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# House of Pain
- URL: https://makoism.com/house-of-pain/
- Published: 2022-01-29T12:04:15.000Z
- Updated: 2022-01-29T12:04:15.000Z
- Description: "Big things often have small beginnings." - David, Prometheus (or T.E. Lawrence in Lawerence of Arabia)
- Author: Steve Makofsky
- Tags: makoism, #newsletter-makoism, #substack

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/8f/618f2076-e6a0-40dc-8037-06080661dee7/content/images/public/images/e0887519-7e79-41b3-9231-a708a9beb65f_6000x4000.jpeg)

all in all, they are bricks in the wall

Earlier in the week, I [stumbled across an article](https://www.shortform.com/blog/dan-harris-panic-attack) about news anchor Dan Harris and his (now famous) on-air panic attack on a 2004 episode of Good Morning America.

I originally heard about this from a colleague that recommended his book, [10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head](https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Self-Help-Actually-Works/dp/0062265431) .. but when I came across that post, I’ve been thinking about it a lot the last few days.

Give the book (or article) a read. Spoiler alert: you’ll learn that Dan’s problem continued past that first incident — a second panic attack followed a year later, which led him to realize that he needed to **change his habits and take care of both his body and his mind** to combat the depression.

Through the help of therapy, he ultimately recognized that he suffered from career anxiety: he had *the stress of trying something new and potentially failing in the process coupled with the fear that occurs when you’re settled in your job and worry about your long-term career success*. He constantly worried, ‘*letting his mind run through worst-case scenarios and potential outcomes*.’ He was stressed out and quick to anger. He started using illegal drugs.

**It broke him**. It’s an excellent, worthwhile read. And an important cautionary tale.

I see it all the time around me in work and my personal life, so many projects or colleagues are trying to do all the things — big-bang releases, taking on the extra workload, constantly in fear about something failing or missing a date.

I’d offer up a different, more meaningful path — instead of worrying about **all** the things, **focus on [boring](https://email.mg1.substack.com/c/eJwtkMtuwyAQRb8mLBFgbOwFi276G4jHxEHBYMHQyn9fklQaaaR56OgebxH2Ui-N0JCcpaHB6wSd4bclQIRKeoNqYtAkaKaEV47EZu4V4LAxaXJ2l6K3GEt-XU1sWjfy0G6zUgq2eGCLXKxXoHyQdp7VvCnG5Idle4iQPWj4gXqVDCTpB-J5m75u4nuUKzXmHcE%5Fckllv6hP3Y05iVowIRgXG-NcyIkKGpjanOKOb8HelQW6T1xU6%5FAm2bFz2rpraP2T-nKQqhsOKD3ss9zb8xo30afSw3s7QpnRj54jXgaydQmGAfxoeic3O2SoQ18wFjVf5CT5qhY5q%5F9sQ4ZU6yoYW8hAhzK-sn7xYjv-ACVkfvA) little things**. Little things can be wonderful.

**The secret is that little things can add up to big things over time.**

> *Dripping water hollows out stone*  
>  
> *not through force*  
>  
> **but through persistence*. -Ovid*

If you enjoy these posts, you can [buy me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/makoism) ☕️, or if you’d rather keep up with my daily ramblings, follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/smakofsky) or keep reading [my posts on this blog](https://makoism.com/).

## Forward Thinking

I never really spent too much time thinking about the game of [Hangman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangman%5F%28game%29), but its origin is unknown mainly (a variant first appeared in 1894 under the name "Birds, Beasts and Fishes."). It is rumored that it came about '*when criminals used to have the death penalty; they had the opportunity to guess a word in the style of the game and if they guessed right they would be allowed to live*.'

Here's a wild analysis:

## Thought of the week

> [](https://twitter.com/thedolectures/status/1486251312383729664)

## Latest obsession

For my birthday last year, Liz gave me a [Stagg EKG Electric Kettle](https://fellowproducts.com/products/staggekg) that will be my “go-to” kettle as part of Life 2.0.

It’s a great kettle. It’s beautiful. It has variable temperature control, 1200 watts for quick heat, and keeps the water hot for hours. It’s known as “*the electric pour-over kettle for coffee-lovers*.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/8f/618f2076-e6a0-40dc-8037-06080661dee7/content/images/public/images/103af734-9893-42f3-a303-59f47861ed7f_826x633.png)

ahhhhh

And, I just found out: it packs in a **secret game** in the display/controls.

