#42 CYB: Weightlifting is working for me
I’ve strengthened my body , tapped into a reservoir of physical confidence, and improved my movement beyond the gym. (Plus, things to read.)
Eighteen months ago, I started a weightlifting journey that has changed my body and my outlook on feeling strong, capable, and confident. As a woman over 65, under 5 feet tall, and overweight, getting involved with barbell back squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and bench presses has been the most inspiring–and fun–experience.
My Numbers Speak Volumes
Deadlift: 185 lbs
Barbell Back Squat: 95 lbs
Front Squat: 80 lbs
Overhead Press: 65 lbs
Bench Press: 90 lbs
During this time frame, I’ve evolved from worrying about dropping a 45-pound bar to feeling confident that I will eventually achieve a 205-pound deadlift.
If you’d like to read more about what becoming a weightlifter has done for me, click over to the essay on my blog.
Newsletter and Substacks with Real Voices
Kim France, Some Random Thoughts on Turning Sixty; Girls of a Certain Age Kim France, the founding editor of Lucky magazine, has created a wonderful read with her blog, Girls of a Certain Age. For me, her posts have become a must-read, blending keen fashion insights with personal reflections. Her piece, 'Some Random Thoughts on Turning Sixty,' stands out for its candid exploration of aging, identity, and self-perception.
France's honesty strikes a chord, especially when she shares:
Sometimes I feel like the 17 year-old fuck-up that I was back in Houston. Other times I feel 33 or so, which is an age when my life started to come together in some meaningful ways, and I started to really know myself (emphasis on started to). But most of the time, I feel every day of my almost 60 years.”
Brandon Taylor, Sweater Weather. Taylor, a celebrated writer ( Real Life and Filthy Animals) and writing professor, launched 'Sweater Weather' as a platform to share his writing journey. His essays merge literary critique with intimate life reflections, showcasing his talent for personal storytelling. I relate to some of the topics (queerness, body size, weight) and appreciate how seriously he centers reading, writing, and reflection in his life.
"Taylor's Sugar in the Blog, Weight Loss, Ambivalence, Gays essay tackles the nuanced conversation around body size and health without stigma. His perspective as a Type-2 diabetic, who might not want to lose weight if his blood sugar levels are okay, offers a crucial voice in the discourse on health, body image, and societal expectations. His resistance to simplifying complex health issues into binary outcomes resonates deeply, resulting in a very powerful essay.
Readings: Tech and AI posts
The Real Divorcees of Facebook Marketplace: For sale: wife shoes, hardly worn, Elan Ullendorff: Ullendorff's reflection on Facebook Marketplace describe it as a poignant catalog of human transitions. Through the prism of resale, Ullendorff explores the emotional landscapes of change, where every item tells a story of past lives and future hopes.
“If you’ll allow me to romanticize a reseller platform operated by a publicly traded company for a moment, I’ve come to see Facebook Marketplace as a catalog of human transition. An object up for resale is its owner trapped between a life lived and a life to be lived. A set of nesting measuring cups is the mourning of a dead relative, a twin bed the welcoming of a new lover.”
Toward a unified taxonomy of text-based social media use, Or how Threads’ Adam Mosseri needs to stop worrying and learn to love the bomb, Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge.
Elizabeth Lopatto's taxonomy of social media users, from the influencers to the lurkers, turns the digital social ecosystem into an aquarium of online interaction. This amusing read reveals the intricate dynamics of online communities, encouraging us to reflect on our own social media identities.
“The successful social media network is an aquarium. The influencers and posters are the denizens — jellyfish, filter feeders, sharks, octopuses, rays, squid, clownfish, and so on. The lurkers are the visitors, marveling at the shape and color of the aquarium’s denizens” .--Elizabeth Lopatto
DALL-E image—why does it look so creepy?
Allen Pike, Going Way Beyond ChatGPT, Techniques for building products on LLMs today. Allen Pike's exploration of leveraging ChatGPT and other LLMs for product development is a treasure trove for both tech enthusiasts and AI novices alike. Pike demystifies the process of prototyping with GPT-4, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-driven innovation. His insights into multi-part and multi-stage instructions could be a game-changer for those of us looking to push the boundaries of what AI tools can achieve in our projects
“ChatGPT lets you poke at those possibilities. You can prototype some wild and intriguing experiences in a GPT-4-powered chat window.”
Prompt Design and Engineering: Introduction and Advanced Methods, by Xavier Amatriain. Xavier Amatriain's exploration of prompt engineering is a masterclass in the art and science of interacting with generative AI models. By breaking down the concept of 'prompt' into its fundamental role as the interface between human desires and AI capabilities, Amatriain offers insights for anyone looking to refine their approach to AI interaction. His work is academic, but it is also a practical guide for harnessing the power of prompts in generative AI
“Prompt engineering in generative AI models is a rapidly emerging discipline that shapes the interactions and outputs of these models. At its core, a prompt is the textual interface through which users communicate their desires to the model.”
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All best,
Susan
PS I am working with nonprofit leaders and foundation staffers to help them develop skills using AI. If you would like to know more about our training, coaching, and workshops for nonprofit staff and leaders, reach out to susan@collectiveagencyllc.com
PPS Because you made it this far, some great dance music: Paul Damixie x April Bender - Dumb | Official Video