No calling, no problem
Helping Friendly Newsletter, 04.16.21
☀️GM!☀️
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s email:
No calling, no problem
Department of cool jobs
Uncertainty by design
Love note from a muon
Way-back machine
1. No calling, no problem
I found this TED talk by Emily Wapnick to be freeing: “Why some of us don’t have one true calling.” She teaches that it is not only okay, but actually a superpower to be a curious seeker who doesn’t pick just one thing. Amen to that.
2. Department of cool jobs
I love hearing about unique or uniquely inspired work. In fact, I keep a running list as motivation. Every person on it reminds me not to give up on loving my work.
3. Uncertainty by design
In quantum physics, progress is earned through a process that by design questions itself. The north star of the whole endeavor—the scientific method—is uncertainty. This ethos is not for the faint of heart, but it can be a good approach for tackling complex problems.
4. Love note from a muon
It feels like a sci-fi Friday, yes?👽
Greetings earthlings,
I am Muon, foundational particle of the universe and truth older than time.
I’M JOKING, OF COURSE. There is no time. Time is an illusion. Anyhoo—
I left my subatomic hidey hole to reassure you that, while much of what you see is chaos and you are DEFINITELY making a mess of things down there, we continue to hum along in the cosmos. All is well.
It’s not your fault, but you should know that your brains are quite puny. True enough, you’ve discovered a few of our tricks. But it’s tip of the iceberg, baby.
Also, you have some things wrong. No, I won’t tell you which ones. (Above my pay grade.) Let me just say that your grandkids’ great-grandkids are in for quite a shock!
I look forward to watching you twist up, down, and sideways as you integrate this information. You are always so entertaining.
Yours,
Muon
P.S. We all love you out here!
5. Way-back machine
Here’s a glimpse of 2nd-century pandemic leadership:
Thank you for reading
This email is a labor of love. 💌 If you would like to show your support this week, please make a donation to the verified GoFundMe for the family of Daunte Wright. If you’re seeing my newsletter for the first time, you can access the archive or subscribe here.
Treasure chest
I bet you find a gem ➔ what the heck is a muon? | both the CDC and my state of Virginia have declared racism a public health crisis1 | BLM 2020 Impact Report | NPR explains burnout | audiobook inspo | influential women in the history of design2 | deep thoughts on Chandler Bing’s Job3 | what it means when I tell people I’m a writer and they say “cool” | I second this 👇🏼
Ramadan Mubarak to my Muslim friends, and have a great weekend to all! I’ll see you again soon.
Jenny
