Dr. Michael R. MacDonald
My logo, A Warm Heart, A Strong Mind, gives you a hint about this new focus.
But first, a little background.
My Inspiration
As faithful readers will know, I am a big fan of Seth Godin’s work. I especially like his concept of generous creativity. He explains this concept in his book, The Practice, where he shows us how to live a creative life. He stresses the importance of three main ingredients for a successful creative practice, curiosity, generosity and connection.
His ideas fit with a second source of creativity for me, Ness Labs, a learning community for knowledge workers. I have recently become aware of Ness Labs and really like their work.
Ness Labs is the the brainchild of Anne-Laure Le Cunff (co-founder and current CEO). She is a former employee at Google, has a Masters degree in Neuroscience and has almost completed her PhD in Neuroscience. She is a prolific writer and author of a newsletter Maker Mind – “The science-based newsletter to make the most of your mind”.
A third source of inspiration has been the wildly ambitious work of Room to Read founder John Wood. His achievements and generosity demonstrate how one can get really meaningful things done in their lives. I have written quite a bit about John and his work, in posts and on my A Warm Heart website. My favourites are his writing and video about GSD (Getting Shit Done).
A New Experiment
With these three sources in mind, I thought I would experiment with a new direction for my writing. I like the idea of generous productivity, a generous strong mind for people who get meaningful things done.
In the coming months, readers and subscribers will learn how a generous warm heart can lead to a stronger mind. For me, a Strong Mind means more productivity, more creativity and more meaningful accomplishments.
How Can This Benefit Me?
A warm generous heart can help you be more productive in several ways. My science-based articles and posts will help you:
Build a Growth Mindset: This is the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed over time. People with a growth mindset are always looking for ways to learn and improve.
Create Purpose: This is a strong sense of why you are here and what you want to accomplish in life. Strong-minded people have a clear purpose that drives them forward.
Build up Your Self-Motivation: Strong-minded people don’t need others to push them forward. They are intrinsically motivated and driven to achieve their goals.
Create a Happier Mood: Helping others triggers the release of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, elevating your mood. Generous acts create a sense of purpose and satisfaction, leading to long-term happiness.
Sharpen Your Cognitive Skills: Planning and executing acts of generosity require problem-solving and critical thinking. You might brainstorm ways to help, consider different approaches, and evaluate outcomes, all of which keep your mind sharp.
Combat Age-Related Decline: Studies suggest that engaging in social activities like volunteering, which often involve generosity, can help delay cognitive decline and dementia.
These are just a few of the pathways I will be writing about and helping you to develop. Subscribe now, so you don’t miss out.
What has AI Got To Do With It
I have been experimenting and learning about the powers of new AI tools, that we have all been reading about. More are becoming available all the time. Here are a few to consider.
None of my articles, past or future, have been written by AI. But, I have found some AI tools useful in my research – sort of like my personal research assistant.
I first started using ChatGPT, from Microsoft, and found it easy to use and helpful in generating ideas to write about. Within a few seconds I get what I want. Simply amazing. If I want more detail or an expansion of any of the ideas initially given, I just ask – e.g., give me more details about suggestion #3.
I was cautious (and still am) because it is hard to tell if any of the recommendations are accurate. All of the suggestions make sense and appear credible. And this is the real danger.
So I decided to always ask for references and then check these references for accuracy. This has helped me have more confidence in what ChatGPT gives me. And made it more useful.
Next, I experimented with Gemini, by Google. I had read that it uses a more up-to-date database, at least compared to the original and free ChatGPT.
I found Gemini, also free, to be similarly useful. I am also cautious about its accuracy, so I always ask for references and check them.
Then, I read a review and recommendation, by Seth Godin, for Perplexity. It is also free. More importantly, Perplexity’s suggestions automatically come with references. If you want more references, there is a link for that as well..
Two Examples of Generous Productivity
Here are two articles, which centre around motivation and creativity. The first article was written relatively recently, the second one written a while ago. I think my ideas have been percolating for a while. Now, I am trying to put them together with a consistent theme.
What is Self-Motivation and How Do I Get More of It
How to Live a More Creative Life
I hope this new focus makes sense. Of course, just like our lives, everything is a work in progress.
I would appreciate your thoughts and ideas. Please write to me, about anything, at michael@aWarmHeart.ca.
Until next time, let our warm hearts soar!
Michael
michael@aWarmHeart.ca
And thank you for caring that little bit extra – it really makes a big difference.
