Hi Friends,

Exciting news! A few life updates:

• I'm moving! (Same address but a different unit in my community) I'm looking forward to the next experiences and rhythms I'll get to create in the new apartment this coming year!
• This is the 20th newsletter! This last 20 weeks, every week, you have gotten some bit of information from me about books, thinking models, questions I'm asking, etc. I know I'm still discovering the voice of this newsletter but am thankful for you being on this journey with me.
• The final days of 2020 are here!! I've seen a lot of updates online about '2020 is finally over' I've decided on a different approach to this that I'd like to explore below.

Is 2020 really over?

Now, I get it. 2020 for many people was difficult and something people are ready to wipe away fast. What I'd like to discuss here is more around the topic of attitude towards time. Victor Frank made this statement, which I feel is relevant for the challenges we have faced this year:

"The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom;"

There seems to be very little that will truly change this week outside of an internal reset. The universe doesn't discriminate between one year and another. But here are 4 attitude shifts I'm considering going into 2021 specifically around my choice of attitude. I put them into a 4-word phrase: no joy starts alone.

No Joy Starts Alone [4 Attitudes for 2021]

1. No: Say no more often. The ability to say yes is much easier than saying no. Especially considering when things are much further into the future (a week, month, or a few months out). But my no today makes space for a future yes. Just because you have extra time doesn't mean you need to fill it with something right away.
2. Joy: A discovery for me this year, beyond any other year, is that I am responsible for my joy. It's a phrase I repeat often and remind myself when I feel stuck, cornered in, or out of options. This is more than just lifestyle design ("Make everything revolve around my happiness"). This is about experiencing joy. Brene Brown said, "Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we feel." Often, the first instinct we have when we experience joy is that we begin planning for future pain. Rather than do that, experience the joy, fully. And if we are able to share our joy with others, well, I believe we are choosing one of the best attitudes toward whatever life throws at us.
3. Starting: Image a professor placed two piles of paper in front of you – one said “Your Life Plan” and the other had a big question mark on it. Then the professor proceeds and tells you, you can choose either one. If you choose your life plan, well you get to do what you program. If you choose the question mark, you get to pick whatever happens. Which one would you choose? I'd choose the question mark. Why? Because life itself is removed when it becomes expected. This isn't a call to live a random life, that is out of hand. It's a call to stay humble, be teachable, and be open to exploration.. and most importantly, be open to starting. Every huge movement or impact always had a beginning.
4. Alone: My two largest pillars that I live by are (and forget to live by at times): 1. Have fun & 2. Serve others along the way. It's something my father taught me. It can feel easier to ignore others, create walls, or separate from others. But, a life alone loses a lot. Jane Jacobs said, "No entity, natural or economic, evolves in isolation.” It's hard to grow alone. It's hard to become more alone. It's hard to progress alone. I love this quote by Mark Twain

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

Final Thought: Irresistible Tiny Questions

School taught us to memorize answers. Life teaches us how to ask questions. And ask questions that don’t have specific answers.

Neils Bohr, a super smart scientist said, “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” By asking irresistible tiny questions, you begin to uncover all the hidden spots in a chosen area of life.

Life says, “Can you take this on?”

We then say: Take what on? This? Do you mean this or that? How much of this? What is this? Is this as big as we thought? Is this impossible? Has this ever been taken on before? Why? Why me? Why this? Why now?

What are you trying to teach me here? What issues in my heart are you trying to raise through this? What is it you want me to see? What are you asking me to let go of? - John Eldredge

Irresistible tiny questions will always lead to colossal vision and impact. You will think of something big. Then make it even bigger. Then multiply it by 10.

History is being written by people like you who question the future.

My favorite finds this week

• Tim Ferriss's annual review process | This is a great alternative to new year resolutions. A simple method Tim uses to guide decision making for a new year.
• Video: Is Your Self-Identity Limiting Your Potential? | Vusi Thembekwayo on Impact Theory || I loved this interview with Vusi. Vusi is from South Africa and has really overcome some difficult things. Vusi's eloquence and confidence are truly something special considering the challenges he faced growing up in South Africa.

All in,

David

---

By David Iskander

I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, productivity, and faith.