A couple things on my mind... cheap dopamine and a pilgrimage


Hey Folks!

Happy Friday! If you're back in school my condolences to you all, we still have 3 more weeks of summer we're trying to make the most of over here. A couple things on my mind…

1. Learning Claude Code: I'm early on with this, but I'm working through Nick Saraev's 4-hour beginner course and his 3-hour advanced one, and I'll be honest, I'm still a little lost. If anyone out there is good at explaining things like I'm 4 years old, I'm all ears. Just hit reply.

2. Brainbuddy: I've recommended this app for years to younger guys I'm mentoring, and I've genuinely seen people completely drop a porn addiction using it. It works through cognitive psychology, group accountability, and gamification. Fair warning, it's a paid subscription (around $13/month), but if you or someone in your life is stuck here, it's an absolute no-brainer. Life is short, don't stay stuck. (I'm actually using this with a group right now to help get me off of YouTube Shorts and any sort of feed. It's really just a way to get rid of cheap dopamine, no matter the source.)

3. Mom Pilgrimage: I heard a talk last year from Jeremy Pryor about how certain geographical places have deep spiritual significance to each of us. It could be the town you grew up in, the school you went to, a state park, whatever. When you return to these places it deepens your sense of identity, groundedness, and gives you perspective. He encouraged us as parents to make it a point to bring our children to these places and tell the stories that transpired there as a way of sharing your values with them. So - this week we are doing just that. We're headed to the summer camp Chandler worked at in high school for a week of family camp. Unlike me, Chandler is not constantly regaling our children with stories of her youth, so I'm just excited to go to a place that has meant so much to her, and let the kids kind of relive the experience with and through her. Do you have a place like that? Have your kids been there? I'll let you know how it goes.

That's it for this week!

Best,
Blake

P.S. FYI Chandler's and our book is up for preorder! (It comes out Oct 13.) A publishing quirk I didn't know until this week: preorders all get counted in launch week, no matter when you actually buy them. So one in August does more for the launch than one in October. Please preorder here!

A couple things on my mind...

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