of a downside could be only 1% but the impact could be destructive - is it worth the risk?
What are some of the areas of your life, where you take these unbalanced risks? Where you only look at the upside and ignore the potentially disastrous downside?
Do you share your thoughts with me.
Stay awesome and have a great week ahead 🙂
Naimat
♥️ My Favourite Things This Week
🎥 TV - Last year I made a rule that I will not watch movies or TV shows alone unless it is an inspiring/educational documentary. I wanted this to be a social activity and I have a tendency to binge watch and spend way more time than I thought I would. However, for the last few weeks, I have been home alone as my family is overseas and I had the obvious reason to break the rule. I have (binge) watched a lot of TV shows. Here are my favourites:
​Foundation - Sci-Fi. Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
​Defendending Jacob - Drama. A family’s lives are irreparably disrupted when the son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate in this dramatic legal thriller. Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell star in the adaptation of William Landay’s bestselling novel.
​Stay Close - Mystery, Crime. As her wedding approaches, Megan Pierce is troubled by a visitor from her past. Detective Mike Broome finds a new disappearance reminiscent of a cold case. Based on a Harlen Coben book.
​The Stranger - Mystery, Crime. A stranger approaches Adam Price with a disturbing allegation about his wife, Corinne. Meanwhile, detectives Johanna and Wes take on a bizarre case. Based on a Harlen Coben book.
​After Life - Drama, Comedy. Struggling to come to terms with his wife’s death, a writer for a newspaper adopts a gruff new persona in an effort to push away those trying to help. This show is not only funny but really witty - typical Ricky Gervais style. Check it out.
​True Story - Crime, Thriller. High off success, The Kid launches a comedy tour in his hometown, but a reunion with his brother and an afterparty lead to a more sobering reality. This show is just so good, how everything unravels and he keeps going down the rabbit hole.
Now you see why I don’t watch TV alone? I have watched all of this (and more) in less than 2 weeks. #NoGuilt
đź“š Book -Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I just finished re-reading this book. This book helps put life into perspective, in comparison with death. It helps shine a light on what is truly important in this life as opposed to what we think is important. I will be posting a summary of this book on my website in the coming week.
🎙️ Podcast -Aubrey Marcus Podcast. AMP #287 - Stories of Life Fully Lived with Matthew McConaughey. This is literally one of my favourite conversations of all time. Reading Matthew McConaughey’s book Greenlight changed my perspective of him and I found a new respect for the man. Check out this episode and if you haven’t already, check out Matthew’s book.
​The Tim Ferriss Show #485. Jerry Seinfeld — A Comedy Legend’s Systems, Routines, and Methods for Success. Do you want to know how to get consistent results over and over again? Listen to Jerry explain his system. He has a career spanning 5 decades, no one does it better.
✍️ Quote I am pondering
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Naimat Ahmed
I read. I think. I write. I speak. I teach. I learn. I seek. On a journey to become my best self. Documenting the lessons and resources along the way.
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