Olivia, this piece feels like a breath of fresh air! Your reflections on embracing existence beyond productivity and redefining identity outside of job titles resonate deeply. I was inspired reading about your journey of shifting from cold showers to freezing sea swims—and how community has played such a crucial role in supporting those leaps.
I recently did a big ol' scientific write-up on the benefits of hot and cold exposure (cold plunges, ice baths, freezing river dips, etc.), which you may find an interesting read... I learned a few things myself in the research phase that were especially curious, like how your norepinephrine levels can increase by up to 530% after just a few minutes in cold water, enhancing focus and mood.
Your idea of taking action by embracing life’s ‘beautiful mess’ is a powerful reminder to live fully, even (especially!) when the world feels chaotic. Thank you for this candid look at change as a collective and personal adventure.
Thanks so much for your comment Freda, I'm so glad you enjoyed the piece. I'd love to read your write up - 530% is wild!
And yes, we are all messy and will always be messy so we should try our best to make the most of that rather than trying to repress it or simplify it too much.
One thing reading this made me think about is how sometimes it feels like it isn't reconcilable to work in a corporate job and also try to improve the world around us. Because I work in a corporate job sometimes I feel like there's no point trying to do anything else to improve the world - I've already 'sold out' by not being an activist, and so I probably don't have anything to contribute. But maybe the better thought is how we can bring these two worlds that feel quite different closer together. I like the idea of listing the things you do outside of work - and if work is only one aspect of your identity then why can't another aspect be doing something of value to try and improve the world. Would be great to discuss with you!
One million percent this! I think the labels we put on ourselves can have a really detrimental and limiting impact on our imaginations about what we can do or not do in the world. I also think that it often creates unhelpful division when we meet new people.
As someone that has spent extensive time in the tech-world and increasingly in the activist world I get frustrated with the way the 'other side' is perceived. This stuff is complex and the people in those worlds are complex too.
Being an activist doesn't have to be a full time-thing or your whole identity, it can be something you do sometimes because you find joy in it. And I also think the term 'selling out' is not a helpful or kind one to use for yourself. If we want to fundamentally reimagine our systems we need people to be making change from inside as well as imagining new futures. We can also recognise that it's tiring to make loads of change at once and actually small things can be the start of something bigger. Ultimately the point of this post is that change has brought me loads of joy and excitement and that it's a lovely thing to do for yourself that also so happens to have a positive impact more widely.
Olivia, this piece feels like a breath of fresh air! Your reflections on embracing existence beyond productivity and redefining identity outside of job titles resonate deeply. I was inspired reading about your journey of shifting from cold showers to freezing sea swims—and how community has played such a crucial role in supporting those leaps.
I recently did a big ol' scientific write-up on the benefits of hot and cold exposure (cold plunges, ice baths, freezing river dips, etc.), which you may find an interesting read... I learned a few things myself in the research phase that were especially curious, like how your norepinephrine levels can increase by up to 530% after just a few minutes in cold water, enhancing focus and mood.
Your idea of taking action by embracing life’s ‘beautiful mess’ is a powerful reminder to live fully, even (especially!) when the world feels chaotic. Thank you for this candid look at change as a collective and personal adventure.
Thanks so much for your comment Freda, I'm so glad you enjoyed the piece. I'd love to read your write up - 530% is wild!
And yes, we are all messy and will always be messy so we should try our best to make the most of that rather than trying to repress it or simplify it too much.
Love this!
One thing reading this made me think about is how sometimes it feels like it isn't reconcilable to work in a corporate job and also try to improve the world around us. Because I work in a corporate job sometimes I feel like there's no point trying to do anything else to improve the world - I've already 'sold out' by not being an activist, and so I probably don't have anything to contribute. But maybe the better thought is how we can bring these two worlds that feel quite different closer together. I like the idea of listing the things you do outside of work - and if work is only one aspect of your identity then why can't another aspect be doing something of value to try and improve the world. Would be great to discuss with you!
One million percent this! I think the labels we put on ourselves can have a really detrimental and limiting impact on our imaginations about what we can do or not do in the world. I also think that it often creates unhelpful division when we meet new people.
As someone that has spent extensive time in the tech-world and increasingly in the activist world I get frustrated with the way the 'other side' is perceived. This stuff is complex and the people in those worlds are complex too.
Being an activist doesn't have to be a full time-thing or your whole identity, it can be something you do sometimes because you find joy in it. And I also think the term 'selling out' is not a helpful or kind one to use for yourself. If we want to fundamentally reimagine our systems we need people to be making change from inside as well as imagining new futures. We can also recognise that it's tiring to make loads of change at once and actually small things can be the start of something bigger. Ultimately the point of this post is that change has brought me loads of joy and excitement and that it's a lovely thing to do for yourself that also so happens to have a positive impact more widely.
Something cool to check out on this is the 'two loops' theory: https://www.innovationunit.org/thoughts/the-berkana-institutes-two-loops/
a lovely read. thanks for writing it ❤️
I'm glad you enjoyed it!