THE LIGHT LETTER
Welcome to this issue of The Light Letter, a weekly roundup of inspiration. The holidays are near, a wonderful time of year to be grateful and stressed the F out. This week we’ve got a playlist worth moving to, a reason to write, and spotlight on why you (and everyone) needs community.
Carry on.
Deep Dive: how AI is training us
I hear it in their words
No longer just in email and marketing copy
AI has trained them to the vernacular
They, so quickly, have tossed their humanity
for fear of being left behind
No, I think
Let the changing gears of time claim me.
If you’ve used ChatGPT then you are familiar with it forcing the em dash (—) down your throat. The em dash isn’t the only language AI leans on and research shows1 that words commonly used by AI have become more popular in human to human communication. Basically, AI is the new it girl.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise. If everyone uses the same editor, the same researcher, and the same therapist, then they will start to sound the same.
AI has given us the ability to bypass thinking quicker than we once could. No longer are we burdened with having to think about how we’ll write an unimportant email, or how we’ll summarize the article we just skimmed. No longer do we need to contemplate on the way to an answer. But AI has only sped up a thing we’ve always been quite good at. Ignoring ourselves.
So how does we keep our individualism? How do we not lose our own voice? How do we make sure we are leading our life and not following someone or something else?
One answer is to start a writing practice.
‘If you think without writing, you only think you’re thinking.’ - Leslie Lamport
My secret to journaling is to write without stopping for 15 minutes. Don’t break, don’t remove the pen from the paper, don’t edit. Even if all I put on paper are the words ‘I am writing’ over and over again. Eventually the brain unlocks and real thoughts spill out.
Consistent writing puts structure to the chaos of your mind. It pulls out the worthwhile thoughts and discards the rest. If you’ve ever listened to someone that speaks eloquently, it is most likely because they have a regular writing practice. Speaking isn’t the first time they’ve put their thoughts to work, and it isn’t the first time they’ve put words to their beliefs.
Having a daily writing practice reclaims your unique texture, and gives you a chance to be interesting and thoughtful — not some bland conversationalist.
Need help getting started?
Use these 5 journaling prompts to start your 15 minute session.
What am I grateful for?
What am I winning at?
What am I letting go of?
What might my day look like?
What will they say about me?
This Week’s Inspiration
Your next yoga playlist.
The practice of Trust: “The opposite of anxiety isn’t calm. It’s trust.”
“People don’t get depressed when they face threats collectively; they get depressed when they feel isolated, lonely, or useless.” This podcast shows how the mental health crises among young people is closely tied with disconnection. A holiday reminder to invest, then reinvest in community.
Until next time,
Live your light.