Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday and every other Thursday.
#18 – July 14, 2022
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Wise
You probably wouldn’t guess this since I write about personal growth and investing, but I’m mostly a pessimist by nature.
Most of us have both optimistic and pessimistic tendencies. For example, a lot of people have a dim view of the future with the potential global recession and the prospect of a forever war in Ukraine.
But those same people might be optimistic when it comes to green energy or the ability to educate others through social media. It’s important to see the positive when you’re feeling negative, and vice versa
That’s the importance of having a realistic long-term view, which should be leaning towards optimism because we’re still here as a species.
No matter how dark the world can get, we should never underestimate the power of human ingenuity.
As many investors like to say, you have to be bullish on the future when you invest.
↳ Why It Pays off to Be an Optimist
Wealthy
When it comes to financial independence, people often set their sights on numeric goals.
- “Will a six-figure salary make me financially free?”
- “How much do I need for a comfortable retirement?”
- “Is 10 Million dollars enough to retire at 45?”
When we focus too much on money, we risk getting stuck in an endless cycle of earning more and spending more.
That’s why I believe financial independence isn’t only about how much money you make. It’s about how free you are from the never-ending trap of chasing money.
The person who spends more than they earn is never fully free.
Instead of trying to earn more, I’d rather focus on having a simple, sustainable, and enjoyable lifestyle.
When you enjoy your days and you consistently spend less than you earn, you have peace of mind; which is priceless.
↳ Why More Money Won’t Lead to Financial Independence
One interesting thing
Today I want to share an idea with you that I picked up from Sam Harris. I’ve been using his meditation app, Waking Up, for a few years now. One of the key concepts Sam talks about is this:
Become aware of the link between your thoughts and your impulse actions.
For example, when you’re doing something with a loved one and you see a message notification — will you be mindful enough to ignore it? Or will you “quickly check” the message?
When somebody does that to us, it’s annoying, right? So why do we do it? It’s not like we do it on purpose. It’s just where our attention goes.
When you meditate, you train yourself to be aware of these types of impulse actions.
Next time something like this happens, become aware of the thought and stop the impulse action. Let the notification slide. Focus on the thing that actually matters.
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.
All the best,
Darius
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When you’re centered, nothing can hurt you. You will have inner peace no matter what happens.
How to unlock Stay Centered
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