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Heyy Reader, How has your week been? It's been raining like crazy in Toronto so I hope you're doing better haha.

Highlights for this week:
​🍦 Story time: Ice cream trauma
🤖 ChatGPT Prompt: Breaking the Ice on LinkedIn
🧃 Link to our latest Creator Juice episode.
🖼️ Fun AI-Generated Images of the week: Heart shaped homes

🍦Story Time: Ice Cream Trauma

Once my family and I were on our way to get some late night ice cream.

We decided to go to a Baskin Robins somewhere in Karama, Dubai.

As my dad parked the car, I decided to go in before my family (cuz why would anyone wait to have ice cream).

Barely tall enough to see over the counter, I waited eagerly as the ice cream man looked at me and with a smile said “What would you like to have today”.

I still remember the look on my dad’s face as they walked into the store to find me holding the largest ice cream cone in the world (keep in mind Im tiny so my memory says this thing was as tall as me).

I’d asked the friendly ice cream man to get the largest waffle cone they had and put in not 2, not 3 but a million scoops of my favourite ice cream.

After having 2 scoops I was full and could not have another bite.

My dad saw this as a fantastic learning opportunity.

My family waited in the car with the windows rolled down as I stood outside the door, ice cream cone in hand with melted ice cream dripping on my hands and onto my shoes.

This is a story that comes to mind every time I see a Baskin Robins outlet.

Needless to say, after almost 2 decades, I haven’t changed a bit and continue to over-order and still get as excited about food.

Why am I sharing this?

Because some aspects of who we are, will never change.

But if we are able to identify these habits that cause us more harm than help us, that’s the start to improving on yourself.

💛 How to find happiness?

Finding happiness is a destination with many roads leading to it. Today I want to just focus on one approach - reducing suffering.

As human beings we tend to worry and stress about things. Most of which can be regulated, some of it can be avoided, but all of it must be understood. There are two ways in which you tend to suffer:

1. Memory - We dwell in the past and tend to think about things that have happened. What if we stopped thinking too much about the past? Consider writing down things that you have learnt from your past, document it, and move on. Suffering from memory is something that we all do because it’s in our nature to not want to feel pain again so we subconsciously keep reminding ourselves of it.
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   ​Solution: Start a gratitude journal. A way for you to be fully aware of the GOOD things happening in your life. Focussing on this every day (or at least more than you do right now) would help with shifting focus from the past to the present.
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2. Imagination - We dwell on ideas that we have in our heads. Things that haven’t even happened yet. This is probably the worst type of suffering, especially if you’re the creative type. ​
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   Solution: Breathing. Yes, there are many potential solutions but I’m gonna just tell you what works for me. Anytime you find yourself worrying, just focus on your breathing. Give it a try right now by taking a deep breath in through your nose to a count of four. Hold it for four, and then let the breath out through your nose or mouth to a count of four. Do that four times. This is the 4-4-4 Breathing technique. Works like a charm, you just have to be willing to try it out.

I’ll end with a simple thought:

You know how you have these pop ups that come up sometimes when you're browsing and you close them and move on? Well, your problems are like a pop up in the universe.

So don't stress too much about what makes you unhappy.

There is a lot more to life. Your problems... just pop-ups.
Close them and keep moving on.

🤖 Prompt: Breaking the ice on LinkedIn

Give me content to start a conversation with a new connection on LinkedIn by sharing a recent industry news article or asking about their latest professional achievement. Start the dialogue on a positive and engaging note. Keep the tone conversational and limit the words to 100.

Source: CareerFlow

🧃EP18: What should I do about the TikTok ban as a Creator?

Direct Links to: Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

🖼️ Fun weekly AI Generated Images

This week we have: Heart shaped homes

🧞‍♂️Your wish is my command

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Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

​​VJ​​

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