Welcome to Raised Proud Weekly — a curated hit of bold ideas, unexpected wisdom, and savage insights from the week. From books that punch above their weight to voices worth following and quotes that hit harder than a bald eagle’s screech at sunrise, we’re here to share the good stuff. No fluff. No filler. Just fuel for the freedom-minded.
📘 Book of the Week: Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
Theme: Why chasing comfort makes us weak — and how discomfort makes us strong.
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so damn hard to put the phone down, resist another drink, or stay disciplined in your daily life — this book will hit you like a freight train of truth.
Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist at Stanford, lays out the science behind dopamine: the brain chemical that fuels pleasure, reward, and motivation. The catch? The more we chase pleasure, the more we dull our sensitivity to it. Over time, that feel-good hit becomes harder to find — and we feel worse, not better.
Big idea: Short-term pleasure often leads to long-term pain. But leaning into discomfort? That’s where real growth begins.
🔧 Practical Takeaway:
Your brain is always trying to balance pleasure and pain. The more you overdo the dopamine (scrolling, junk food, Netflix binges), the more your baseline happiness drops. But when you intentionally lean into discomfort (cold showers, workouts, difficult conversations), your brain adapts in the opposite direction — and you come out stronger, sharper, and more in control.
🔗 Explore Further
Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
📖 Buy the Book on Amazon
🌐 Author’s Website
🎙️ Podcast Episode:
🎙️ Podcast of the Week: Dry Creek Dewayne on Modern Wisdom
Think cowboy philosopher meets real-world grit. Dry Creek Dewayne doesn’t preach — he shares, with honesty, humor, and hard-earned wisdom.
This episode isn’t about hustle culture or empty inspiration. It’s a masterclass in balance. Dewayne talks about embracing hard work while still making time to rest, laugh, and live. He opens up about depression, rebuilding after setbacks, and the deep value of human connection — especially when things get dark.
Favorite Idea:
“Life doesn’t have to be a fight every second of every day. It’s okay to take a walk with your wife. It’s okay to sit on the porch and just watch the sky.”
– Dry Creek Dewayne
If Dopamine Nation lays out the science, Dewayne’s episode shows you what it looks like to live it. It’s about strength with soul, discomfort with grace, and building a life that actually feels like yours.
🔗 Explore Further
🧢 Dry Creek Wrangler School
📺 YouTube Channel
🎧 Dry Creek Wrangler Podcast
🎙️ Featured Podcast Episode
💬 Quote of the Week
“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.”
— Jerzy Gregorek (Polish weightlifter, poet, and all-around badass)
Simple. Brutal. True. Whether it’s lifting weights, running a business, or being a better human — the hard road is the one worth taking. 👊🔥🦅🇺🇸
