There is a new study that suggests music may hold the key to staving off cognitive decline.

• Older is younger – Older adults performed just as well as young people.
• Listening was enough – Former music training had only a marginal impact on the findings.
• Music keeps us young – Music either by attending live events, playing an instrument or simply listening appears to be the way we have been searching for to keep our minds sharp.

If you want to change your life for the better before the year is out, you don’t have do anything more than master the following four things:

• Please Forgive Me
• I Forgive You
• Thank You
• I love You

For more:  “The Four Things That Matter Most” by Ira Byock, M.D.

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time”Leonard Bernstein

NOTE:  Cheryl and I are going to take a few days off to recharge our batteries before NYU resumes in-person classes again in a few weeks and the media industry revs up to end a challenging year.  This seems like a good time.  A good time to catch up on some stories you may have missed.   See you in a few days — Monday August 26.

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As a former radio program director, I still see the world as one giant radio station.

Instead of only posting your next big moment on social media, consider putting into rotation as one of your greatest hits of all time.

Those moments are worth rotating over and over.

Some are even worth rotating more often than others.

And, as in music radio, play the things that make you happy in life.

I’m fond of a record industry saying:  if it’s in the grooves, it’s a hit.

Replay yours often.

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Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting.

It doesn’t always mean reconciliation.

You’re not doing it for the other person.

Forgiving is necessary for all healing starting with you.

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An influencer platform known as Fanvue has conducted a beauty contest of sorts that gave out prizes to 3 non-existent people.

This is the part of AI – which also has a good side – that is scary.

Because the focus is on someone’s concept of beauty in a world that struggles with self-image and body positivity.

I’m taking this as a gift – and a warning – to look for the inner beauty of everyone and avoid outsourcing a person’s best qualities for what passes as an abuse of technology.

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Stanford Professor Mark Granovetter conducted a survey to find out how people in our lives help us to become more mobile.

His conclusion was fascinating:  about three-quarters of new jobs came from leads from people who were only seen occasionally or rarely and not from family or friends.

This reminds us that social mobility comes not just from those we hold closest but from other “weak ties” in our lives – teachers, former employers.

This morning this reminds us to put a new value on all people with whom we come in contact and not just the trusted closest ones.

In other words, you’re more likely to accomplish your goals by not asking your closest friends.

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The evidence is there, and governments are taking action where parents are not or cannot – there’s a lot of social pressure for kids to have phones when they are too young.

The two biggest school systems in the U.S. – LA and New York City are set to ban phone usage from bell to bell.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been doing this in my NYU classes and the students like it so much they often mention the positive aspects for going analog for a period in their assessment of the courses.

The U.S. Surgeon General wants warning labels on social media apps – kind of like warnings on cigarette packages.

Help is on the way and oh, by the way, young people are often critical of their parents for setting a bad example of phone distraction, but as the digital revolution advances, it appears there is some ray of hope for how to interact with it and maintain healthy habits.

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“Because the only thing in life that’s really worth having is good skill … Good skill is the greatest possession. The things that money buys are fine. They’re good. I like them. But having a skill [is the most important thing].”

That’s what Jerry Seinfeld told Esquire when they asked him why he still works – he’s making his debut as a director in “Unfrosted”.

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“If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.”  Charles de Montesquieu, writer/philosopher

This is why Instagram and social media detracts from our happiness because judging our happiness based on the perceived happiness of others always leaves us wanting more.

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