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Hey Reader,

When John Aaron, NASA engineer in mission control, worked on the Apollo 13 mission, he found himself sliding into despair.

The oxygen tank had exploded. The crew were running out of air and time. The command module had to be shut down. And the ship was on its way back from slingshotting around the Moon.

They were surviving in Aquarius, the lunar module, which was never designed as a lifeboat but which was doing a stirling job.

Now, though, they had to turn the command module back on so they could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere without burning up. But how? There simply wasn’t enough power.

Gene Krantz, flight director, put Aaron in charge of the problem.

The thought crossed Aaron’s mind that this was just impossible — but he shut it down right away.

Instead, he thought:

And that changed everything.

How about you?

What feels impossible right now, and what might change if instead you asked, “What would make this possible?”

While you ponder that, here’s this week’s Friday Goodie Bag.

This retreat in Barbados for introverts

I don’t usually share products and services in the Goodie Bag but I’m making an exception for Sharon Hurley Hall’s Still & Sovereign retreat in Barbados. Partly because BARBADOS. But also because events are almost never designed for people like me who find gatherings extremely overwhelming. This is a big investment but it’s also truly special.

Sharon is also trying to change the way we work as a society by building communities that help more people access this kind of thing. So if you can’t/don’t want to attend the retreat but you like the idea of making it available to others, she’s also gathering donations for those who can’t afford this but need it. It’s a way of giving back if you’re so inclined.

How can you make business more accessible for all?

Transit karaoke

In my most recent Zine, I shared a short list of ways to spread joy that won’t cost anything. One of those ways was to dance next time you’re in the grocery shop. I dance in shops all the time because I hate being in shops and dancing makes everything better. Do people stare? Sometimes, yes. Do they also smile? Yes they do.

Anyway, Joe sent me this and it seems dancing-in-the-grocery-store-adjacent. Maybe next time you’re on a train, start singing and see what happens?

Octomber

I lol’d when I stumbled across these AI hallucinations on LinkedIn. This is a cautionary tale for anyone thinking they can just “get ChatGPT to do it” because this is funny and silly but it’s also a serious problem.

That said, from now on, I’ll be pronouncing that “silent m” in Octomber.

Brilliant arseholes

Most of us have worked with a brilliant arsehole at some point: the visionary, the person who gets things done, but they make everyone feel like shit on the regular. Why do we put up with it? Is this the price we have to pay for brilliance? Are they really changing the world for the better? Fran O’Connor’s TEDx Talk looks at the reality behind the scenes.

These youngsters reviving market stalls

Employment’s looking bleak for young people — the social contract is broken cos we’re promised “go to school, work hard, go to uni, and you’ll get a job for life” and that’s simply not true anymore. So youngsters are turning their back on the “proper way” and making stuff and taking it back to the market stalls.

There’s an “estimated 30,000 market traders operating in the UK, and are the new generation of young traders who are picking the market stall over a university place or an apprenticeship” and I think that’s really cool.

Word of the week

Thalassophile

n. a lover of the ocean or sea.

I’m a thalassophile. If there’s an aquarium or sea life centre in the place I’m in, I will be there gazing at jellyfish.

Quote of the week

With a long weekend approaching, and glorious weather (in the UK at least) I urge you to do nothing for a while, then rest after.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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