Friday Musings—23/05/25

What's new with me

As I mentioned last time, I was away on a company retreat in Ferrara. The walking tour with the local greeter was amazing: a free 3+ hour stroll through the city just for me. The weather was great, the food was delicious, and I genuinely enjoyed spending time with everyone. Also, my presentation went well :)

I'll share some pics along with a few "Ferrara musings" next week.

🎬

This week I found myself reflecting on self-confidence. We tend to think of it as something elusive. Maybe you're born with it, or you have to develop it early on. Sometimes we tie it to external "markers of success". And once it’s gone, we often assume it’s nearly impossible to rebuild.

Poor self-confidence is something I struggled with for a long time. Mostly because of my upbringing, and later my illness and the ripple effects it had on every part of my life. But over the past few years, I've come to realize that self-confidence has more to do with how much you can trust and rely on yourself. It's something you build by consistently showing up for yourself, day after day.

I talk about this a bit more in my new YouTube video, if you're curious. I also talk about the importance of reframing. What we often label as burdens are sometimes opportunities or privileges, depending on how we choose to see them.

🧘

I’ve been following a YT channel run by an Australian woman who shares workouts that combine lymphatic drainage, mobility, balance, and brain exercises. It’s unlike anything else I follow, and I’m really glad the algorithm gods led me to it!

☀️

My room in Ferrara had a terrace, so I did a few of those quick workouts outside in order to get some early sunlight exposure before heading to the meeting room. It was a reminder of just how important sunlight is for health.

🤔

Has reading become an act of resistance?

This short CBS video frames it as an antidote to a tech-obsessed world where dominant forces profit from keeping us in a state of partial attention. I think we all recognize ourselves in the behavior they describe: opening an app, glancing at it, closing it… then reopening it seconds later without thinking.

"We used to only do that with refrigerators", says the anchor. That made me laugh out loud, then it hit a little too hard.

Quote of the week ✍️ 

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do".  (Benjamin Spock)

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you have any suggestions or insights, feel free to share them in the comments. And if you know someone who might enjoy my musings, please pass this along, I’d love to grow this community.

Until next time,

ML