Wise & Wealthy

Wise & Wealthy: Resisting the first desire and the “secret” to making money

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Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday.

#145 – October 7, 2024

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The first desire

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said:

”‘Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”

This is a timeless truth about human nature and how we constantly pursue our first desire.

The key to avoiding the first desire is to understand that there is no pleasure without non-pleasure.

If you only have pleasure, it becomes your default state. But if you have some discomfort, some non-pleasure, it helps you appreciate the times of pleasure.

For example, I’ve talked about how I once moved to Spain to see if I wanted to live there.

Compared to the weather in the Netherlands, where I’m from, Spain looks much better. But I prefer the conveniences in the Netherlands. I realized I took those for granted until I missed them in Spain.

The same concept can be applied to our consumerist culture.

We are constantly bombarded with ads that tell us what we need or should want. It’s an endless cycle of wanting more and always chasing the next shiny new thing.

I talk about this more in my latest article.

↳ Don’t Give In To That First Desire

One interesting thing

There is a quote commonly misattributed to Mark Twain (the true source, according to the NY Times, is a variation of a line written by the satirist Jonathan Swift):

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”

That’s why get-rich-quick schemes and “secret” investment advice travel fast.

Here’s a secret about making money: There are no secrets. If there are, people wouldn’t be sharing them..

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.

All the best,

Darius

Join the 7-day Stay Centered challenge

I’ve created a one-week email course that you can do together with a group. It’s called Stay Centered, and it will help you to reclaim focus and live a meaningful life.

When you’re centered, nothing can hurt you. You will have inner peace no matter what happens.

How to unlock Stay Centered

You can join the challenge for free. Every day, you’ll receive a short email with a small challenge that inspires you to live better. 

I highly recommend sharing it with your friends so you can go through the program together. I did it with my team, which was a lot of fun. 

Join here: dariusforoux.com/stay-centered

Wise & Wealthy

Wise & Wealthy: Monetizing your writing and the best writing advice

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Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday.

My online course, Effective Writing, is open for registration until Sunday only. Join here today: members.dariusforoux.com/effective-writing

#144 – September 30, 2024

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Monetize your writing

Earning an honest living as a writer might be hard, but it’s not impossible.

To sustainably monetize your writing, you must adopt the right mindset. But there are aaaalot of misconceptions about writing.

For example: Almost everyone assumes you do better writing when you have a great view or work from the beach or some resort in Bali.

For me, it’s the opposite.

The nicer my environment, the less creative I am, and the more I struggle to write

I work best in a small room without a view, just looking at a concrete wall. That’s how I got started in 2015 when I moved back into a small bedroom in my parent’s house.

And to this day, I work in a simple room without much of a view. That forces me to focus on the task at hand, which is to do great writing.

In my latest article, I talk about the mindset you need to make a living as a writer.

↳ 5 Mindset Shifts That Help You to Monetize Your Writing

One interesting thing

I just published a video on YouTube about the best writing advice I ever heard.

Here’s the advice, which comes from William Zinsser: Write the way you talk.

But this is easier said than done.

I talk about how to embody this advice in the video.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.

All the best,

Darius

Join the 7-day Stay Centered challenge

I’ve created a one-week email course that you can do together with a group. It’s called Stay Centered, and it will help you to reclaim focus and live a meaningful life.

When you’re centered, nothing can hurt you. You will have inner peace no matter what happens.

How to unlock Stay Centered

You can join the challenge for free. Every day, you’ll receive a short email with a small challenge that inspires you to live better. 

I highly recommend sharing it with your friends so you can go through the program together. I did it with my team, which was a lot of fun. 

Join here: dariusforoux.com/stay-centered

Business, Career Advice, Creativity, Freedom, Marketing, Writing

5 Mindset Shifts That Help You to Monetize Your Writing

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monetize writing

A Google search that contains the words “make money” and “writing” in a single sentence will quickly show you articles along the lines of “X Proven Ways” to monetize your writing.

Their advice is usually the same: Start blogging, get freelance writing clients, and use ChatGPT to write articles while you make money in your sleep. We get it. And none of that stuff works.

Look, many people who try to monetize their writing struggle.

This applies not just to “professional writers,” but to everyone who uses the written word to make a living: Marketers who write effective pitch emails to score a sale or VIP interview, designers who need to communicate their ideas effectively, entrepreneurs who are trying to make better sense of their business model.

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Wise & Wealthy

Wise & Wealthy: AI writing, the illusion of progress, and improving your thinking

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Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday.

#143 – September 23, 2024

Was this shared with you? Sign up here.

AI and the illusion of progress

I’ve been experimenting with AI since November 2022 (can you believe it’s almost two years since ChatGPT!).

My initial thought was just like everyone: “Wow, AI can help save a lot of time.”

Sure, AI is great at doing research and completing tedious tasks.

But here’s my most important takeaway about AI. It’s more like a warning.

AI writing only gives us the illusion of progress. In reality, AI is making us lazier, and in the long term, dumber.

This is coming from first-hand experience. And deep down, I think we all know it’s true.

If you let something else do your writing, you’re outsourcing your mind. 

More on this in my latest article.

↳ AI Writing and the Illusion of Progress

One interesting thing

My new announcement is very much in line with the above. I taught my writing class, Effective Writing, last January.

And the feedback I’ve received from my new students backs up my own experience.

Writing is the most important skill in today’s economy.

When you improve your writing, you will not only become a better communicator but also a better thinker.

Registration for the next cohort opens on September 29, which is this Sunday.

Learn more here: members.dariusforoux.com/effective-writing

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.

All the best,

Darius

Join the 7-day Stay Centered challenge

I’ve created a one-week email course that you can do together with a group. It’s called Stay Centered, and it will help you to reclaim focus and live a meaningful life.

When you’re centered, nothing can hurt you. You will have inner peace no matter what happens.

How to unlock Stay Centered

You can join the challenge for free. Every day, you’ll receive a short email with a small challenge that inspires you to live better. 

I highly recommend sharing it with your friends so you can go through the program together. I did it with my team, which was a lot of fun. 

Join here: dariusforoux.com/stay-centered

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