This photo of Famiglie Arcobaleno [Rainbow Families – Donate!] organization’s flags is exhibit A of my dad’s full recovery from internalized homophobia. He took it last Saturday, as he marched at Roma Pride parade.
It does get better!
What follows is part I of an email I sent on 15th November 2020 to the youngest of my cousins, Riccardo. He had just started his first year of university after graduating through the pandemic, we had lost our legendary grandpa Nonno Alfredo just few months prior, and the family would not be reunited for the next two years. So, an email was my best available means to pass on my tradition of giving The Talk to “the little ones” , as they ventured to university as future first generation graduates. Now that he is venturing his last exam session before graduation – CONGRATS! – he would be happy if you could direct your love and attentions to this young musician here – mention does not equate absolute endorsement.
Ciao bellezza! 
It took me until Sunday find a moment and knock out an updated version of my “POWER TO THE LITTLE ONES!” starters-pack … which, I realize now, is starting to get a little bit long … like a letter! But no worries, you can look at it little by little 🙂 Even because, in the past, this passage of information would happen, indeed, little by little as we would gather together … now we’ve got to adapt.
PRELIMINARY ISSUES
So, the assumption is that certain things you might have already acquired in your past 20 years … but let’s refresh ten essential points in semi-random order:
- 7-8 hours of good quality sleep per night, scheduling days of to rest … and rewards for when you accomplish something, anything;
- Eat “well-combed” … a.k.a. properly! … which is very subjective. But I am still to meet a person who tells me that they get by eating red meat, sugar and process food throughout an exam session. A good indicator other than clinical symptoms is: if you managed to have a focused study session after eating X, X is your friend.
- Drink a lot of water. Easy with caffeine – see exceptions later* – and keep alcohol and moderate hallucinators for the weekend … speaking of which …
- Avoid synthetic drugs, or “natural” ones coming from the Amazon Forest, or the Andean highlands: let’s remember where we live.
- Breathe with your belly and keep calm. Do not quit physical activity.
- Don’t stop being in contact with Nature, and with yourself – which is the same thing.
- Don’t ever lose contact with friends, those who make you feel all positive and energetic and relaxed etc. after you meet.
- Don’t ever quit learning things that have no (apparent) connection with your course of study – such as languages and technical skills.
- Avoid jerks, and caring about their jerkiness – same for toxic, negative or energy-draining subjects.
- Reserve a specific time and place to screens and social media – like, not in bed, or before 9am, or after 10pm etc.
If you’re good with this, 50% is done and you’re my new personal hero 🙂
Before we put (vegan) flesh on this basic structure, note: if you want to delve into any of the topics mentioned above, you can find agile videos on Youtube. But watch it: because I got to the point that one-two hours of each day ended up being dedicated to “productivity videos” … and that’s a little bit much. [… continues …]
Go to Part II |
noprofitideas.org 