Stuff #112 - honeycrisp or gala?

Hey from Dublin,

It's been a tough week.  Some of you might know I work for Meta, and the lay-off of 13% of the company has impacted many people I care about.  I'm drawing on as much compassion as possible to help people through the process.

Thinking about and writing this newsletter has been both a distraction and a comfort. Routine and ritual are helping.

It's that time of the month where I gift you the Stuff Mixtape, made up of music that has been in my orbit for the last four weeks, and is an amusing accompaniment to the email. Give it a whirl, I'll wait here for you...

If you're enjoying Stuff, I'd ♥️  if you would hit 'forward' and share this with a friend, if not hit 'reply' and tell me how I can make Stuff better for you.

As always - thanks for being here - it's great to have you join me each week! If you received this from an amazing friend, get your own copy here.

The Stuff30 Journaling Challenge

Getting started with a journal can be tricky, I have you covered with 30 days of simple prompts, directly to your inbox.

Stuff that MattR'sMatt Rutherford

1. Monday Motivation:  Let this week be the one where you increase your resilience.  Firstly, discover what it means to be resilient - having a strong internal locus of control.  You can train your brain to be more resilient, and there are more general practical tips to increase your resilience.   At work, you might have different needs, more than 25% of employees feel like work is the number one stressor in their lives, but there are ways you can boost your resilience at work. Bonus Tip: don't be a jerk to yourself about it.  (Stuff 110 / #4)
2. Your new superpower:  I really like this simple practice of The Weekend Bridge, a simple technique that will help you kick start your Monday morning.
3. Essential Reading:  Time Management is NEVER the problem, attention or focus is usually the issue.  Creating Sacred Focus is more important than any tool you'll use. Consider your attention as something precious and sacred.   A focus ritual will help you calm your mind and body as you shift to a focused state of mind.
4. Take care: In tough and chaotic times, having a mate can really help. Why you should make friends at work.
5. TWIL:  A contronym is a word that has two opposite meanings.  For example; to 'dust' can mean to clean up dust, or to sprinkle with soil or dust.   The English language is strange.
6. Dublin or Dubai?  Numbeo is a comprehensive cost of living database.  You can use it to find out how much typical items cost across the world, and then compare that to where you live.  Hint - stuff is expensive right now!
7. Award Winning:  The 2022 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition has generated some incredible photographs.  This black and white gallery is my favourite.
8. Royal Gala is the best, right?  Have you ever wondered what the best apple is?  Thankfully, someone has done all the work for you.  Trust me, they have done a LOT of work.
9. Back to the 90's with you!  Recreate your original PC experience.  Not the aquarium screensaver and the noisy internet connection, but the cursor thing was interesting.
10. Finally:   Blow Bubbles, move the fan, move the spike - it's 'endless' fun in your browser!

‌This week I'm sharing the seventh edition of the Stuff Mixtape, my collection of tracks that have been in my orbit over the previous four weeks.

For November, I'm kicking off with some classic soul from The Five Stairsteps, followed by Nina Simone and Otis Redding.   There is some modern lounge from the Arctic Monkeys, and a 'classique' from Jacques Dutronc.

I have an amazing rework from Kae Tempest with Kojey Radical, a classic cover from The Prodigy and then some bang up to date electronica fresh from the dancefloor with Fred Again... and Nia Archives.

I finish up with a reminder of how beautiful music can be from Chopin. ‌

I hope you enjoy the mixtape as much as I enjoyed making it.

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