Hello there, how do you feel about the meaning of life?

Seriously! When was the last time you thought about this question?

Hit reply and let me know.

Might the stuff that makes our lives easier also hurt us?

Has human ingenuity gone too far for our own good?

Criticism of technology isn't new, starting in Antiquity with the myth of Prometheus - punished by Zeus for giving humans fire - and living on with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. More recently, Yuval Noah Harari explored of the failure of Homo Deus' to create true happiness despite our "godlike" powers.

We humans are very successful at two things: building more comfortable and secure shelters, and improving the reliability of our food supply.

But... do we really need to park our giant SUVs in the triple garages of castle-sized suburban homes, and proceed to gulp down fried chicken double-decker sandwiches with fries delivered by DoorDash, while entertaining ourselves with on-demand shows and scrolling social media on our phones at the same time?

Highways are convenient.

Motor vehicles are convenient.

Big homes are convenient.

Restaurant meals are convenient.

Netflix is convenient.

Smart phones are convenient.

But are all of those things really serving us?

For the most part, they don't.

For good health, we need to:

• move our bodies with our own power,
• feed ourselves whole foods cooked at home,
• and connect with other humans.

When we systematically outsource those functions for convenience, we put ourselves at risk of chronic disease. And chronic disease kills, typically after years and even decades of degraded quality of life.

I am currently reading John Robbins' Healthy at 100 book. Published in 2006, Robbins' book preceded the "Blue Zones" series we know best today, and presented the lives of populations with an exceptionally long healthspan. That's the number of years spent in good health, as opposed to lifespan, which is the total number of years lived, regardless of health status).

Spoiler: none of those people drove Cybertrucks. They lived simple lives, eating basic plant-based meals, climbing mountains on foot without special equipment, and spending a lot of time with friends and family. That's including people over 70, 80, or even 90 years old. Oh, and they they laughed a lot.

It seems that some inconvenience is actually good for us.

• Using our own power to get around, as opposed to motor vehicles.
• Cooking our own food, as opposed to eating ready-to-eat boxed meals.
• Getting together with friends in person 😱 to play cards instead of switching a screen on.

Let's be real honest here: I really don't want to live high in the mountains of the Caucasus, as the Abkhasians do. The area is currently characterized by electricity shortages, high infant mortality, and political turmoil.

So what's the middle ground?

What habits can I adopt in my everyday life that feels a bit inconvenient today, but will decrease my odds of hanging out at the doctor's office in 20 years?

I'd love to hear what YOU are doing.

To feel better, offer a genuine compliment

Have you downloaded your Healthy Summer Bingo card and started testing some of the habits on it?

One of the habits in the "connection and community" column is:

But what does complimenting others have to do with one's own happiness? Here's a short story from my trip in Quebec last week, coinciding with 🍁 Canada Day.

My Mom lives in a retirement community of about 400 other people. On July 1st, about half of them had shown up in the dining room to listen to a chansonnier. Many had hopped off their chair to swing to the tune of classic Canadian tunes.

But we weren't there to dance. We were there to knock some pins off! As we worked our way through the crowd on our way to the building's private bowling lanes (where my mom proceeded to beat us all by a long shot), they stopped me in my tracks:

👠 Firetruck red stilettos with 4-inch heels, gleaming on the feet of one of my mother's neighbors. Quite a bold fashion statement, and a feat of balance, too!

As I walked by the lady, I told her: "You are rocking those heels! What a perfect fit for today!"

I doubt that I was the first person complimenting her on her footwear, but she flashed a big bright smile and said "Merci!" She was clearly pleased with her choice, too.

But the part that's interesting is not how she felt about the compliment. It's what it did to me!

• Complimenting her rad looking shoes focused my attention on something positive.
• It brought me joy to see her smile.
• When I crossed path with her later in the day, we smiled at each other. The small compliment had taken us from complete strangers to budding acquaintances. I bet she would have gotten out of her way to lead me - in her red pumps!! - to my Mom's apartment if my kids and I had lost our way.

A simple compliment creates connection and community, which in turns enhances everyone's wellbeing.

👣 For the record, my own feet will never be caught in such an instrument of torture, and I don't think wearing heels is great for anyone's physical health! But those shoes were 🔥 and her smile lit up the room.

Pro tip: Complimenting someone on their clothes or looks generally has less power than complimenting them on their personality or character. It can be a simple pivot: instead of praising her cool shoes, I could have told her that I admired her fashion sense, or appreciated the extra joy she brought to the festivities of the day!

Warning! Compliments have to be genuine to enhance our well-being. Empty flattery actually makes us feel worse. But, really, if you spend a moment to think about it, there's so many things to appreciate in other people, it shouldn't be hard to find one thing you can sincerely compliment anyone about.

Oh, and by the way, I really appreciate that you care about your health and making the world a better place by showing up with energy and purpose. It makes a difference in the whole wide world!

So make sure you compliment someone today and color that square on your Healthy Summer Bingo card.

With love,

Brigitte

p.s. In case you missed the original announcement, there's one coaching spot left.