Fellow traveler,

I’m glad to share this edition of The Joy List, the weekly collection of insights, and some of the best things we’ve read elsewhere, as we yearn for flourishing individuals and societies.

With joy,
Damola

Worth Reading

> Solitude and Leadership

“So it’s perfectly natural to have doubts, or questions, or even just difficulties. The question is, what do you do with them? Do you suppress them, do you distract yourself from them, do you pretend they don’t exist? Or do you confront them directly, honestly, courageously? If you decide to do so, you will find that the answers to these dilemmas are not to be found on Twitter or Comedy Central or even in The New York Times. They can only be found within—without distractions, without peer pressure, in solitude.”

> What alcohol does and why should you care

“Cutting out drinking has undeniable benefits — no hangovers, lighter bodyweight, and better skin. But it can also mean missed opportunities to enjoy special occasions fully (like practicing abstinence at a vineyard in Tuscany). What if the real problem isn’t the alcohol, but the need for an external tool to relax? Nat’s solution, a simple rule: put alcohol use in the calendar 3 days in advance so neither can be the solution to a stressful day.”