Hi friends!

Adha Mubarak to all of you who are celebrating. Wishing you would finally get to feel the old Eid spirit with your loved ones finally around.

July is exactly going as expected, we have the longest official vacation of the year ahead of us. When you see this letter I will be with my big family by the pool side for few days. I have not made clear plans for the rest of this vacation, though. This was the topic of the conversation with my friend, who very generously reminded me about the importance of intention in these hyper social times.  

Let’s set intentions together, shall we?

What memories do you want to create in this vacation? How will you act?  What would you do if your food order comes all wrong? How will your family or friends remember your attitude?  

Some intentions that come to mind for me: I would like to be fun and constructive. I would like to feel light and be helpful. I would like to have some time alone to recharge.

What about you?  

Complete this sentence: “This vacation would be a success if….”  

Set the bar low. 

Here is your weekly dose of The Sunday Spark ⚡ a newsletter listing 5 inspiring things I thought were worth starting your week with: 

1. Don’t Go To Business School. Read These 18 Books Instead
2. AND Goals Vs OR Goals: When we work to develop new skills or habits, we must always ask ourselves: do these skills naturally complement each other, or are they at cross purposes?
3. From my desk, written 3 years ago: I think about The Gap a lot, not only in parenting.
4. A motivational book that changed the life of the actor Matthew Mcconaughey is: The Greatest Salesman In the World. I listened to it on audible last week and I will repeat it over and over as Matt did. His podcast interview with Tim Ferriss is super inspiring and entertaining
5. A quote to remember that negative feelings are perfect teachers:

"Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.⁠"

― Pema Chödrön

(resurfaced through Readwise)

See you next Sunday, First name / my dear friend

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