Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday.
#96 – November 6, 2023
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Wise: Setback to energy
I believe our natural response to setbacks is stress. When you deal with loss, sickness, conflict, or uncertainty, you get that heavy feeling in your stomach.
Your mood becomes dark. You start feeling less energetic. Your instincts tell you to run.
For some people, that type of stress lasts only a few hours, but for others, it can go on for weeks or months.
What matters is that you don’t get stuck in those negative feelings. Because when you don’t address your setbacks, you start to get emotionally scarred.
There’s another option: You can see every setback in your life as an opportunity to get smarter, stronger, better.
Here’s what J.K. Rowling said about setbacks:
“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity.”
↳ How to Use Setbacks as Energy
Wealthy: Leaving the 9-5
When I got out of grad school, I started a business with my father. Our business, a laundry equipment supplier, still exists today.
But after working in that business for three years, I didn’t feel fulfilled. I wanted to see what it’s like to work for a corporation. So I got a job at an IT research firm in London.
But that also wasn’t for me. I felt too restricted. So I started writing in 2015.
One of the things I learned during those years was this: Time is your biggest ally.
Too many people focus on hacks or shortcuts to get to their goals as fast as possible. That’s an understandable urge.
Building a successful career is a long, long, game.
↳ Five Surprising Truths I Learned From Leaving My 9–5
One interesting thing
I recently finished reading Only The Paranoid Survive by Andrew Grove, the famous CEO who helped make Intel one of the most successful American tech companies.
The book is from 1996 when people didn’t know much about the Internet. But Grove realized it was something that had the potential to change the world. Here’s what he wrote:
“There seems to be a measure of embarrassment surrounding things to do with the Internet. People know a lot less than they let on.”
We can say the same thing about AI today.
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.
All the best,
Darius
Join the 5-day Financial Freedom Challenge
I created a 5-day email course you can do alone or together with a group. It’s called the Financial Freedom Challenge. And it will help you to gain control over your finances.
Most people try to calculate their way out of poor finances. But money problems aren’t rational. They’re emotional. Manage your emotions well, and you’ll manage your finances better.
How to Unlock the Financial Freedom Challenge
You can join the challenge for free. For five days, you’ll receive a short email with a small challenge that inspires you to improve your relationship with money.
I highly recommend sharing it with your friends/family so you can go through the program together. It helps bring perspective. And it’s more fun that way too.
Join here for free: dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom