5 BYTES FRIDAY Issue#13

Five bite-sized snippets of insight and things to explore.

Hi All!

Welcome back to 5-Bytes Friday, five small but mighty insights to fuel your month.
​
As we settle into the new year, I want to share some personal reflections and highlights from the past month. It’s been a period of introspection and growth, and I’m excited to share these moments with you.

A Documentary I've watched

​Black Doves has been a festive companion over the last month. It is a not-too-serious espionage thriller with absurdly Tarantino-like moments.

With a stellar cast including Keira Knightly and Ben Whishaw, this series has been off-kilter and noirish.

However, it is best not to overthink it, as you might realise how crime-ridden this London is.

Watch if you are still holding on to Christmas vibes, or bookmark it for the next time you find yourself wrapping presents or decorating a tree!

​

Quote I’m Pondering

"Momento Mori - We should not postpone action, do it today as we have no idea what will be tomorrow.”

This quote has been a guiding principle, reminding me to seize the day and make the most of every moment.

What I am reading at the moment.

As I’ve continued to focus on personal and professional growth over the break, I stumbled across Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation by Dr James Doty..

​

Doty, a Stanford neurosurgeon who made and lost it all, explains how stress can impact the brain and move us further away from our goals.

He clearly, step by step, explains the science behind manifestation, which, let’s face it, has traditionally been considered hokum.

What’s more, he also explains how different neural networks combine to achieve coherence when we start to achieve our goals, creating a system that is in alignment with the outside world as well as our internal space.

It's a fascinating read!

​

Framework I am working with

I've started to notice that things go in cycles.

Currently, the people I am speaking with want to deliver their message with impact and clarity.

I originally learned this model in an Acumen course called Storytelling for Change. It comprises of four parts:

Context - The setting and circumstances in which communication takes place.

Audience - The group of people receiving your message
​Goal - The specific outcome you want to achieve through communication.

Benefit - The value your audience gains from acting on your message.
​

It is deceptively simple but has recently helped businesses and clients alike to articulate themselves more clearly.

If you’d like a copy of the full model, please let me know.

What I am listening to at work

Horsegirl - Anti-glory (2022) has been firmly on my repeated playlist this month.

The vocals remind me of Dana Margolin from Porridge Radio, but with a distinctive US tone bias.

The track starts messy and resolves into a tight chant of “Dance”. Interestingly, John Agnello from Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth are involved with them.

Maybe it is that new, fresh, and yet familiar feel that appealed to me and has me listening on repeat

Here's this month's article from the archive: