#103 What I saved on my smartphone this week

Hello friend,

In today's digital age, smartphones and social media have become integral parts of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate, connect, and consume information. While these technological advancements offer numerous benefits and conveniences, they also come with their own set of challenges and drawbacks. 

I wanted to explore the positive and negative aspects of smartphones and social media, examining their impact on our relationships, mental health, productivity, and overall well-being. 

By understanding the potential benefits and pitfalls of these technologies, we can make informed decisions about how to best navigate the digital landscape and strike a healthy balance in our use of smartphones and social media platforms.

Before I got onto my soapbox, I was going to share some random things I've saved on my phone this week to show some of the positive elements you can discover online.

Apart from the harmful and frustrating aspects of technology, I find it helpful to use my phone to write notes, save exciting things that stick in my mind, and ultimately enrich my daily life.

Here are some of the most exciting memos and screenshots that have stood out this week.

1. I often write reminders and reflections to collect and recall later.

I always think I could be a good self-help guru if I gathered all my thoughts into a single book; I might be a bestseller.

 This memo is about being calm and content in the moment.

Why is it always so difficult to be calm and content in the moment? There is always something to worry about—finances, fear, death, times running out and running away from us.

I thought getting older would give me more self-assurance. Instead, I feel less sure of myself, the world and my part.

I worry I'm doing too little, and then when I try to do more, I become overwhelmed and paralyse myself in fear.

I try to remind myself to scale things down and break big tasks into small parts. It may take longer, but it'll all get done. But when one idea tries to overpower the next, jostling for your attention. Sometimes, the ideas struggle to get your attention, creating a rowdy crowd. The confusion inevitably leads to a stampede where the ideas blend into one another in total utter chaos.

How to untangle the threads. Uncrimple the pages that have been screwed up and thrown into the waste paper basket. To recover something worth saving.

Treating myself like a precious object will make me strong.

2. My shopping list.

They say when you learn a new language, one sign that you know the language well is when it begins to insert its vocabulary automatically in your thoughts and notes. 

This is evident in my daily shopping list. As you can see, most of my list is in English, but I will also randomly insert words in Italian because Italian and English are interchangeable vocabularies. 

After a certain amount of time, you've been speaking a second language, and that second language becomes part of your subconscious. So it's a good sign whenever you write words in a new language or even when you dream in a second language.

3. This is another sign of how Italian has become part of my daily life.

My niece gave me this recipe for Pignolata, a typical fried dessert made for the carnival celebrations, which finished last week.

This is a family homemade recipe in which the fried dumpling batter is served either drenched in honey or covered in sugar. It's delicious, but not something to eat every day.

4. This saying is often only partially said.

The whole saying is.

A jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of none.

I might have to print this out and keep it in sight to remind me to try as many things as possible without worrying about imperfection or imposter syndrome.

5. Ryan Holiday quote.

I am a huge fan of Author and stoic lover and observer Ryan Holiday, so I always appreciate his daily quotes and little wisdom.

6. I always love a poetic quote.

7. Writing quotes always helps to keep me motivated and thinking on the practical side.

8. I have been doing a little bit of research about saints who were born in Sicily.

I'm looking into writing a series of essays about Sicilian culture and history. One of my ideas is to write about saints born in Sicily. Initially, I thought there were only three saints native to Sicily, namely Saint Lucy, Saint Agatha and Saint Rosalia, but there are many more, including Saint Olivia of Palermo.

9. Movie recommendations.

I'm always looking for exciting movies to watch at the cinema or on streaming. I recently discovered Edgar Wright's page on Instagram, and this week, he gave us 40 new movie recommendations. 

I can't wait to see some of them; it's always easy to get stuck, watching only those movies that scoop up all the awards and miss out on other excellent pieces of art. 

Edgar Wright is a movie critic, so his recommendations come with a certain amount of authority as he watches many movies during the year. 

10. I always love myself a good practical entrepreneurship quote.

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Just a little note about this newsletter.

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always lightning, the mental load and sharing something of my thoughts with you.

I hope you enjoy the randomness of 'a load off my mind'.

Thanks for reading.

Rochelle