🌍 Is Anything Realer Than Food And The People Who Make It?

Three courses for you this morning, beautiful reader 🫴🏽

In Today’s Newsletter

Appetizer: How To Eat 🍽️

Main Course: The Power of First-Name Basis 🫱🏾‍🫲🏻

Side dish: What I’m Struggling With 🤕

Dessert: This Week’s Grocery List 🛒

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How To Eat 🍱

“Chew your food!” “Close your mouth when you eat!” “Slow down, it’s not a race!”

It’s easy to tune out your parents barking about the rules of eating. It’s just old school manners, right? Not exactly. It turns out that there’s a specific way to chew and eat your food. My freinds and I discuss it.

Your grandparents were right all along. Slow down, breathe, and enjoy your food.

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The Power of First Name Basis 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

How many people know your name?

Let’s say it’s 50. The sum of those 50 people is your net worth.

That’s right, net worth isn’t a number at all.

Even though cash is king, the sum of your people is greater than any numeric value.

Now ask, “how many significant or powerful individuals know my name?”

Here is where your true power lies. Not in your bank account or on your resume, but on your face card.

Family members, friends, colleagues, and peers — they form to become your network. Their abilities and connections determine how much stuff you can get done, and thus your worth.

Founding a startup, getting a discount at the deli, securing a loan or letter of recommendation, publishing a book, or getting a job referral — it’s all the same concept.

“If you want something done, who can help you do it?”

You don’t want the CEO to know you as “Joe from accounting”

I believe that you are the head of your own network, and therefore the source of your community’s value.

The nodes of the network serve their purpose, each benefitting the next. One can’t function without the other.

Individuals with different styles and skills combine like Voltron to form something greater.

If you’re a custodian, your work creates a sense of security, hygiene, and dependability. Your charm and friendly conversation motivates those around you.

If you’re an office worker, your duties are vital to company success. Your style of work is what others will remember you for. Your presence and humanity impact the office’s ecosystem, and the emotions of your co-workers.

Your influence on others around you — your network — is unlimited power.

Do right by these people, and you will see reimbursements from all different corners.

Call it Karma, good faith, or virtuous living — this isn’t a new concept.

The speed at which the modern world is accelerating can make this seem obsolete.

Things are changing all around — technology, politics, and even human behavior.

This means we have to change everything we do, right? We have to keep up!!

Nah. Not at all.

Slow down, make the best of what you have, and keep it real. Human to human. Simple and effective, as it was intended to be 👥

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What’s in My Grocery Bag?

Wild Berries 🫐 We’re so used to domesticated produce that we easily forget about the untamed world of fruits and veggies out in the wilderness. As expected, the natural variety is free of harmful pesticide sprays, significantly greater in antioxidant levels, and rife with wonderful distinct flavors unique to only wild berries. With these, you’re well on the path to your inner hunter-gatherer.