#6: Puzzling Mastery
⛳️ Cheers with Chance – 5,000 Puzzle Pieces, 10,000 Gene Edits, and One Green Jacket
Hey Friends,
Welcome back to Cheers with Chance! With the Masters in full swing, I couldn’t help but draw some parallels between golf, life, and this week's lessons—especially after completing not one, not two, but five 1,000-piece puzzles recently (someone give me a green jacket).
From CRISPR and the comeback of the dire wolf to the unexpected mindfulness of puzzle-solving, here’s what stood out this week.
Grab your Arnold Palmer and let’s tee off! 🏌️♂️
1️⃣ [Mindset] – Lessons from 5,000 Pieces of Cardboard Chaos
Finishing five 1,000-piece puzzles wasn’t just a flex—it was a masterclass in mindfulness. Turns out, puzzles are like meditation in disguise. Each puzzle pushed me to refocus, reframe, and keep showing up, even when it felt like I wasn’t making progress.
Here’s what I learned to apply from thousands of tiny cardboard shapes:
Just start: No need to overthink. Dump the pieces. Flip them all. Find the edges. The momentum will come.
Organize, work, reorganize: Progress comes in cycles. Group by colors, patterns, or textures. Then regroup when you hit a wall.
Hone in: When stuck, go granular. Focus on a corner, a flower, or the weird squirrel in the background.
Walk away: Frustration fogs clarity. Sometimes, the smartest move is to step back and reset.
No screens, no stress: I didn’t touch my phone once while puzzling—and I didn’t miss it.
"Keep calm and puzzle on."
A 2019 study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience showed that puzzle-solving enhances visual-spatial reasoning and can delay cognitive aging. Basically, you’re training your brain to find order in chaos. It’s like Augusta National—a carefully designed challenge that rewards calm, deliberate action.
When was the last time you puzzled?
2️⃣ [Science] – Jurassic Bark? The Dire Wolf Is Back (Kinda)
This week, I fell down the rabbit hole of de-extinction. Specifically: the comeback attempt of the dire wolf—yes, the same mythical-sounding beast from the Ice Age.
History of the Dire Wolf:
Lived across North America until about 10,000 years ago.
Weighed up to 150 lbs—larger and stockier than modern wolves.
Top predators that hunted bison, horses, and maybe even baby mammoths.
Went extinct likely due to climate shifts and dwindling prey.
Fast-forward to today: thanks to CRISPR gene-editing, scientists are working to bring the dire wolf (or something close to it) back by splicing ancient DNA with that of modern canines. This is part of a broader initiative involving Harvard’s Dr. George Church and biotech company Colossal, which is also behind efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and dodo.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to cut and modify DNA with precision—like a high-tech copy-paste function for genetics.
In recreating the dire wolf, scientists made over 10,000 precise genetic edits to replicate dire wolf traits. According to TIME, Colossal Biosciences isn’t cloning the exact species but rather designing a “functional facsimile”—a wolf-like apex predator that embodies the dire wolf’s essence, traits, and ecological purpose.
“We’re not just editing genes—we’re rewriting possibilities.” – Dr. George Church
Pros of De-Extinction:
Could restore ecosystems where apex predators are missing.
Offers a genetic safety net for endangered species.
Advances science in organ regeneration, conservation, and disease resistance.
Concerns:
What if reintroduced species disrupt current ecosystems?
Ethical questions around animal welfare and unintended consequences.
Is it conservation—or just spectacle?
Still, you have to admit—it’s wild. Imagine hearing a howl echo through a pine forest... and realizing it’s a creature we thought we’d lost to time.
📚 For the science nerds: TIME Article on Dire Wolf – Colossal | Is the dire wolf back from the dead? Not exactly | Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences |
What do you think of this feat?
3️⃣ [Culture] – Life Advice, Augusta Style
Since it’s Masters week, let’s talk about one of the most iconic and mysterious places in sports: Augusta National Golf Club. It’s more than a golf course—it’s a cathedral of calm, a meticulously sculpted oasis tucked into the piney hills of Georgia.
