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Easter



This week was Holy Week and I was excited to have my family come home for the weekend. It has just been me home with my parents for a few months so it is nice to have a bit of a shake-up every now and then to escape the monotony. 

Personal Updates

With respect to my body, I can confidently say I was able to bench again this week without pain. I think that I am back to healthy on the bench press which is great news after struggling for so long. After not being able to bench for nearly 4 months, I was able to do two sets of 315 for 3 reps this past Monday which is not too far off where I was when I first got hurt. I am happy that I did not lose too much strength, and I am excited to start building up again.

After being at home and stuck in the same routine for so long, it is nice to have some time with family as it seems like somewhat of a return to normalcy. Especially as I had to go into NYC in order to pick up my sister and I got to see some people out and about. Although the city is nowhere near as crowded as it normally would be, and everybody was wearing masks, it was comforting to know that they haven't slowed down too much. Although we are still months away from returning to normalcy, vaccinations and better weather are combining for what seems like an accelerated recovery from the impacts of COVID which is important after a cold and mostly locked down winter. 

Books/Podcasts

I have gotten through a good amount of books this week, including some classic works of fiction which I really haven't been reading at all. It was nice to have some fiction mixed in because I feel like I can get lost in the story and it is far more immersive than some of these other books which read similar to an interesting textbook. I think I will continue to sprinkle in some classic fiction as I go to break up the cycle of nonfiction. I am not as much interested in newer fiction but am opting for some classics in order to let time be my filter for the best ideas and books.

I have also continued listening to the same podcast and added some other episodes I found recommended elsewhere. Some of the authors of the books I have read either have their own podcasts or appear on other people's podcasts so that is a new source of potential listens if I ever run out of things to listen to. Additionally, in a few different sources, I have encountered they have recommended the blog Farnam Street which helps with critical thinking and has a lot of good posts. I am excited to explore more into different blogs and podcasts so that I can trim down my media consumption from the news and social media which is usually very polarizing and I feel does more harm than good.

Gratitude

Going to NYC to pick up my sister inspired my gratitude post for this week which will be centered around volunteering. All through high school, I had the opportunity to participate in a Holy Week mission in the city where we did a few different acts of service that gave me a lot of interesting experiences and always served to give me a new perspective after getting caught up in my day to day life. By taking some time out and volunteering, it helped me to develop my faith and compassion for other people. It is easy to forget about the condition of the less fortunate when I am not living in a big city where poverty is more front of mind. 

One thing that I feel like I have been struggling with during the pandemic is doing a random act of kindness. I set it as one of my goals on this website because it is something that I have strived to do. With people practicing social distancing and generally trying to keep to themselves when in public, it can be challenging to find an opportunity to help out. 

Another thing that I want to keep in mind as the world opens up is to make acts of kindness and volunteering a habit. With no evidence, I am a believer that good deeds put into the world come back to you in some form or another. In addition to making you feel good, at a minimum, doing service also helps to make the world a better place. Those two facts combined with the chance that some good karma may come back your way make it seem like a no-brainer which is why I am looking forward to going back to school next fall where I can hopefully encounter more people in my everyday life
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