Brenden Matthews

At some point in recent history it became very trendy to travel. I think, however, most of the traveling people do this days is of the performative nature. The point of travel to most people is to take photos for Instagram and be able to boast to their friends about it, so far as I can tell. I suppose there are some folks who enjoy the thrill of airports, airplanes, and hotels. For me however, spending unnecessary time in an airport, airplane, or hotel is the last thing I want to do.

You’ve heard of the mind-body connection, and maybe also the brain-gut connection, but have you heard of the mind-body-gut connection? I just made it up for this blog post, but I think it’s something interesting to noodle on.

I think the term “mind-body connection” has existed in the minds of health and wellness folks for quite some time, but the gut-brain connection is a somewhat newer concept. Only in the past few decades have we began to scratch the surface of how the gut and brain communicate with each other.

I think most people are artists, in one sense or another. We don’t generally do much to cultivate artists as a society, aside from the occasional optional art class in school. I like to cosplay as an artist, but I don’t think of myself as particularly talented or skilled when it comes to making art.

I have a saying, or perhaps a mantra, that I like to repeat to myself: “High hopes, low expectations”. I think I could do a whole stand up comedy routine about this subject. Some people, I suspect, go through life feeling disappointed for the simple reason that they expect too much. Whether in their relationships, careers, or personal lives, they set themselves up for constant disappointment by setting their expectations far too high.

When it comes to personal growth, if that’s something you care about, it’s worth thinking about your blind spots, your biases, and anything else that might be holding you back. I tend to have a lot of conversations with strangers, and lately I’ve been making more of any effort to listen rather than speak. It’s quite a simple yet powerful way to learn about others, and yourself too, in the process. People will reveal a surprising amount if you simply give them space and keep your mouth shut. A few questions here and there to move things along helps, but the questions matter less than giving others time to speak (and you’ll find that people will often fill the gaps themselves).