A Brief History: Augusta National was founded in 1933 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the grounds of a former nursery. It was designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie, and from the beginning, it was meant to be more than a golf course—it was a sanctuary for strategic beauty and southern hospitality.
What makes Augusta special?
Geographic Poetry: Carved into the red clay of eastern Georgia, Augusta National blooms like a watercolor painting. Each hole is named after a tree or flower—Magnolia, Azalea, Camellia, Holly—and in spring, the place explodes with color. Dogwoods blaze white, azaleas flame pink, and everything smells faintly of pine, grass, and reverence.
Incredible Precision: Every blade of grass is intentional. Azaleas bloom on cue. The greens are lightning-fast and treacherous.
No Phones Allowed: Spectators (patrons!) must leave phones behind. The result? Pure, undistracted focus.
Timeless Rituals: From the green jacket ceremony to the Champions Dinner, Augusta oozes heritage.
Private & Exclusive: Membership is invite-only and shrouded in secrecy. Even some of the richest people in the world are turned away.
Legendary Holes: Amen Corner (holes 11–13) is as dramatic as it gets—where tournaments are won or lost.
Pimento Cheese Sandwiches for $1.50: Enough said.
"Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears." – Jack Nicklaus
Life Lessons from Augusta:
Respect the quiet: Silence creates space for greatness.
Play the long game: Growth isn’t rushed. It’s carefully cultivated.
Stick to your swing: Mastery comes from repetition, not reinvention.
Tend to the details: Whether it’s a green or your goals, excellence lives in precision.
So this week, channel your inner Augusta. Let the pine-scented hush of a Georgia morning remind you to slow down, focus, and be fully where you are.
What would your Champions Dinner Menu look like?
4️⃣ [Wellness] – A Clean Approach to Skin & Hair 🚿
Let’s talk about something that literally touches you every day—your shower water.
Enter: the shower head filter.
Your skin is your largest organ, and it absorbs more than we realize. Most tap water contains chlorine, heavy metals (like lead and mercury), and other contaminants that can strip your skin and hair of natural oils and disrupt your skin’s microbiome.
Over time, this can contribute to:
Dry, irritated skin
Brittle or discolored hair
Scalp flakiness
Exacerbated eczema, acne, or rashes
We’ve been using the Jolie Shower Filter—a sleek, affordable, and science-backed solution that filters chlorine, heavy metals, and sediment through a multilayer KDF-55 and activated carbon system. Installation takes about 2 minutes and the results are instant: softer skin, smoother hair, and a surprisingly spa-like vibe.
“Clean water shouldn’t stop at the kitchen tap.”
Why it works:
Chlorine acts as an oxidant, degrading keratin in hair and collagen in skin.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vaporize in hot showers and can be inhaled.
Filtered water helps maintain skin barrier integrity and reduce inflammatory responses.
Clean skin starts at the source—and this small change makes a big impact. It’s like putting a water hazard on notice.
Are you team filter or team chemicals?
5️⃣ [Beverage] – The Masters-Inspired “Green Jacket” Cocktail 🍸
We’re keeping it classy this week with a drink inspired by Augusta’s signature hue and elevated charm.
Green Jacket Cocktail
2 oz Green Chartreuse (herbal, rich, and complex)
1 oz Monkey 47 Gin (or your favorite botanical gin)
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz agave syrup
Mint sprig for garnish
Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe glass, and garnish with mint. Sip slowly, preferably while watching Amen Corner with your feet up.
Fun fact: Chartreuse is made by French monks with a 400-year-old secret recipe—and the color “chartreuse” is literally named after it.
⛳️ Final Thoughts
This week reminded me that growth doesn’t always come from going faster—it comes from going deeper. Whether you're solving a puzzle, watching the Masters, or reading about dire wolves returning from the Ice Age, there's value in presence, patience, and curiosity. Be intentional.
What’s been your “puzzle” this week? I’d love to hear what you’re working on!
Stay curious. Stay calm. Stay out of the bunker.
– Chance