Welcome to my first newsletter of 2021!
Getting unstuck and embracing uncertainty
A few days ago, I received an unexpected swag package from HackMIT which included some sunflower seeds.
I decided to plant two of the seeds and this is how they turned out.
Plant 1 is living its best life, I’m happy for it.
But plant 2 is in a tough situation. It’s still stuck in its seed, unable to straighten its back and enjoy the warmth of the Sun.
But would you say that plant 2 has failed becoming a plant? No. It’s just not there yet.
Personally, I identify with plant 2, and maybe you do as well. Stuck without a clear direction to go in, uncertain for the future, fearing potential failure.
If you feel stuck, my biggest advice is to just talk to people and tell them how you’re feeling. To get yourself out of quicksand you’ll need help from someone not in the quicksand.
Treat uncertainty like an exploration. Set big goals. You’ll get somewhere eventually. Test your limits. How far can you really go before you fail? (hint: it’s really far)
And here’s the thing about failure, no one remembers your failures if they’re manageable. Remember the failed company Vinod Khosla started before Sun Microsystems? Yeah me neither. Successful people are only the ones that have failed more than everyone else.
Better yet, failure can also be a source of self-awareness and motivation (ex. after I failed my presentation, I was even more so driven to get better at presenting).
And just like I’m rooting for my plant, I’m rooting for all of you ❤️
Bananas are going extinct!
Yup, they really are.
But before you run downstairs to protect the last of this endangered species, watch my video above. There may still be a way out of this…
And while you’re at it, a company working to reinvent the banana (Tropic Biosciences) is also working to create crips(e)r coffee ☕️. Intrigued? Watch this fun video by Klara to learn more!
Ocean Cleaning Jellyfish
We use roombas to autonomously clean the messes we make. They’re great at doing their thing on land, but stop working underwater. To clean the oceans of the nasty and often fatal chemicals we carelessly pour into them, we’ll need some sort of waterproof roomba, and in our case it may take the form of a… jellyfish?
Watch my video above where I give a presentation on using synthetic biology to engineer rat heart tissue to power jellyfish and destroy pesticides along the way :)
Mindset: Stoicism
“We suffer more from imagination than from reality” — Seneca
Easy Action Item: Say out loud and try to believe that you’re enjoying something you wouldn’t normally enjoy (ex. being cold). You have power over your perception of reality
Check out this video of me absolutely thriving in voluntary discomfort :’). Also includes mini reflections along the way.
Thank you ❤️
To Michael Raspuzzi, Amna Hyder, Noel Hurst, Mandy Yuen, Aidan Tinafar, Mr. Dafos, Colin Kalicki, Alan Tong for conversations that I truly valued. You’ve all given me hope and inspiration when I needed it most.
To all my TKS (and non-TKS) friends, if you enjoyed our 1-on-1s/ brainpods, then I did too. Thanks for the laughs, big brain moments and for just being you :)
Looking for a Book to Read?
If you’re going to read 1 book next month, let it be this one: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. All of Naval’s wisdom packed into one handy book. I’ve read around 1/3 of the book so far and it’s been about how to get rich by arming yourself with specific knowledge, accountability, and leverage 🤯
Thank you Sigil for the book rec and for being an inspiration.
And as always, here’s some 🔥 to get you through the next month.
Click the froggo for my carefully curated playlist of cute quiet songs to help you study and feel warm & fuzzy inside 💞
How you can help me:
I’m currently looking for summer lab internship opportunities preferably in Toronto. Please reach out if you are aware of any that exist. I love all things bio so feel free to send me any interesting bio-related events/content/thoughts as well!
Hope you have a fun, fresh & froggy February. Until next time, take care!
Connect with me on twitter.