A&B #25

Hey friends,

It's been a snowy week here in NYC. Wherever you are, I hope you are warm, safe, and have a good book to keep you company.If you're searching for a great book to read, here's a collection of my 5 favorite books in 10+ different genres.Sidenote: We passed 20,000 followers on Twitter this week, thank you everyone! 

Alright, let's dive into this week's newsletter.

📚 Book Lessons:

I'm currently reading The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.If you're into stoicism or looking to learn more about Stoic philosophy, I highly recommend this book. It's formatted with 366 meditations (one for each day of the year) and each meditation consists of a quote from a stoic philosopher and a short story to emphasize the lesson for that day.  Here are 3 of my favorite lessons from the book so far:1) Know The Difference Between What You Can & Cannot Change 

"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control." –EpictetusThe single most important lesson in Stoicism is to know what you can and cannot change. In other words, change what you can and accept what you cannot. If a flight is delayed because of bad weather, no amount of yelling, wishing, or effort will change it. Trying to change or being upset about a situation you have no control over is both a waste of time and energy. Change what you can and accept what you can't. You will be much happier if you do. 2) Be Careful of Growing Indulgences"We must give up many things to which we are addicted, considering them to be good." –SenecaEvery full-blown addiction starts as a small indulgence. A person starts their mornings with coffee and before they know it, they're drinking 3 cups a day before lunch. Another person buys a case of beer after work on a Tuesday, within a few months, they're getting drunk every night.Little compulsions and indulgences can chip away at our freedom and cloud our clarity, and before we know it, turn into major addictions. Addiction can be junk food, social media, drugs, complaining, gossiping, alcohol, or a million other things. Reclaim your ability to abstain and regain your self-control. 

3) Review Your Day To Make Sure You're On The Right Path

"I will keep constant watch over myself and–most usefully– will put each day up for review." –SenecaMany of the stoics, such as Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, would sit down and journal at the end of each day to reflect on their day and life. Seneca, for instance, would ask himself: What bad habit did I curb today? How am I better? Were my actions just? How can I improve? Keeping a journal, whether on your computer or a physical notebook, is a great way to check-in with yourself, track your progress, and making sure you're heading in the right direction in life. 

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Know The Difference Between What You Can & Cannot Change

• The next time you find yourself in a negative situation, ask yourself: What can I change to improve the situation?

  • If you come up with an answer, take action.

  • If there's nothing you can do, accept the current circumstances.

2) Be Careful of Growing Indulgences

• Take a few minutes to examine your indulgences in life and ask yourself if they're getting out of hand:

  • Are you watching too much TV?

  • Eating too much junk food?

  • Drinking too much alcohol?

    • Then work to regain control over those temptations.

3) Review Your Day To Make Sure You're On The Right Path

• Buy a notebook you can use for journaling or create a digital notebook on your laptop.

• Every night ask yourself:

  • How am I better?

  • How can I improve?

  • Were my actions just?

• If you're new to journaling, here's a free 7-day journaling challenge worksheet.

🎧  Podcast Update:

This week's podcast guest is Blas Moros.Blas isn't an author, but he's someone I consider to be a professional reader. He's the founder of The Rabbit Hole–a website with 650+ book summaries.Here are just a few of the topics Blas covers in our conversation:

• Select your next book

• Take notes while reading

• Why you should write book summaries

• How to read 5-10 books a month while working a full-time job  

You can listen to or watch our episode here.

PS: I also wrote a thread summarizing 12 tips Blas shared to being a better reader.

📖  Reading Lesson:Want to read more books but don't want to pay for them?Here are 5 easy (and legal) ways to get read books for FREE.

⭐️  Weekly Quote:When you can’t stop thinking, write.When you can’t start thinking, read.(share here)

📸  Photo of the Week:

If you're looking for a book to step up your social skills, I highly recommend

How To Talk To Anyone

 by Leil Lowndes.

The book is filled with 92 helpful tips to improve your relationship with friends, family, romantic partners, and business acquaintances. 

Here's a thread with my

.

Thank you for reading this week's newsletter, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.PS: If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend. They can subscribe here.