Yes, folks, you can play the game [Wormy on the kettle](https://fellowproducts.com/blogs/learn/how-to-play-wormy-on-your-electric-kettle). Whaaaa!? BRILLIANT!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/8f/618f2076-e6a0-40dc-8037-06080661dee7/content/images/public/images/0f728610-82ad-4e0d-9284-22f7e226ee60_969x446.png)

wormy!

## This weeks “Deep Links”

Here are a few of the articles and videos that resonated with me over the last week:

- I’ve been having a fun time watching [DC’s Peacemaker on HBO Max](https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYb0FKQLsGIyPfQEAAAAM), but most noticeable is its crazy good hair-band soundtrack. In “**‘Peacemaker’ Director James Gunn Talks 400-Song Hair Metal Playlist**”, read more about the time [James Gunn](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0348181/) takes dreaming up rock classics on top of action sequences - [More](https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/peacemaker-james-gunn-interview-hair-metal-guns-n-roses-1235022764/)
- “**2 Tips Radically Improving Communication Within Teams Distributed Across Time Zones**” is a must-read for anyone who has to deal with teams in various locations - [More](https://paolo.blog/2-tips-radically-improving-communication-within-teams-distributed-across-time-zones)
- “**Lower the interest rate on your technical debt**” was an exciting read. While most view tech debt as unfavorable, this article flips that around into how to take on some positive debt - [More](https://shaungallagher.pressbin.com/blog/tech-debt.html)
- “**Meat Loaf Ascends to Rock Heaven**” is an excellent retro on the life and work of Meat Loaf, who passed away last week - [More](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/meat-loaf-ascends-to-rock-heaven)
- Very 2022, but a “**Photographer Finds Polar Bears That Took Over Abandoned Buildings**” in Russia. These bears took residence in a series of abandoned buildings of a meteorological station - [More](https://petapixel.com/2022/01/13/photographer-finds-polar-bears-that-took-over-abandoned-buildings/)
- What reads like the plot of a film, “**The Female World War II Codebreaker Who Busted Nazi Spy Rings**” tells the story of Elizebeth Friedman and how her codebreaking saved Queen Mary and captured a Nazi spy ringleader in Latin America during WW2 - [More](https://www.history.com/news/codebreaker-nazi-spy-rings-woman)
- Submerged to 3.7 miles deep, the 1944 wreckage of the USS Johnston has been discovered. “**How the world’s deepest shipwreck was found**” was fun to read about its backstory and the challenges they faced finding it - [More](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220121-the-dive-to-find-the-worlds-deepest-shipwreck)
- I keep hearing about the future of work being more around ‘**asynchronous**’ communications; in “**The future of work is asynchronous**,” a look from a former Google engineer on the anxiety caused by Slack, Zoom, etc. - [More](https://www.fastcompany.com/90712513/the-future-of-work-is-asynchronous)
- “**In 2022, make your working life healthier, happier and more creative**” hits on how to ‘*cultivate an experimental mindset*’ and other little things you can do to lower your daily stress - [More](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/in-2022-make-working-life-happier/)
- Continuing to think about remote working being a “core” to life combined with leaning into team health, there’s some great wisdom in “**The importance of small, positive interactions**” - [More](https://leaddev.com/culture-engagement-motivation/importance-small-positive-interactions)
- I’ve been tracking this one for a while, but you really should check out “**100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying**”. Such a simple list of beautiful things to improve the day to day - [More](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/01/marginal-gains-100-ways-to-improve-your-life-without-really-trying)

## Fin

Figured since I posted to the fun soundtrack from [James Gunn’s The Peacemaker](https://leosigh.com/listen-to-faster-pussycats-house-of-pain-from-peacemaker-season-1-ep-4/), leaving off this week with “House of Pain”.

> *I’m not trying to fake it; And I ain’t the one to blame.*   
>  
> *There’s no one home In my house of pain*  
>  
> *I didn’t write these pages And my script’s been rearranged.*   
>  
> *No, there’s no one home In my house of pain*

Be well. ✌🏻