Letters To Seneca – Letter 8
Dear Seneca,
In nutrition, it’s common to hear a nutritionist say “You are what you eat.”, it doesn’t take much effort to observe the truth in this statement.
But this should be extended further than simply food. I’ve experienced and believe that “you are what you consume” for all aspects of life, especially information. This again, is obvious for most people, but rarely is it internalized.
Personally, I’ve noticed that what I consume has varied throughout the years and has had a direct impact on my perception of the world. Usually, if I focus too much on technical or business-oriented non-fiction my mind gradually becomes more chaotic. But… When I incorporate a little philosophy or meditative-like content into my information diet my mind calms down. Overall I’m more content with life.
Now that I’ve made this realization, it’s time that we turn this into a system, preventing my mind from straying too far in the future.
First, I’d like to do a deeper dive into specific books on philosophy and for lack of a better word, perspective-shifting books. This will last roughly 2 – 3 weeks. Once this sprint is complete I’ll create a routine ensuring I receive my daily dose of philosophy.
This routine will likely be either 15 minutes of morning or evening reading, preferably morning since there’s less room for interruptions. This daily dose of philosophy was inspired by Naval and the mental shift I’ve made in the previous three days through simple exposure to more philosophical ideas.
We’ll keep this letter short today.
Farewell.