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  • The Level Up Letter - Vol. 7 - Everything you want....was decided by someone else

The Level Up Letter - Vol. 7 - Everything you want....was decided by someone else

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Better Board Meeting
February 02, 2024

THE LEVEL UP LETTER

Hi All!
Here is your weekly Level Up Letter. This week we’re diving into where the things we want came from and some questions on how to check your own wants, desires and beliefs.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend and please share this with as many people as you’d like. Enjoy!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

WHY DO WE WANT THE THINGS WE WANT?

⁣This video shows Google search trends across the states from 2010-2020. Give it a watch and consider these three point after watching the video….

1. How strong mimetic desires are in all of us. 
Mimetic desire is defined as "desire according to another, or desire according to a model." Watching this video shows how quickly we can all be interested in the same thing and influenced by others.

2. Our location and culture we live in define our reality.
Where we live determines the natural resources available to us, the religions in our area, traditions, politics, sports, hobbies etc. etc. etc. It’s not surprising we would find ourselves liking or wanting similar things as our neighbors.

3. How quickly things fade away. 
Might be time to reexamine why we're paying attention to certain things. Is it truly something YOU want to give you time to or is someone or something driving your thoughts? Is this thing that has your attention actually going to matter in the long run? 

CHECK YOURSELF

Now that you’ve seen a little taste of how powerful mimetic desire can be we challenge you to take some time for self reflection. Take the time to think through each area and not just the big stuff. What’s on auto pilot in your life?

  1. Environment - What desires are a product of my environment? If I was born in a different part of the world would I choose the same things? If I lived somewhere else, would I still want this? Would my faith/spiritual beliefs differ? Something as simple is tipping is completely different around the world but how often do you question why you do it?

  2. Personal Associations - How do my friends and family influence the things I want? How much do I value what they think if me? Am I afraid to bring things up or share my interests? Who am I comparing myself too? Do you notice yourself questioning what the people around you will think more than questioning what you think?

  3. Media - What news sources am I consuming? Is everyone saying the same thing? Was I purposeful in the people and brands I follow? Do I check my information against quality studies? Do certain topics automatically lead me to not listen to nuance? Do I actually want to live like any of these people? Are these people telling the truth?

Lastly, after questioning all of this, ask yourself one final question

“What one desire do I have that, if I achieved it, would make me internally fulfilled?”

WANTING

If you found this week’s letter interesting you’re probably starting to question even more where some of your wants and desires actually come from, this book was a game changer for us and goes much deeper into the topic, society and ways of viewing the world around us. Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

"Fascinating, well-written, and original--I had a hard time putting this down. Everyone wants to believe they can think on their own but we are all creatures of imitation. Luke's book changed how I think about thinking." ―Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money

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