Hey, reader!
Here's the latest biweekly Torch newsletter, where we compile our experiences for you to learn from right into your inbox.
My name's Mark, and I've been reading a lot of Stoic philosophy lately... here's a core concept I've taken from it and hope you take something away from it as well!
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A Spark
"The spark" is, at least in my experiences, this thing that happens between two people in which they they then fall in love, "I felt a spark between us", or perhaps when someone is inspired. I want to use this idea of the spark and show you that while this spark may or may not exist, it is up to you to ignite the flame regardless of how much you read into the metaphor.
There are sparks everywhere in life, and almost everyone notices them. When you've had a "spark" of inspiration, you often want to write down your idea or get working right away. This concept of a spark is so fitting, because it accurately represents not only the fact that something special is starting, but also the fact that if what the spark starts is not tended for then it will die.
This concept of a spark is so fitting, because it accurately represents not only the fact that something special is starting, but also the fact that if what the spark starts is not tended for then it will die.
Yea that's right, I said it twice.
Don't Let it Die
If there's a spark between two people but they don't ever tell each other how they feel, a flame will never grow. If you have a spark of inspiration and tell yourself, "Sweet! I'll get to that later...", then that flame will never grow. Sparks happen ALL the time; your morning has started out feeling great, you just had a really good interview, you finished your essay thesis. Problem is, we often leave this sparks to die.
When there's a spark between two people but they don't ever tell each other how they feel, a flame will never grow. If you have a spark of inspiration and tell yourself, "Sweet! I'll get to that later...", then that flame will never grow. Your morning feels great but then you sit around and watch Netflix all day. You had a fantastic interview, but then you didn't prepare for the next one. You finished your thesis and kept telling yourself, "I've already got my thesis done, the rest will wait" until 3 hours before the deadline.
Life can give you sparks, whether it is someone you might fall in love with coming across your path or a neurochemical flush of serotonin to get you up on the "right side of bed". Thing is, if you don't do anything with these sparks, they die out. When you're feeling great, make your morning count. When an interview goes well, ask yourself, "how could it have been better?" After you finish your thesis, schedule in a time to get working on your hook or outline.
If this idea resonates with you, or perhaps sparks something deeper, don't wait. Take action. Write down- or even think- about what sparks come up in your every day life right now. Then let us now if you'd like, we love to hear feedback and users commenting on our posts!
Are you giving them life and letting them become flames, or are you letting them die?
That's all for this Friday, have a fantastic weekend and don't pass up on those sparks!
🔎 Some Bonus Resources
🎵 Savant Zone — When you get a newsletter from me, I'll almost always have something musical... this is a playlist put together by a friend of mine and it's been my go-to instrumental playlist recently. Some amazing game and tv show soundtracks in it!
🧠 11 Ideas That Will Rewire Your Brain — I revisit this article a lot, and let me tell you these ideas have spurned on some seirous thoughts, especially how it helped me reframe rejection.
🎬 Getting Back Your Reading Habit (And Why You Lost It) — Shameless self plug, but I made a video and discussed my insights on why we wish we read so much... when in reality we don't make the time for it. The spark may be your book, and to ignire the flame the knowledge is all there in front of you. Let me know what you think!
📄 Latest on Torch Blogs
You can find out blogs HERE! Below is a list of the latest and greatest on The Torch
Recently, myself, Luisa, and Carter all wrote a blog post on the same question, "What expectations did you have, and how have they changed since the impact of COVID-19?" We've all experienced some drastic change and lit our own fires, so I'd highly encourage you to check them out- maybe it will help you reignite an ongoing spark in your life.
"This Year" — Carter Uslabar
"The Wait" — Luisa Krämer
"Falling Apart" — Mark Bacon
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