Hey friends 👋

The first leaves are falling already. Summer's clearly coming to an end, and with it begins the cozier part of the year. As much as I like summer, warmth and sunshine, I'm really looking forward to those cozy evenings with candles, tea and a good book or documentary. In a way, everything slows down and it's more okay to rest. After such a busy summer, I more than welcome it! How's your summer been?

✍️ Blog Post: Why Gratitude Feels Different From Praise
A post exploring the subtle difference between praise and gratitude and why I think gratitude wins in most situations. This is actually what led me to build Dankbar in the first place.

Reflections & Insights

Being kind isn't the same as being agreeable

This would be my favorite takeaway from Toxische Weiblichkeit (toxic femininity).
Sophia Fritz spends quite a bit of the book examining socially rewarded roles such as the "good girl" who avoids conflict and the high-performing woman who earns approval through achievement.

I've been thinking about how easy it is to confuse being a good person with being easy to like. Kindness is about how you treat people; agreeableness can simply be a strategy for avoiding rejection. Sometimes doing the honest or healthy thing means accepting that someone might not like you for it.

A healthy system isn't one where nothing ever goes wrong

In her book Organ Speak, Giulia Enders frames the body as a collection of systems that constantly protect, repair, adapt, and coordinate rather than simply remaining in some static state of "perfect health".

Maybe resilience isn't about avoiding problems, but about becoming good at responding to them. Our bodies are constantly repairing tiny things without us noticing. I like the thought that a good life might work similarly: not perfectly stable, but capable of recovering.

Rest doesn't have to be something you earn

One thing I want to get better at is not treating rest as the reward you receive once everything is done. Everything is never done. There will always be another project, message or task. Maybe rest works better when it's simply part of life rather than the prize at the end of it.

Monthly Favorites

🎶 Song: BALDUR'S GATE 3 Character Creation Music
Just a beautiful composition from one of my favorite games this year.

📚 Book: Giulia Enders – Organ Speak
I really enjoyed her first book many, many years ago, and this one is just as interesting, although much broader in scope.

📽️ Video: Signs upgrading will make your life worse
Consumerism explained in under 10 minutes. I really like the way he delivers the message, especially how he uses the car to illustrate it.

Book Club

We're back from the summer break and starting with a new book soon!

Interested in joining our book club?
Then hop into my Discord and check out the #book-club channel.
Note: We're mostly active in a private chat, but ping me if you want to join regardless!

Monthly Journaling Prompt

When was the last time you invested money into yourself?

There’s this common narrative in productivity culture arguing that every penny invested in yourself will pay back several times. I think they're on to something. We spend thousands on clothes, nice gadgets and whatnot and yet, most people don't even think about spending money on themselves.
P.S. If you have to think too hard, it’s probably time to spend some money on your personal growth or well-being.

Thanks for checking in—see you next month!

Best,
Robin