A random thing that still fascinates me is how you can experience the same weather very differently, depending on your current activity.
When running in below 5 degrees celsius weather, it feels so cold starting out vs after a few miles when I’m warmed up and coasting by pedestrians shivering as they walk. The weather hasn’t really changed, our recent activity has just conditioned us to experience it differently at that time.
Same happens with our lived history and how it affects our reaction to circumstances. I think I’m starting to view life’s events more dispassionately as I get older. A lot of things that happen aren’t objectively bad or good, until our reaction to them seals the deal one way or the other.
I heard Okey Enelamah speak at HBS ABC in 2014, and one thing that stayed with me from his talk was a proverb about recognizing the advantage of your position, whether big or small. A mouse has to find and take the advantage that the elephant can’t.