༼ ◔ ͜ʖ ◔ ༽ Nº117 An Attitude of Gratitude 🙏 🙇

New Year's resolutions have a bad reputation.

Considering taking on one that you can follow through with: adopt an attitude of gratitude. In my experience, it is a win/win for you and everyone around you.

Dan Mager put together some great reasons why:

Gratitude facilitates contentment. Practicing gratitude is one of the most reliable methods for increasing contentment and life satisfaction. Conversely, gratitude also reduces anxiety and depression.
Gratitude promotes physical health. Studies suggest gratitude helps to lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, reduce symptoms of illness, and make us less bothered by aches and pains.
Gratitude enhances sleep. Grateful people tend to get more sleep each night, spend less time awake before falling asleep, and feel more rested upon awakening. If you want to sleep more soundly, instead of counting sheep count your blessings.
Gratitude strengthens relationships. It makes us feel closer and more connected to friends and intimate partners. When partners feel and express gratitude for each other, they each become more satisfied with their relationship.
Gratitude encourages “paying it forward.” Grateful people are generally more helpful, generous of spirit, and compassionate. These qualities often spill over onto others.

I was inspired to make gratitude the theme this week after spotting this tweet:

"Who is a person (not counting family) that opened doors for you in your career when they didn’t have to? Anytime is a good time to show gratitude!"

This was my reply.

Especially this week: thank you for reading! : )

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year from Amsterdam,

Jon

❤️ this? Pls tweet, share on LinkedIn or share on FB. Thanks! 🙏

p.s. Thank you Ross Piper for the illustration above!

Cycling

Ayse Van Laethem | Broom Wagon

My bud Stefano interviewed my friend Ayse.

Check it out: bit.ly/2CnJhPW

Stefano also recently interviewed my homie Bregan.

CYCLOTOURIST | @cycledefrance

Check out this video of Rob van Driel (@cycledefrance) in his workshop. Rob is a true cyclotourist, with an amazing collection of French randonneur bikes. In his own words:

"We don't just ride for sport or transport, but mostly for the pleasure of riding..."

Production by Twotone Amsterdam, shot by Frank van der Sman. Watch the video here.

Métier Cycling New Year's Ride

This coming Thursday we're doing a ride in Amsterdam with Métier. Come out for a fun night ride that begins at our office & ends at Lester's workshop.

This is a great chance to see & experience Métier's products up close. RSVP here.

Startups

Be Kind

“If you want people to work with you, you need to be kind.”

Being kind is fundamentally about taking responsibility for your impact on the people around you. It requires you be mindful of their feelings and considerate of the way your presence affects them.

The Naïve Entrepreneur

"Why NDAs do more harm than good for your startup?"

When I was doing sales for Highgroove Studios (👈vintage video featuring me in that link, haha) & Big Nerd Ranch, we used to reference an NDA Litmus Test to startups asking for help to build their product.

On the Future of Work

In his latest book, “Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations,” Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Tom Friedman shares his thoughts on how the gig economy, smart machines, businesses as platforms, and more will change the way work gets done.