Dealing With Jealousy, The Best Tiny Bits of 2024, And My Year in Review

Here are 10 finds that I thought might trigger your curiosity this month:

I.

A wonderful quote I’ve come across this month. Entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant on jealousy:

“When I was young, I had a lot of jealousy in me… I learned to get rid of it. It still crops up every now and then. It’s such a poisonous emotion because, at the end of the day, you’re no better off, you’re unhappier, and the person you’re jealous of is still successful or good-looking, or whatever they are.

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I realized that all these people that I was jealous of, I couldn’t just cherry-pick and choose little aspects of their life. I couldn’t say I want his body; I want her money; I want his personality.
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You have to be that person. Do you want to actually be that person with all of their reactions, their desires, their family, their happiness level, their outlook on life, their self-image? If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100% swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous.”

Source: The Knowledge Project, Episode 18​

II.

Q&A: In the Q&A of this month, I answered a reader’s question about why I chose this medium for expressing my creativity.

III.

My year in review: I’ve learned and became aware this year that if you love the practice of what you do, if you love the daily work which often includes boredom and repetition, then you can be happy before and after you achieve your goals. When you learn to love the process of what you are doing and not focus so much on the goal, you automatically find happiness while staying driven. If you learn to love the practice of writing, then you’ll be happy right now and you’ll see results later. Much like planting a seed to grow, and enjoying it to see its progress develop. Read on for my full year in review.

IV.

A small ask: If you’ve been enjoying the newsletter, I’d love it if you could share it with others who might appreciate it. I only ask once a year, and your support makes a difference! Thank you!

V.

What this community loved: 10 Favorite Tiny Bits Chosen By My Newsletter Readers

VI.

One of the latest reviews I received from a reader for the book What Happened To You?:

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook instead of reading the book. As the book is basically one conversation between Oprah and Dr. Perry, the audio definitely adds something to the experience. I’m a big fan of reading personal stories but I probably like it even more how they have intertwined the science into it, making it a fun and informative read – guiding you through it. I also like the attempt to make mental health more accessible to the public – removing barriers to talking about it. This is one of those books that is not necessarily a piece of literature, yet it belongs to everyone’s bookshelf. While it may not achieve absolute perfection, I find it deserving of a solid four out of five stars, a testament to its contribution to humanity.

—Sem

VII.

A documentary that I watched: I’m Tim—about the life of Avicii in his on words. The archival tapes give you a glimpse inside his life and although it’s so sad how it all ended, you’ll get a pretty good look on what a beautiful, pure person this must have been. Worth to watch.

VIII.

Being exposed to the language you’re trying to learn is often seen as the ultimate way to learn a foreign language. But what if you’re in your own country, not being exposed to it everyday? I’ve been using Italki.com for a while now. You can meet people online and talk with them for only 5 dollars an hour. It’s a very nice way to meet people and practice more. (Note: I’ve no affiliation with them).

IX.

Fun fact of this month: Cows produce more milk when they listen to relaxing music– studies have shown that classical music can help them produce more.

X.

In the spotlight this month:

Gabriëlle Kok, 2017, acryl op linnen 40 x 50 cm
Collectie Gabriëlle Kok, Schiedam, by Neel Korteweg

Thanks for reading. Tiny Bits is a handwritten, algorithm-free, reader-supported publication. To fuel your curiosity, seek out more valuable ideas worth sharing. Sign up to receive my email newsletter every month.

Lisanne