“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
A Reflection On The Life Of Stephen Hawking
“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” ―Stephen Hawking
Food For Thought
A Reflection On The Life Of Stephen Hawking
On this day, March 14, of last year, the world said goodbye to renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking.
What strikes us as so inspiring about Hawking’s story is how distinctly human it is.
We often define celebrities or public figures by their most prominent and obvious attributes, their most attention-grabbing thing. We place them on these impossible to emulate pedestals, or reach for the other extreme, and exile them into hiding. Either they are “entirely good” or “entirely bad,” — two labels which create a disconnect between “us” and “them.” (A habit of classification that we are all guilty of.)
And if we are being honest, the general public remembers Hawking as that super smart guy with ALS who, by some miracle, managed to live well into his 70s.
But that’s not the whole of his story. In fact, it barely scratches the surface of the universe Hawking existed in.
Hawking wasn’t just his disease, and he wasn’t just his theories. Underneath his medical struggles and scientific prowess, he was human like the rest of us.
He had dreams and aspirations, and a distinct personality and wit. He fell in and out of love. When he was younger, he struggled to find friends and craft his identity.
Hawking wasn’t superhuman emotionally. Like anyone, he had a hard time coming to terms with his diagnosis and for years, even well into the onset of the disease, let his pride get in the way or receiving the help he needed.
His character wasn’t flawless. His relationships with friends, family, and colleagues had their ups and downs — — something everybody is familiar with.
But despite having extenuating circumstances piled on top of the human struggles we all face, Hawking kept a positive outlook:
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
He didn’t play the victim or give into looming anger or depression.
And this is the universally applicable lesson we can learn from Hawking’s life. This is what really connects us to him.
No matter what you face, you have the tools in and around you to overcome and carry on.
His has an exceptional story, yes, but only in that it is exceptionally human.
Mission Daily
The Power of A Flexible Mindset
Mindsets determine everything. They decide what you won’t try and what you will try. In this episode, Chad and Stephanie talk about the power of a good mindset. They also explain how to recognize a fixed mindset from a flexible one and what you can do to improve your mindset right now.
🎧 Listen to the Episode 🎧
Deep Dive
A Brief History Of Time
“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe? The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe. Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?”
Watch This
The Theory Of Everything
“There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.” — Stephen Hawking
Based off a book by Hawking’s first wife, Jane Wilde, The Theory of Everything is a fantastic look into the life and philosophy of Hawking.
#HappyPiDay
3.141592653589…
This is for you math geeks out there (like us!)…
It’s Pi Day! 🤓🥧
Today is March 14th, or 3/14, or 3.14 → which is the number we call “pi”!
Pi is a mathematical constant that is defined as the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. (Nerdy, we know… but still a great excuse to eat some pie!)
For a million digits of pi, go here. How many can you memorize? 😂
Sign Off ✌️
Happy Thursday
This week is Relationships Week on Mission Daily. We are highlighting Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements and will be discussing how you should be interacting with your friends, family, acquaintances, and enemies.
Be sure to subscribe at mission.org/MissionDaily! 🤗
See on the ‘morrow!
This was originally published on March 14, 2019 as The Mission’s daily newsletter. To subscribe, go here.
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